I'm seriously impressed that so many of you will commute that far on a bike. To me, 12 miles wouldn't be nice on a dark winter morning, with sleet, icy patches etc. Here in Copenhagen, I would say that most people consider 6 miles one way a rather long commute. I don't personally feel that way, but most people here ride "dutch" bikes or something similar.

If you have the time, you can do the distance.

If you can keep the bike safe at work, you can spend more for the bike.

If you can shower and change, you can wear bike specific clothing.

If you can plan ahead and can afford good lights, you can ride in the dark.

If you can afford layers, you can ride in the cold.

Maybe it's because I'm on a lot of NyQuil right now, but neither of these arguments (actually, make that the whole thread) are making sense. Are you just coming up with excuses because you feel guilty about not commuting by bike currently?

Give it a shot. What have you got to lose? My commute was 22 miles round trip when I first started, and at the time my plan was to ride once a week -- on "dress down" Fridays. Pretty soon I was riding 2 days, then 3 days, and then nearly every day. My commute distance increased to 30 miles round trip in October, and I wasn't sure at first whether I could continue riding as often, but so far I have been averaging 4 days a week. The distance is no big deal once you get in shape, but it takes a while to work out all of the details.

I'm going to do it. I just have to get the items I'll need someto outfit myself for the ride.

I'm still thinking of building a more commuter friendly bike.

Trying things is always good. I tried commuting with flat bars on a couple of windy days and it sucked. Give me drop bars!

That's the thing for me- starting at 0600 with a 15 mile ride means leaving the house at 0430. I'm not all good with that. There's a world of difference in leaving at 6 to get there by 8 and leaving at Zero Dark Thirty. I think I'd be OK with leaving sometime after 0500, but I'd need shower/cleanup time at work.

My (just shy of) 15 mile commute is between 1.25 and 1.5 hours.

I've ridden my "mountain" bikes to work- I'm rolling with Paselas 1.5 and 1.75. For the distance I'm riding it's OK, but I prefer the "road" bikes.

I'm assuming your Fuji is rockin' 27s... try the 27x1 1/4 tires- my Trek 620 really seems much smoother compared to the 1 1/8 tires I had on it. If you're rollin' with 700c- try 700c x 32. They're pretty cush and they fit under fenders nicely.

It all depends upon the terrain. Twelve miles all up hill non-stop, can kill a certain segment of the cycling community.

- Slim

I have 700c's on it now. I need to change my breaks though, not lining up good enough for me.

Most Texas cities were built after cars were invented, everything is spread out far more than towns built for walking.

For riding conditions I decide to ride if I can pick any two of these three choices: "Cold, "Wet", "Dark".

If I'll be forced to ride 11 miles in all three at one time on any given day I'll likely drive.

I wouldnt, but that depends on the roads you'll be riding. I would think an upright position would be better for a long ride - a 12 mi commute can be done in pretty much any position. Do whatever is comfortable for you. These are not "commuting" issues - just how you like your bikes.

20%? Credit to you, my friend. That's a beast, even on a short hill.

I think this helps explain, at least to some extent, the (mostly) good natured argument prompted by Mikael Colville-Anderson, who inveighed against winter-specific cycling gear recently on his blog, saying that pushing that sort of gear helped to create an exclusive sub-culture that makes spreading acceptance of cycling more difficult. He offered the example of Danish riders in everyday clothes on Dutch-style commuting bikes in wintry weather, suggesting that anyone who goes in for higher-tech clothes or gear (bright cycling jackets, studded tires) is doing so unnecessarily and scaring people off in the process.

I'm with him to a certain extent. I don't commute in special bike socks, shoes (no SPDs on my winter rig), gloves, etc... Almost everything I wear I use for other stuff. The only truly bike-specific gear I use most winter days are my jacket, my bar mitts and my studded tires, but I probably wouldn't use much of that stuff if I had a more Danish-style commute.

But mine is a Pittsburgh-style commute. On a snowy or wet day with the temperature in the 20s F., I might see two or three other commuters. Our roads aren't really designed for bicycles, my city is very hilly, and my commute is 12 miles one-way. My tires protect me from patches of black ice that is a routine part of my winter commute. My bar mitts help block the wind and rain on a commute that takes more than 1 hour and is often in bad weather. My jacket has helpful vents to keep me from getting soaked in sweat which my regular rain jacket doesn't have, but more importantly, it's bright yellow and has reflectorized trim and on some of the narrow roads I travel where traffic is heavy and intersections can be complicated and confusing (and in a place where the winter sky is almost always gray, flattening out contrast), that can save my life. Would I need this on a five mile commute in Copenhagen in a plowed and designated bicycle lane? Probably not. Do I appreciate having it here? You bet I do.

