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Hey winter commuters, how did you do in January?

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View Poll Results: How often did you commute by bike this past January?
90-100%
40.40%
80-89%
12.12%
70-79%
8.08%
60-69%
8.08%
50-59%
4.04%
40-49%
5.05%
30-39%
6.06%
20-29%
5.05%
10-19&
3.03%
0-9%
8.08%
Voters: 99. You may not vote on this poll

Hey winter commuters, how did you do in January?

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Old 02-01-12 | 09:32 AM
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Hey winter commuters, how did you do in January?

so January has ended and it is typically the toughest winter month for those of us in cold weather climates in the northern hemisphere. I'm curious to know how well you all did with your bike commuting this past month. the math is easy. count up the number of days you went to work/school in january, then count the number of days you rode your bike to work/school in january, then divide the latter by the former.

being that i had a week vacation down in cancun earlier in the month, i only had 16 work days this past month, and i rode my bike for 14 of them (i took the train twice, once because of a 6" snowfall, and once because of an after work commitment) so my bike commute percentage for the month was 87.5%.

how did you do?

Last edited by Steely Dan; 02-01-12 at 09:57 AM.
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Old 02-01-12 | 09:42 AM
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This was my best January ever in terms of frequency and total mileage. The weather was very mild for winter here and we didn't get much rain either. I don't think I've ever topped 600 total miles (commuting+recreational) in January before, but I rode 775 this year. The only downside is that it has been very windy all winter here.
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Old 02-01-12 | 09:42 AM
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65 F for the high temperature yesterday and today. 100% bike commuting. No snow, no ice, some rain, but not much. Studded tires may be mothballed this year.
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Old 02-01-12 | 09:45 AM
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A very sad january with 2 commutes, which, including side errands, gives me a grand total of 30 miles for the month. I could use the excuse that I injured my back and couldn't get out more, but the truth is, I was just lazy given the unusually temperate weather.
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Old 02-01-12 | 09:52 AM
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Missed two commuting days total. Just shy of 400 miles total for the month.
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Old 02-01-12 | 09:53 AM
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I've commuted more in January, than any other month this year so far!
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Old 02-01-12 | 09:53 AM
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100%. Same as every January, and every other month since I started bike commuting.

What was different was that my studded tire bike has the fewest miles for the month. Even my steel roadie has more, and that never goes out in the salt. And I've been able to ride my longer routes to work more often.

February is starting the same way. Taking my Litespeed on the long loop to work this afternoon.
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Old 02-01-12 | 09:53 AM
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Wife and daughter take the cars in opposite directions every day. My only choice is the bus or the bike. 100% of the time I choose the bike. As embarrassing as it is to admit I don't even know how to ride the bus from my hood and I intend to keep it that way.
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Old 02-01-12 | 09:55 AM
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We had our one week of winter in January. I ended up biking to work 13 out of 22 days, and worked at home the other nine. Overall, it was a pretty weak showing, but only four of the days I worked at home were weather related.
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Old 02-01-12 | 09:59 AM
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I did well in January, but had to drive today. Very hard to drive - I forget what roads to take.

Also, why isn't the OP from Annandale, VA??
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Old 02-01-12 | 10:01 AM
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Right there with you as a fellow Chicagoan.

I only took a few days off - the days after those two 'snow-storms' that dumped 6-9 inches on us. The roads were still in pretty terrible shape for slick tires, unfortunately. Ever since then it's been unreal how awesome this weather is. It's my first bike-winter, and I'm sad to think that this winter is an extreme outlier and it won't always be like this.




Originally Posted by Steely Dan
so January has ended and it is typically the toughest winter month for those of us in cold weather climates in the northern hemisphere. I'm curious to know how well you all did with your bike commuting this past month. the math is easy. count up the number of days you went to work/school in january, then count the number of days you rode your bike to work/school in january, then divide the latter by the former.

being that i had a week vacation down in cancun earlier in the month, i only had 16 work days this past month, and i rode my bike for 14 of them (i took the train twice, once because of a 6" snowfall, and once because of an after work commitment) so my bike commute percentage for the month was 87.5%.

how did you do?
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Old 02-01-12 | 10:21 AM
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Best january so far... but then it's my first time commuting in january. I work 3 or 4 days on week-ends (12 hour shifts) and drive in on first day and drive out on last to bring things at work and not leave the car in the street (usually do that in summer too). Skipped one week-end of snowstorm and colder temperatures and last two commutes because I was sick. Added two non-commuting rides. Best commute was after a day of freezing rain, rain, ice pellets, snow, then freezing rain again, leaving a nice layer of ice on the entire route, which studs took care of.
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Old 02-01-12 | 10:24 AM
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Originally Posted by frpax
I've commuted more in January, than any other month this year so far!
+1!!
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Old 02-01-12 | 10:29 AM
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Only commuted two of the 15 days I worked in January (the last two). Just returning to commuting after an accident last year and getting my new commuter dialed in.
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Old 02-01-12 | 10:38 AM
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It was my best January ever, with 1332.2 km (827.8 miles) total.
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Old 02-01-12 | 10:52 AM
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About 50%.

