I Have Mental Issues
 

Don't we all, but my issues are really stupid. I love bikes. I have 6. I love commuting. When I had my previous job, I was riding around 30 miles a day. I now live 1 mile from work and I can't bring myself to jump on the bike and ride. Basically, what's happened is my morning commute is 1 mile with 400 feet elevation gain. I leave my front door and start climbing until I reach work. Everything I enjoy about riding is gone. No fast descents, no moderate speed flats, nothing except a giant climb. I don't know how to get over this mental block. The descent really doesn't make up for it, because it only lasts a couple of minutes. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get over this mental hurdle?

switch jobs, move, ride more than just to work... Go for a good ride and instead of going home, go to work...repeat on the way home (just reverse the destination of course)

One steep uphill mile? Might be a more pleasant walk.

Do commuting besides work. If it's one mile there is little point in taking the bike, walk there. You can bike for fun after work, or go do errands with the bike.

Go pick up something for breakfast from a bakery 5-10-whatever you feel like-miles in the other direction first?

I tried the walking thing, but I need to take a lot of stuff to work with me, so that's not really an option. Unfortunatly, there's only one road that heads up to work, so even if I ride around a bunch, my last effort is a steep hill. And I guess the worst part is that I live in a small valley, so really, everything is all uphill. I feel like a complete fool driving, cause it's only a stupid mile, so maybe I should just quit whining and just do it.

If you have a car anyway, then driving that mile isn't going to melt the polar ice caps. Just drive the mile and then go ride somewhere else for fun.

Count your Blessings.
Most of my jobs have been 30+ miles away.
Living so close means you have more free time to ride.
Enjoy and smile when you ride.

Hmmm... how tall are you?

I really don't fault you for skipping such terrain, especially in bad weather. Who wants to bother with hobo showers for a one mile commute?

I really think walking is the best option. Don't you have a wheeled carry-on bag or wheeled backpack? Maybe use something like this? Walking is just as therapeutic as cycling, and it is much easier to take that epic climb. It sounds like the hill makes you hate cycling that route. Cycling shouldn't be a burden, it should make you feel great.

I agree with this. I skip my work commute if the weather is unbearable, especially in very high heat because there is no shower at my office. I almost never drive my car outside of the work commute, in all types of weather. I can't remember the last time I used my car to go less than three miles. I might not be hard-core, but I drive a lot less than most people.

I'd climb that hill fixed, running about 60 gear inches, then flip to freewheel with a dorky aero bar and 100+ gear inches and scream home. Or ride a silly bike like a Felt cruiser. This hill sounds like some serious coasting potential.

Take a really roundabout way to work? Like, 10 miles? With descents and flats and all that. And on the way back from work just ride the downhill home. Wheeeee!

For 1 mile ... I'd walk it, and then go for a ride after work. Right now, my commute is a 1.5 km (almost a mile) walk to the LRT, and the same back again. I enjoy it. Because I'm a student I have to carry binders, and textbooks, and gym stuff, etc., so I use a backpack.

Backpackers also carry large backpacks when they go hiking. You're in Colorado, check out the backpacking stores.

With a good tailwind, I've hit 55mph on it, but it's usually 30 to 35 mph. I'm not nearly in good enough shape to ride it on a singlespeed, unless it was geared so I was doing 4 or 5 mph at the most :D

It's a mile! Walk. Seriously, when I was in college I lived a little over a mile from class. If it wasn't raining or bitterly cold I walked (there was an amazing bus system). I enjoyed the 20-30 minutes to myself walking the same way I enjoy it on a bike.

Or you might just map out a commute that takes you to a distant coffee shop before work.

Could just look at it as your daily hill sprint challenge. I have a shorter but similarly steep hill that climbs about 200ft over half a mile, as part of my 6.5 mile commute. Some days I just grind it out at 10mph or so, but when I'm feeling spry I make it a challenge to see if I can keep my speed from bottoming out below, say, 15 or 17 mph. Keeps it interesting.

I will say this - if you attack that hill every day, you'll end up with legs like tree trunks. After doing my hill on a heavy old-school steel bike every day during winter, I've found I'm a fair bit faster this spring than I was last fall.

Basically, make that hill your b*tch. ;)

All these suggestions are all very nice, but I think your height will be a key factor in determining a solution to this problem.

Ok, that's the second time, I'll bite. I'm 6' nothing.

Create a 5-10 mile roundabout route.

I'm a newbie. Please explain why height is a key factor. I'm kinda tall - 6'3"...so I wanna know.

Just ride before or after work, or doing lunch. That's what I did before I started bike commuting, and I averaged 6,000-7,000 miles/year. Commuting is great, but I wouldn't quit riding if I couldn't bike to work anymore.

I think we're waitin' for a punch line answer to that one. I hope it's funny rather than lame, as hard as he tried to get the OP to go along.

I would walk with a backpack.

JR BOB Dobbs,

Suck it up and ride! I don't understand what yer whinin' about...hills are fun!

Oh wait, now I get it, you're into SLACK. Can't help ya, I'm an alien ;)

I'd love to be a mile from work. I'd walk with a backpack most of the time, or find a 5 to 10 mile nice ride to get there when I felt like riding.
I used to walk 1.5 to 3 miles one way to get to classes when I was in school.