I don't think Colville-Anderson is wrong, and I definitely understand that the gear thing can get way, way out of hand. You talk to some cyclists and you'd think that if you haven't spent at least $3000 on your bike and your stuff you're probably not fit to run around the corner and pick up a carton of milk. I think these guys are, as we'd say in Pittsburgh, "jagoffs", but I also think everyone's riding environment is different. I recognize that, for instance, many of the Danes Colville-Anderson references are lifelong cyclists who have a lot of skill and confidence in the winter and treat cycling like the everyday activity it should be, but I appreciate your pointing out that most of their commutes are different from mine. I have looked at some of his photos and concluded that I wouldn't try to regularly make my commute dressed like the folks in those pictures or riding those bikes.

I think a poster on another thread said it best: many European commuters seem to use biking as a substitute for walking whereas many American bike commuters seem to use biking as a substitute for driving. The difference necessitates a very different approach. Neither is right or wrong.

12 miles in the summer. No problem.
12 miles in the winter. That would be tough on the coldest or snowiest days. I already find my 8 mile commute quite a challenge on snow covered roads.

I commute 11 miles each way. 22 miles total with 1,200 ft of climbing

Takes me about 40 mins there and 35 mins back

My best time total is: 1:13

Got to get back into that kinda shape

I'd definately go with wider tyres. I currently run 1.9" slicks on my commuter (an ex-mtb) but 1.5" tyres should be fine for most purposes. I'd go for the widest slick tyre that will fit, up to around 2". The wider tyre will run at a lower pressure and do more to help soak up bumps. If the roads are really bad you might consider a stiff suspension fork.

Is he the same guy that's against wearing a helmet?

This was a very balanced and well thought through post. IMO

Small correction: Biking probably substitutes both car driving and public transportation, but mostly for up to medium length commutes. I saw a chart somewhere showing the bike commuting distances here, and (this from memory) the large majority is <5 km, with a good share between 5 and 12, and a very small minority doing >12. Many of those (few) cyclist attire riders you'll see here probably are the long distance commuters. Carbon frames, high speed people. Like this guy https://www.youtube.com/user/xliijoe

Yes. If by that you mean "he's against helmet legislation and greul propaganda".

On the contrary, that's when it's the most fun.

All you need is the right gear, and that does not necessarily mean bike-specific gear. Wool sweaters, long underwear under jeans, wool hiking socks, off the shelf flashlights, etc., work fine for me. And my winter bike is a hybrid I got for $95 through craigslist.

Well, come to think of it, such challenges were all right when I was 30. Now, by 55, I've become too lazy, I think. I could do it, but I wouldn't find it that funny

My commute is 20 miles round trip. At first I thought it was far but after doing it for a couple of years I find that the mornings that I don't ride, my energy level is not as high throughout the day. The ten mile ride home also helps me unwind after a long day at work.

Yeah, I think so, and I'm not getting into that here, other than to say that I always wear my helmet. Road, woods, rail trail, run around the corner to the store. It doesn't take much of a fall to wreck your head, and as far as not wearing it on a leirsurely ride, I think it's possible the brain bucket will do you more good in just such a situation. You get hit by a car at 35 mph, you clearly want a helmet, but it might be inadequate to save you, and other internal injuries might do you in. You fall off your bike at 13 mpg and bang it against a root or a curbstone, and that helmet could be the difference between bruised ribs and road rash and being a vegetable. Doesn't matter to me what the law says: I'm wearing my helmet.

You old man! I'm only 53.

Also, to Drummerboy, you'll get lots of advice about what bikes and gear work best, and it's all good. But everyone's commute is different, and everyone's personal subjective preferences are different. I like high drop bars, someone else likes low flat bars--telling you that won't give you the answer to what will work for you.

Here's my advice--ride your Fuji as is and then decide what you need to add or change before you spend the time and money to make major modifications. Vintage lightweights make good commuters, IMO. Things I like for a commuter are the ability to add fenders, wider than 23mm tires (I like 700 x 28--35, depending), and the ability to carry a modest load. Lots of different bikes can do that, including, probably, your Fuji. And some get along fine without any of those things.

If I could even remember all the bikes I've used for my 13.5 mile commute in the past 15 years, it's a long list--Raleigh DL-1 Roadster 3-speed, Raleigh Sports 3-speed, vintage Dawes fixed gear, Schwinn Collegiate, Schwinn Heavy Duty (coaster brake middleweight made for use in factories), vintage Raleigh Super Course, early 70s Bottechia Professional, Trek 400T, 2 different Trek 520s, Airborne Carpe Diem (CX), Mercian Pro, Bob Jackson Special Tourist, Lotus Eclair, Bridgestone RB-2, custom mountain bike, cheap hybrid, etc.--and I've left some other vintage lightweights out. I liked some better than others, but all of them worked.