We actually had quite decent weather for January. Dry (1-2 scant snow days), and lows in teens-twenties, highs around 40. But a couple of the weeks I just didn't feel like riding. So I drove. I chalked it up to rest time. I'm riding my bike this week though.
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Old 02-01-12 | 11:08 AM
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Originally Posted by Steely Dan
being that i had a week vacation down in cancun earlier in the month, i only had 16 work days this past month, and i rode my bike for 14 of them (i took the train twice, once because of a 6" snowfall, and once because of an after work commitment) so my bike commute percentage for the month was 87.5%.
I'm sorry, but a week's vacation in Cancun is simply NOT an acceptable excuse for failing to count those days as part of your month. If you were sick or you were visiting your mother, maybe. But Cancun in January? No way! :-)
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Old 02-01-12 | 11:13 AM
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I was actually off the whole month, (shop shuts down in Jan) so I did not have to go into work, but I did run the majority of my errands by bike and went on a lot of family rides and fun rides. My wife even had her longest ride to date in Jan. (21.5 miles)

It did help that we had incredible weather, mostly in the 50's all month. They are calling for snow the next 3 days and I start back up friday so we will see how Feb goes.
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Old 02-01-12 | 11:23 AM
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My goal for this year was to commute at least once in every month of 2012, I got my first ride of the year in yesterday and it was 100% miserable. I set up an old mountain bike with my lights and rack, didn't test drive it at all. The way to work was very slow, but not terrible. The way home however was a nightmare, my cell phone was dead and I realized less than a mile out that my rear axle was bent and the tire was rubbing on the frame. I rode the rest of the way averaging 5.4 mph over the whole ride.

Heres hoping February is kinder to me. I'm going to change back to my summer commuter and start logging some miles. I want to double what I did last year and reach 2000 in 2012.
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Old 02-01-12 | 11:24 AM
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Originally Posted by ArtM
Also, why isn't the OP from Annandale, VA??
i'm assuming this is a reference to my screen name, which in turn is a reference to the greatest jazz/rock fusion musical act of all time, which in turn is a reference to a sexual device from a william s. borroughs novel.

in any event, the "Annandale" mentioned in Steely Dan's song "My Old School" is not a reference to Annandale, Va, rather it is a reference to Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, the location of Bard College, where Donald Fagen & Walter Becker, the seminal and founding musical geniuses of Steely Dan, first met.

and yes, in their early years, before taking on the "Steely Dan" name, Chevy Chase (the actor, not the town in maryland) was the drummer for a couple of Donald & Walter's early bands.
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Old 02-01-12 | 11:25 AM
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Rode every day. I was hoping for colder weather and more snow and ice since I got some studded Nokians for Xmas, but, alas... 295 miles for January, all commuting.
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Old 02-01-12 | 11:29 AM
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70% of commutes; I can't blame the weather--it's been beautiful.
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Old 02-01-12 | 11:46 AM
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Not good, just 16 out of 22 days for me. I did manage to get in a 200k one Sunday, though, so my overall mileage for the month wasn't bad, 540 miles.
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Old 02-01-12 | 12:13 PM
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6 out of 20. blah. Feb is looking up. Missed today though due to storms this afternoon. yeah I know suck it up. need to get the foul weather bike off the trainer and back to work.
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Old 02-01-12 | 12:35 PM
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First winter commuting, and I did 8 out of 22. I have a 20 mile one way commute, but rely on the train for 10 of those miles, so I only get in about 20 miles a day. I commute from Chicago to the Northern Suburbs, and with the recent increase in Metra fares, I hope to be strong enough to go the whole distance by the summertime. On Monday, with the warm temps I thought I could bike the whole way back, but ended up wiping out on some ice I didn't see. Ended up with a badly bruised knee, so I took yesterday off and got back on the bike today. Even with an injury, it still feels good to be back on the bike.
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