commuting this morning straight into a 20 mph wind, gusting to 25 mph, at my 12 o'clock, driving the falling snow right into my face, on an unplowed/unsalted MUP with ~1.5" of heavy, wet snow, i was asking myself "why do i do this to myself?"

then a thought occurred to me, and all of my self-pity immediately evaporated. it could be so much worse. i could be stuck in some disgusting clammy hot-house spin studio with some obnoxious instructor barking out orders.

yeah, it was cold. yeah, the wind and snow combined for some extremely slow-going (i was 15 minutes late to work). yeah, my co-workers all think i have some screws loose for riding in conditions like this morning.

but i was out there, riding my bike, in the elements (as challenging as they were), just as god intended!!!




to those that enjoy spin classes/indoor cycling, more power to you. i tried it once.......... that was enough. definitely not my cup of tea.

I did the opposite of spinning on my commute today!

The "spinsters" may have a young, charasmatic instructor shouting positive encouragement at them...but you have Zeus, the god of weather, blustering at full fury in your face, daring and defying you to proceed against his winter wishes, throwing down endless frozen roadblocks, continually ratcheting up the degree of difficulty while dropping the degree of temperature, as the incessant howling hounds of traffic surround you in a constant dark din of danger and peril. It's a death-defying, blood-warming, life-affirming, breath-stealing experience you won't get on a trainer, no matter how lovely the leotard.

On the other hand, I don't have the personal discipline to spin. I bike to work and back because once I start the ride I can't stop 'til I get to work or home.

Some days, I wonder why I'm riding and not driving.

However, since I work on a military base, and the wait to get through the gate is ~40 mins, I remember why I ride as I'm passing by all those cars stuck in line. My total commute time is ~30 mins.

LOL. But how do you get that image out of your head?

Never taken a spin class, but I could imagine it might be fun, not unlike other group fitness classes. Riding in the elements, while can be invigorating, can get tiresome, especially during this time of year. We'll about to be walloped by a major snow storm for tonight and tomorrow morning, so as much as I relish the challenge of overcoming the elements, I am, sadly, going to have to take my car on the commute tomorrow. Riding on 15 cm of freshly fallen snow is next to impossible. I'm not looking forward to driving either.

I took a spin class for the only time about ten years ago and my calf decided it was a horse about seven minutes before the end. It's no joke...

It is a joke because it is indoors and boring, not because of its workout intensity.

They get upset with me when I refer to them as spandex hamsters.

Marc

I don't care much for exercise in a gym, spinning least of all. My commute was cold and windy, yet I still enjoyed it. Being out in the elements, even when they are cruel, makes me feel alive and grateful.

+1, OP.

Indoor biking and indoor exercise is not for me.

Bikes want to be free/they are outdoor toys!

I laugh at the Peloton ads where people get up early to get in a quick "ride" before work. I laugh because I imagine these same people sitting in commuting traffic between their suburban homes and workplaces.

Why not just get up and ride in and be more fit and less stressed out?

Bike commuting is not for everyone, and it's not a virtue in itself. Not everyone has a safe route of manageable or worthwhile distance. Even if they do, not everyone wants to arrive at work sweaty or risk getting squished. If you are on a machine you can still be "on call" if your kids get up early or the job wants you to come in early.

Fitness, also, has a couple of purposes. One of them, the one we here would probably agree is virtuous, is keeping you able to do more and stay alive longer. But the other (the one Peloton and any other exercise machine markets to) is to be more attractive - and that's a virtue too, though we treat it as a shallower one as though it doesn't take work.

Women, in addition, usually have to do makeup and hair... but not at work. So it's at home or in the car, and then they need it to survive to the desk.

That's really true, I hadn't fully considered that paradigm prior to my remarks.

I HAVE; however, been thinking a lot lately of the entrenched systemic inequities which prevent many women from bicycle commuting, a few of which you touch on here. That's a thread for a different forum but we should all be thoughtful about those barriers and how we can help take them down by supporting child care reform and other systemic shifts.

I have ridden in winds gusting to 25 mph but tomorrow in my area they are predicting winds gusts up to 45 mph. I can do the 20 to 25 but I am rethinking the ride tomorrow the weather is otherwise the temp about 40 f degrees. I have no problem with the temps it is just the winds. Do any of you ride in gusts to 45? Just wondering.

to quote a cpl former neighbors that spoke little English "you are hero". giggle came up w/ a cpl vids, 2 I know, 1 I don't, maybe you'll enjoy 1 of them? you deserve a reward today

wow, right on man! quote of the year!

My cap is 50mph as that’s when tree branches start flying. My bibs and jackets are wind proof, insulative, and rain resistant, but not tree resistant.

I do enjoy the fast headwinds when I leave early enough to get through them to work on time. Likewise with wet snow up to six inches deep or powder up to nine inches, or straight ice under my slushcutter slicks- it’s a fun challenge.

Same stuff. It seems realy great.