Driving here is too much of a hassle. I'm too lazy to use my car except for long trips.

Paul

I rode all through last winter and I used booties and a the Lake cycling MX Firepalm (http://www.lakecycling.com). The gloves have a special pocket to put a charcoal activated heat pack into it. It was AWESOME when it got down into the below freezing temps. I also put the Grabber toe warmers on my socks and they were also AWESOME. (http://www.warmers.com) I purchased a starter kit from warmers.com and that should last well into this winter if not the whole winter.

Basically, I used a polypropolene balaclava for my head and ears along with the gloves, booties and charcoal warmers for hands and feet and I was totally comfortable the whole winter...

This is a bit much....but, I would put the charcoal warmers in zip lock baggies and then into a tupperware container after each ride. That way I got about 2-3 rides out of the air activated heat packs (rather than using new ones each time).....

Hope this helps!

BTW...I too have 20 mile each way (1 hour 10 minute) commute...and I agree with a previous poster...Driving 2-3 days a week is better than driving EVERY day....and I am so stoked the night before I am going to ride....Two years ago, I had a bout of "burnout" and it majorly sucks! Life just isn't the same if you don't have these little excursions to look forward to!

My motorcycle is no longer taxed and is sat in my shed awaiting repairs, so I have to use my bike and the motivation is getting paid!

Remove your car as an option.

Agreed, especially when you reach the top of Mt MF ( San Diego boot ).

How do I stay motivated to bike commute this time of year?
Once I get over the fact that I'll freeze my *** off........





















































I look at my naked self in the mirror :eek:
Any questions?

Folks,

Well, I drove in today. Although I was warm, had a hot cup-a-joe in the cup holder and Clapton - Unplugged rockin’ on the CD player, half way in I was wishing that I rode my bike.

I can’t believe how many morons were able to pass the drivers examination. Ma Nature laid down a nice blanket of frost last night. One lady didn’t bother to scrape her windows and couldn’t see out of any of her windows. She was weaving backand forth with her wipers on and her head hanging out of her window. Another idiot did the same thing but was spraying windshield fluid to clear the frost but due to the wind chill, it would ice up again after 3 seconds. These people are going to kill someone eventually.

Thank you all for your responses and advice. I’ve been avoiding it but it looks like I’m going to have to spend some cash on some gloves & such this weekend. Maybe I was a little burned out and de-motivated. Your help has motivated me again.

Cheers!

T.J.

:beer: Yay!

And if it still doesn't work, you could always move to AZ. :D

I also rode most of last winter. As long as the roads are rideable. Once the snows come, we lose a few feet of width and it makes it too dangerous.

There were times it was very cold at the start of the commute, but I had so many layers, I was soaked from perspiration by the time I got to the office.

It only takes getting started sometimes. Try cutting the commute in half by driving the first part. 20 miles seems like a lot in Calgary. Ok in Raleigh.

Start by giving us some pics of your fall commute and posting them here

Also prime motivators of the ego-centric type:

D*** my legs are lookin' good ( especially when the lady(ies) comment)
I can eat what if I put in enough miles and still be trim

comfort:

It feels so good to be warm after ( just don't fall asleep at the job )
I feel so much better if I bike, terrible if I don't

aesthetics:

Generally it is a pleasant ride out in the fresh air, great smells, sights and sounds

humor:

Getting a kick out of other people's reactions who think I am crazy

economy:

Man it saves gas, especially in cold weather

I consider this a firm offer. When can I move in? :)

I love AZ. My wife, daugther & I spent 1 1/2 weeks in Surprise AZ last Oct. mountain biking at South Mountain, White Tank & by Scottsdale. Went up to Sedona & the G.C. too. We're considering coming back in Feb.

T.J.

I lost around 50 pounds since I started riding so I try and commute almost all the time. It is easy to say it is to cold and I skip a few days a month, usually when it is raining before I leave to go to work. But I keep at it since I am seeing some results. And once I am out there I find that it really isnt to cold with the right clothes.

It is tough this time of the year in pennsylvania too. :(. Last night was low 40's and a drizzling rain on the way home.) But since I was at work I had to ride home and it wasnt to bad when I got out and got warmed up.

