I commute year-round, but won't head out for 2+ hour rides when I'll be spending more than an hour in the dark, especially when it drops below 35 degrees F. I'm a wuss. Yep. It also seems like those are the conditions where people get hit by cars the most often around here. People out in the country just don't look for bikes on sleepy and narrow farm/ranch roads before the sun comes up.
I go to spin classes at my gym during the winter (4-8 hours per week, depending on how much "real" riding I can do). To keep my endurance up, I also add in lots of cross-training during the winter. I work on my abdominals, strength training, 3-4 hours of other types of aerobic exercise (aerobic/step/kickbox/yoga classes, treadmill, elliptical trainer, etc.). I find that working the rest of my body in the winter makes me feel better after a full season of almost nothing but riding too.
Last edited by Pinyon; 09-23-09 at 09:28 AM.