When I could ride the bus where I used to live, I sometimes woke up and preferred to ride the bus to school and then back even when I planned to ride, but even then most of the time I had something to do after school and riding the bus wasn't possible because I wouldn't have a way to get home at night. Where I live now, I have to ride a bike to get anywhere (unless it's just plain unsafe to be out then we might try in the car but really when it's too unsafe to ride my bike out then it's probably too unsafe to drive either, or if the bike is broken or if my grandparents offer a ride then I take that too but it's nothing like having a bus pull up right outside your house every morning) so I've found I don't think about it as a choice but rather just a necessary event that is going to happen in order for me to get to work. It's the same walking up the giant hill that is my grandparent's mile long driveway from the highway to their house- it's an unavoidable event that I am so confident will happen I don't even bother to consider how confident I am in it's probability.
That being said, I do wake up feeling like not going on some mornings, especially when I don't sleep, but it's ended being motivation to go to bed on time, so now that I've adjusted over the past few months I'm in a great routine.

Not so far. When I first started at this location, June 2010, I started out at 3 and 4 days per week but even then the driving was planned.

These days it doesn't even occur to me. Probably because I'm not really awake until halfway here.

Riding is my primary mode of transport for local trips, car second. Riding isn't drudgery so I'm happy to ride every day unless the weather is really bad, timing dictates driving or I've got to carry more stuff than my bike or bakfiets can handle. Not a big deal either way.

About the same here. When the wind warnings mentioned gusts up to 45 mph I figured I'd drive.

I usually skip cyclecommuting when I'm sick or there's snow on the roads. There might be a third case if I'm banged up from a fall. I just fell today and got some nice road rash on my left leg. Also a few scrapes on my right arm. But if I feel as good as I do today, then I'll most likely be riding into work tomorrow. Every time I take the train, I'm reminded of why I cyclecommute. Things like train schedule, subway jam packed, and delays are all avoided with the bike. :thumb:

I am the opposite. I'm not sure why. There is a commuter bus that stops in front of my house and goes directly to the train station, but I still prefer the bike --even in heavy rain, all winter long, below zero, heavy snow. I usually work from home 1 or two days a week, but when I go downtown (Chicago) I always and only RIDE to the train station. It is only 2+ miles to the train station so I can pretty much endure anything but at age 65 I must just be set in my ways. I just can't imagine not doing the ride.

My rule is to always ride on the worst day. So if the weather sucks, and it's worse than I have ever seen it, I go out. I might turn around (and I have, once) but if I don't then I know I can do it!

Otherwise, if I am too sick to ride I am too sick to go to work.

Sometimes, but it's getting better. The worst thing is the bus stop is an entire 1 1/2 blocks from home; sometimes I just cave, and usually regret it later. Lately it's been super cold in the mornings, so I take my bike on the the bus and ride home.

I always go to work through commuting public bus and riding car vehicle or biking is only alternative. i feel you though :) guess I'm too lazy to go biking around the city

Yes, sometimes I look at the weather and say no, not today, and go back to bed. I don't mind getting wet, but sitting on the train for an hour, while wet, sucks.

But I don't have a Plan B. If I don't ride the bike, I don't go to work. I'm okay with that. My boss is okay with that. Even my wife is okay with that, if I spend my time cleaning the house.

My wife would be the first tell say that if house cleaning was the alternative to biking to work, I'd win the Tour de France....from America.

I like to decide which bike and get everything ready (gloves/jacket/cap/etc.) if it's going to be rainy. If I forget or there's unexpected weather I sometimes skip it. With rain I really try to do it, though, because the drive in and especially the drive home will be terrible. Luckily on a normal day the bike time is about the same as drive time, so I don't run into cases where I'm too late to ride in.

I'm currently only riding my bike to the bus stop near my house, then from bus stop by my work to my office. Yesterday I was waiting at an intersection when a colleague walked over, so I dismounted. We both nearly slipped on the black ice crossing the street, and I figured it was fortunate that I wasn't riding at the time. Today I decided to leave my bike at home, got on the bus, loaded up recent tweets, then read that there was a paramedic response a couple blocks away for someone who had suffered head trauma from slipping and falling off his bike.

Yep I do all the time, although thankfully since I built my e-bike, it happens less often. Some mornings it's just so cold, or I stayed up too late, or overslept, or feeling sore from activities from the previous day (generally happens when I work on my car and have to lay on the ground for extended periods, or stand up for extended periods, or from yard work etc.), or whatever else.

Over the last 37 weeks (since April) I've averaged right at 100 miles a week, over 3,700 miles total. It normally takes me commuting 3 days a week to get 100 miles or more for a week, and so far I've been doing pretty good in recent months.

You guys sound like cycling enthusiast hypocrites :cry: For me bike commuting is one of the main motivations to go to work each day. If I wake up with the prospect of taking the nasty subway I'd not feel like going to work.

Never. Cycling to work is easier, faster, and cheaper than driving.

I don't commute in the rain. It's 22 miles to work (The bike and I ride Caltrain most of the way home and enjoy a short 5.7 mile ride home). I see no reason to ride in the rain, be miserable and arrive at work soggy. I see no reason to be a masochist. I will walk the 1 mile to the train station in the rain because I can stay dry.

It's getting cold and I still trying to find temps that my feet (toes actually) start getting too cold. They are great wind detectors. If I ride with a tail wind, toes are fine. Headwind? Man oh man do they get ice cold! I have new winter cycling shoes and it's time to "bring it on". They are a size bigger than I wear so I can stuff lots of layers of socks. I'm going to figure out how to get some heavy duty wind protection for the toes. Some really thick outer layer of wind bloc toe warmers.

I am good down to 37ºF. It rarely gets colder than that here, so I haven't been challenged to find appropriate layering solution.

Convenience in Commuting
 

yeah it's cheaper but it's a hassle sometimes, especially if it's rainy and it also gets pretty dangerous

sometimes if I have to deliver something between 2 train stations that I know have no barriers ill just jump on.

Almost felt like skipping the gym today because I was still tired from my 5hr 30km cycling ride yesterday.

Went anyways and didn't regret it, even during the snowfall.

Wait what? Did you crawl with the bike strapped to your back?

Maybe that's 30km vertical.

About 4 years ago I got hit head on by a cab going almost 30mph. My hand went through the headlight housing and I was thrown onto the windshield then to the ground. I was knocked out for just a second or too but woke to folks running to help me. I staggered to my feet and tried to wheel my bike out of traffic. Both wheels were gone and my front fork was bent. I quickly rebuilt my wheels*, replaced my fork and got back on the road. Within a week, I almost got hit again by a driver that was texting. I was shaken for the first time in over ten years. I actually stopped biking to work for a bit. It really got into my head. Through the years I have had near misses quite a few times but this was different. Eventually, I started back slowly, a few times a month. Now it's back. There's more than just the weather. Hopefully the melon will stay sunny now.



*hubs were still good

It was a fatbike. Tire pressure was under 2psi. Average velocity was 7.5km/hr. Climbed a lot of hills in the trails before reaching the bike lanes where I wanted to test the snow clearing.

I think a bike commuter needs to define what bicycle commuting means to them. Once I determined I was a full time no matter what commuter the decision became easy. Although, execution wasn't always ideal. For me, having the bike and appropriate gear ready the night before no mater what the next day's weather is going to be is key. If all I need to do is hop on the bike and go, then all of the other "stuff" kind of works itself out. It all depends on how much "stuff" you're willing to deal with. I personally feel all conditions (aka stuff) can be accommodated with attitude and gear.