I have not yet gotten enough motivation to leave to go to work when it is raining but I am working up to that hopefully.

It is rough. Today will be 90 F for my ride home. But I had to deal with a bitter 60 this AM and only patchs of sunshine. ;)

Actually jnbacon has it right. Like the summer heat (115 F is both easier, to those that live here, and harder, to those that have never experienced it, than one may think) but its the challenge I feed off of. Same thing here when it is 40 and raining hard with very poor visibility.

Al

If you come, drop me a PM; maybe we can go riding.

Yeah. 90F. Woe is we! :D

Well, I'm off to bike in it.

Simple, I love cycling. I love it when its raining, i love it when its pouring, i love it when its cold and wet, when its hot, whatever. Its pretty much my favorite thing to do. Whenver, i get bored, i go for a ride.

Just the thought of having to cut back on my peanut butter and nuttella sandwitches makes me ride in the most adverse conditions you can imagine.

Simply put: I am vane, I am cheap, and I am a gloutoun.

Addendum to my motivations:

My wife just made a deal with me if that I ride throughout the winter and don't miss a day she will totally support me in doing the Ragbrai this summer. :)

You should come and join us at the VLC club. Something that has worked for me is to set public goals for your commuting that week on the VLC and then report on the outcomes to everyone. Knowing that I have people rooting for me and having to report a failure keeps me riding even when I son't want to. It's like your own little commuting support group.

That being said, having the right clothing is critical to enjoying this activity. There is just no way around that, but it will pay back soon in savings for not burning gas... :)

Well considering it is spring here in the southern hemisphere and that the temps are 22 to 27 C (70 to 80 F) It's not all that hard. I'll have to send some pictures of sunshine to you northern folks.

Cheers

Chris

What is the VLC club?

I don't think I've got the motivation down 100%, but I've gone 20 days in a row now by using this train of thought:

Riding my bike isn't "unusual" - it's now become "just how I get to work."

Doesn't really matter if I feel like it or not, I need to get to work, and unless there's some good reason to drive (which is pretty rare) then I ride. I don't think about there being a choice. It's not "the normal thing is to drive, but if I psych myself up, I'll ride" - it's "the normal thing is to ride, just do it without thinking unless there's some reason you can't today."

I make exceptions for hauling large items (maybe once a month), thunderstorms, and if there has been a bunch of snow and the roads haven't been plowed yet. The latter is because on the last 2 miles of my commute, I'm on a quite busy 55 MPH two lane road filled with half-awake, cranky and nervous (due to the snow/ice) morning commuters, and at those times the only clear riding is in the tire tracks. I'm willing to take the lane when traffic is moving less than twice my speed, but when it's going 3-4x my speed, I don't like backing traffic up 2 miles behind me. I did just locate an alternate route that puts me on that road for only 1/4 mile, but it involves 2 more miles of gravel road :-( But if that works out, I'm going to try for 5 day commutes this winter too.

Well, sometimes I just prefer to forget that I have alternatives: I pretend to be in a wild remote place with no public transportation. :) And since I don't have a car... well, biking is the only way. Actually, since I decided in September that I will bike every day rain or shine, I truly do not have any alternative. I just ruled anything else out for myself so I don't even consider anything else. It's that simple.

Other motivational factors:

- I hate bus lines and I hate buses.
- I like to brag and see amazed looks on people's faces.
- I like to think of myself as special and hardcore.
- I remind myself that even when I am reluctant to get into the saddle, once I am actually out and riding I usually start to have fun. :)

Tire to stay healthy. I have not felt good for the last week and have been driving in to work (I HATE PARKING DOWNTOWN ARGE)

The Very Long Commute club -- which is really just a weekly thread for those who consider their commutes to be very long. See you there! :)

Wow, what a great way to think about it. Bravo!

I've been commuting via bicycle->train->bicycle Mon-Fri since May, every single day. It's not optional. I don't really have an alternative other than either walk->train->walk or dig my motorcycle out of the garage and see if it will start, so it has become totally normal for me.