I'm still trying to work up to 5 days a week commuting (18 miles each way on gravel with lots of hills on a mountain bike). So far, I've done 3 days in a week with two of them consecutive. The ride is getting easier, but having a rest between rides is still needed.

Yesterday was my first commute where I knew I was going to be rained on, so I guess I'm "officially" no longer a fair weather commuter.

I'm actually jealous. I would love to commute off-road on my MTB! Although that probably turns messy on rainy days. Take it gradually, 18 miles one-way is pretty long commute, and off road makes it that much harder. Rest, eat well and you will be fine. Don't feel bad when sometimes you need to take a day off from riding, you don't want to burn out and make this a chore. It should be fun.

The gravel only get messy after a good long soaking rain. Just a bit of rain actually makes it less messy as it settles the dust.

My personality is such that pushing until I burn out is a real possibility, so I've been trying to be very careful to listen to my body as opposed to just pushing through the pain. So far, it's paid off as I've managed more miles than ever and am not feeling any dread of riding.

Eating is actually my biggest challenge. My appetite has not been keeping pace with the effort and a couple of rides have suffered from not eating enough.

I'm a bit envious of your commute, too. It sounds like a good one.

Can you possibly drive about half way and then bicycle the rest? That would be a good compromise, at least during your acclimation.

Doing the commute any one day is not that big of a deal and there's not a good spot to leave a car along the route. Getting acclimated to 5 days a week is probably just going to take doing some consecutive days until I build up enough strength.

That and learning to deal with weather. It's supposed to rain again tomorrow and I'm planning on riding. If it also hits the predicted temperature in the 30s, I might have to re-think the ride. I do OK in cold (at least down to the low 20s) and I do OK in wet, I don't know that I have the proper equipment/clothing for cold and wet.

Get some Clif Bars. They take less effort to eat than a normal meal, but will give enough fuel for a ride. I get boxes of 20 that cost about $22 so they're cheaper than buying them individually. I've done long day rides only eating Clif bars and I was never hungry. They're also good for recovery as well.

Yeah, cold AND wet are the worst and those are the days I may skip riding as well. It's just too miserable. After couple of years of experimentation I settled for thin rain shell (breathable with underarm zippers) and several layers of wool and Pearl Izumi Amfib tights that work for me up to low 40s, then they're too warm, and sandals combined with SealSkinz waterproof socks. I just let my legs get wet above 40F, as long as my torso is dry I can take it for the duration of my commute. I wear wool socks too so even if my feet get wet I don't feel very cold in temps above 40F.

It may take months so don't get discouraged. If you feel too tired, just take a break for a day or two. Be persistent and ride regularly but don't push if your body doesn't want to go ride

great job. that's a lot of miles, not to mention tough conditions.

in 5 years my longest car-free streak was 60 days.

Instead of cold a rainy, it was cool, damp and windy, so I decided to go for it. I think I managed to dress about right for the conditions, but the wind really slowed me down.

As far as clif bars go, as a diabetic, I tend to avoid that sort of processed carbs. While I do increase my carb intake on riding days, I'm still pretty picky about the type of carbs and how fast they hit my system. I may have to try one to see what it does to me, but I'm skeptical about how well I'd do with them.

Oh I'm sorry, I had no idea. Although, they're supposed to be the most natural bars out there. You may want to check with your doctor though.

My commute is less than 3/4 of a mile and I don't even do that every day. If they move me to the other building my commute will grow to 7mi one way. I have already sworn that I won't do it in the rain, on 100+deg days, or 50-deg days. So, you should be proud of your ethic you got going. I applaud you.

What's wrong with 50F? That't not even cold. And I'd walk a mile.