I like to say that I started bike commuting because I am too cheap to pay for parking, too impatient to ride public transit, and too lazy to walk. The real reason is that I was training for a triathlon and was blowing off bike workouts because after I rode the bus home and sat on the couch, I'd talk myself out of riding. I had the brainstorm that if I had my bike with me at the end of the workday, I'd have no excuse. That's when I discovered it was cheaper, faster, and a lot more fun and I've been doing it ever since (1998).

If it's raining cats and dogs and I have to be in a meeting or hearing with a suit on, I'll usually drive that day and pay the day rate for parking, but otherwise I'll ride every day year round.

Paid sick leave is the real luxury.

Archwhorides, thanks for the tip about Velotoze. I might buy a pair.

I recently did a trail ride at 34ºF where I fell and one foot ended up in a stream. I was wearing plastic bags over my socks, and my foot felt the cold water, but after a minute, I could tell that I wasn't cold or wet, so that worked out.

I've commuted by bike off and on since I was 7 years old. I'm 51 now. Since moving to the Bay Area in 2003, I've commuted full time to 2 different jobs. One was 6 miles round trip and my current job is 10 mile round trip. I feel lucky to be able to do this, since I'm not sure how I'd bear up in freezing temperatures and snow/ice. You winter commuters of the midwest and east coast have my respect!

I stopped using my bike to comute when I got my first car at 18, 45 years ago. I never seriously considered going back to it for regular commuting.

But since you brought the subject up it got me to thinking. There were many days after my shift at a local restaurant washing dishes and doing other chores that I really did enjoy the 5 -6 mile ride home except in a storm or on a nasty winter day. Even at 1:00 am.

One of my fellow workers used to ride a bike the 10 miles to factory I retired from every day. No amount of snow or extreme cold could stop him. He was so fit, his extremely low pulse and blood pressure had the factory nurse ready to send him to the hospital.

At 280 lb he went though a road bike every year. Funny, I never pictured a diehard cyclists being 6' 4" and 280 lbs.

Especially at 1am! The roads will be so quiet and peaceful!

Four years ago (my last bad cold), I was so anxious to get back on the bike that I started riding to work (in the cold and the dark) as soon as I could. That cold recurred three times.

This year, my wife had the flu and I had sinus problems. Maybe I'm getting old, or maybe I'm learning, but I'm driving the car for the rest of this week and maybe through the rain that's predicted for the first part of next week.

Driving to work reminds me why I like to bike to work.

Every time.

I didn't always feel this way. When I was single I had a WRX and a crotch rocket and drove and rode like a hooligan. Then in my early 30's I had a BMW motorcycle and did a few long tours. This was around the arrival of the iPhone, and the rate of texting was going up, making the truckers, formerly real pros, now really frightening. When we got married and a house I got rid of the bike and got a small truck, that was... ok. At least it was a pretty blue. Now I have a metallic-invisible colored crew cab F150 that we got to tow our travel trailer. It's no pleasure at all to drive and I've got no pride of ownership. I treat it as something I just have to use once in a while. My wife wants me to trade it in for something that I like better, but there's nothing else that can do its job that isn't just like it. And my opinion of other drivers just goes down and down. Sometimes I feel like the self driving cars can't come soon enough.

You should join the 'conversation' over here

I know what you mean about colds/flu and biking. I always (now that I have the option) drive 1 day more than I think I need when recovering from a cold.

And it serves as a good reminder of why I prefer to ride: I work on a military base, and it's almost exactly 5 miles from my driveway to my office. If I drive, it takes 12 minutes to get to the traffic, then 20-30 minutes sitting in traffic waiting to get on the base.

When I bike, it's almost exactly 30 mins door to door, and traffic doesn't affect me.

Thanks but no

I was a year-round bike commuter for about 5 years - 8 to 10 miles one way. Always enjoyed the start and end of the day with a bike, even when the conditions were terrible. Being in Minneapolis, it took a few years of 3 season riding to build out my kit to handle the worst of winters weather (dark, snow, ice, sub-zero temps).

