...the time of year I start losing motivation. The weather is getting colder. The day is getting shorter. My backpack feels overstuffed with clothes thanks to the varying weather conditions from morning to night. The wind seems to be in my face both ways. I stop caring about my average speed (probably not a bad thing). I'm not putting forth a full speed effort, not because I can't but because I don't feel like it. Strava is boooooring (actually it has been the whole time, seems like a chore). My route is getting old and traffic seems to bother me more than usual.

How is your commute feeling? It's starting to feel like a chore for me after 6 months of commuting.

I suppose it's getting nippy in Wisconsin a little earlier than here in New York, so I do know how you feel as Autumn descends upon you. Personally, I take a break from bike commuting in the late Fall and Winter, then can't wait to get back in the Spring. This September has been really hectic and I haven't been commuting (or riding at all, for that matter) a whole lot, but I hope to get in a few more weeks before I start to feel like you do now.

I wouldn't sweat it or assume the thrill is over for you. Losing your enthusiasm in the cooler weather is common, especially when you do not commute by bike out of necessity. If you think you're done for the season, put the bike away and find another way to get to work. I can pretty much promise that, at the first chirp of the birds next Spring, you'll start itching to get out there again.

I think I was just being a wimp last week. I did 95 miles on the Saturday before that week and I think I was just a bit sore and tired. Today was much better - fun again, cool, wind wasn't too bad.

funny how we're all wired a bit differently - I look at summer commuting as something to be endured and then get jazzed as the weather cools

Ya, I personally love autumn commuting - it's fun to bike in the cooler weather during the morning then have warmer weather on the way home - best of both worlds! However, I do feel your pain my back pack feels like it gets consistently heavier and as soon as it starts to get a bit dark the drivers in Boston lose their minds! To keep things fresh I try to take several different ways to work including the scenic route...it may take a bit longer but helps change up the routine

If it makes you feel better, I'm just waiting for the monsoon to end so that I can get back out there. I don't mind the rain but a couple miles of clay mud is a tough way to start a commute.

I like this time of year, although riding in the dark starts getting old. Hasn't yet though

I like this time of year, cooler weather means I sweat less on the commute. 40 degrees is about perfect for me, not quite there yet in MN

It's not quite cool yet where I am. 106 degrees on my commute home today... I will probably enjoy my winter commute. I haven't had one yet though. I hope I'm prepared for 40 degree rides.

Well I gotta say living here in Phoenix it's been rough riding in temps always over 100 for the entire summer which out here starts in May and doesn't quit until hopefully in early October. So yes, from then on until May
something, it's ideal riding weather. So enjoy and make the best out of the forthcoming winter. For sure I will.

This is my perspective completely! Summers are an ordeal in the South with the heat and humidity. I enjoy commuting more in January than July.

My advice would be to push through it and see if your attitude improves as you get used to the cooler temps and low light. Also make sure you have adequate clothes and lighting. One reason I enjoy commuting more in the winter months is that I have plenty of nice cold-weather gear and a great light system. I have to be careful not to overdress, rather than worry about being too cold. My lights are bright enough that I feel more visible in the dark than daytime.

I actually love the time of year when it's dark when I go to work in the morning, but still light when I come home. With my schedule, that's late February to early May, then late August to early November. Summers are very pleasant here too, but winters not so much. Funny, it's not the cold that troubles me in winter, it's the riding both ways in the dark that gets to me.

I much prefer the cooler temps of Fall and Winter to the dripping sweat of Summer. Bring on the cold temperatures!

As much as I like the heat here during the summer (not as hot or humid as the southeastern states), I like the challenge of riding in cool/cold weather in the fall to late-fall, to see how cold I can tolerate. I do, however, pack more because long pants are more suitable for daytime work now (although the office temperature is fine to wear short-sleeved shirts) and I have to have warmer gear for riding, especially during the morning commute (jacket+long-sleeved jersey and tights+shorts) that I have to pack for the warmer ride home (long-sleeved jersey and shorts).

I also have to ensure that my lights are working fine, that I have spare batteries and carry spare lights and I watch the forecast more carefully, especially if I think that the morning commute might be in fog or worse, with frost (and later snow) on the roads.