Now I work from a home office, I get out to ride nearly every day, but now I have more options to ride when the weather is nicer and the traffic is lighter and/or routes with light traffic. I miss the daily commute, but enjoy the current situation too.

Re colds and flu: A lot of times if I just have a cold, a gentle ride into work will actually make me feel a bit better (assuming it's decent weather). My rule of thumb is that if I'm too sick to ride to work, I'm too sick to go in and I should just go back to bed.

agreed

And it was still cheaper than a car. :thumb:

I commuted to the college on bike. I was planning on going to my evening meetings on bike, but I think I'll take the subway. I didn't get cold, but in order to stay warm, I was super bundled and not very comfortable. Enough for me today.

Aw, who fixed the thread title? After six months I had learned to love it

Wow! Even properly hyphenated.

Tom, do you ever go to studded tires for the NY commute? I have used them in the winter for many years. That was a waste much of the time but occasionally water had gone across the road and frozen overnight. Then it could be a serious problem so I put them on in October and take them off according to the weather in N W Misery. I enjoy being the first in the snow some mornings. Once someone asked me if it was my tracks in town. It had snowed and they picked up an employee in town for work. I almost was a wise guy but it wouldn't have been helpful for me. One must be a sheepdog and not a sheep in my lifestyle and job. Be Well, Bluesfrog.

I'm a big fan of studded tires for MN winter commuting (also Top Contact Winter tire). I've use studded tires on a few bikes, currently I'm riding the overkill set up - 45NRTH Dillingers on my drop-bar fatbike. One of the joys of not having a daily commute, I can ride something kinda silly. OTOH, I'm taking that bike to ride 6 miles to my dentist's office in a few minutes ... this is part of my winter route to the dentist's office :thumb:

It's very rare to have a coating of ice on the surface here. My studded tires were a wasted purchase, but I'm keeping them around in case I should ever need them. I tried them in snow, and they didn't help a bit, not surprisingly.

But, But ,But, if there are tire tracks and the snow is still hard, not slush, I find studs to keep me upright! Those tracks from cars can get you dumped on the ground. If it is a packed roadway in its entirety you may be OK. But tracks with snow in between is bad luck for me. I've rolled around a bit on the snow covered pavement. It was probably funny to those not in the snow. Take care Tom, and Be Well, Bluesfrog.

10 year, 4 season commuter, 59, and my personal rule is I ride unless I need a vehicle. The longer I do this the less I need a vehicle. My commute is 22 miles mostly on MUP's.
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​​​​​After a brutal November with snow, ice, and lower than normal temps I bought an ebike kit for my studded winter bike. Haters start your hating but it's re energized (pun intended) my commuting. I surely don't miss getting sweaty in 20 degree weather. My rule for the ebike is to only use it under 30 but I've regularly violated that one with no guilt.

​​​​​Like [MENTION=195860]Steely Dan[/MENTION]'s signature says if you're riding a bike and not having fun you're doing it wrong!

I just did similar: ebike with studs for winter slogging. I too am a purist about having fun while riding.

Same here, year around commuter with winter ebike conversion. I went with the Hilltopper 250w kit. I started with studs about 5yrs ago,big difference not having to worry about refreeze and black ice. With the kit it's made the ride fun and look forward to the commute.

Arsprod haters can go create another vacuum on a crack pipe. Do whatever it takes to get that childlike joy of riding a bike. As we get older we need an occasional boost. Keep on keepin' on. Be Well, Bluesfrog.

this is so true. I drove most of last week due to family commitments but by Thursday i missed commuting by bike something fierce. I was really looking forward to it this week but this week has 3 days with 75% or more chance of rain. So I am driving again. :(

If I don't bike because it MIGHT! rain I will sell my bike. The local weather man misses about 65% of his predictions on precipitation alone. Hang your head RidingMathew.. Shame on ya. ;-) Be Well, Bluesfrog.

Ha

thanks it rained and rained and rained. it has rained on the way in today and will rain on the way home. :twitchy:

I hope you are one of those mutant superhumans with waterproof skin. I hate it when I get rained on and my skin falls off.