Its 41*F, snow is on the ground, road pretty clear with some slush, it was sprinkling earlier...
I decided to go ride my commute to see how the roads were... I have a 6 mile commute (one way) and it
was a beautiful day (warmth wise), the roads were wet but no real problems.

so I get back home, and as I am getting the bike stored, I hear my young son yell to mom... hey mom! the weirdo is back!

I guess some people just don't understand the beauty of a ride...

Put his X-Box on the back porch.

LOL My wife and daughters think I am the weirdo also for wanting to ride my bike in some of the most extreme conditions. Thanks for making me laugh out loud while I am in the house by myself watching football today


*****

You must admit it is obtuse.

I haven't missed a single day of commuting by bike since my FGSS arrived in England.

People I told over Xmas (Germans and Americans) were shocked that I commute 20km RT by bike in the English winter when the bus stops 20m from my front door and 20m from my office door.

I certainly don't mean to comment on anyone's business. But I think what some people may call a commute... they've actually turned into an extreme sport (or activity of sorts). I don't think that's a bad thing! But commuting is just getting back and forth from where we have to go to earn.... it's the earning that is the focus. When the commute becomes the center of interest, enjoyment, or pride.... that's cool. But is it still a commute?

I wouldn't even consider what I do a job!

It does provide a means of subsistence, but I don't use roughly half of the money.

In fact, I'm probably quite selfish and enjoy almost all of my waking hours when I'm "commuting", "working", "on a business trip" or simply at the pub!

Love It...

I think 'enlightenment' needs two steps.

The first is the realization that cold and/or damp, even wet, is much less uncomfortable on a bicycle. But that's not enough on it's own. For instance, we're in that deep freeze right now that most everyone has been hearing about. (Early Jan., 2014) As a result, I did a bunch of snow shoveling today. Burning calories, I was dressed more lightly than many folks might have done yet I was still more than warm enough. Yet it still wasn't all that much fun. Not bad, but not 'great'.

A bicycle ride, though, has something beyond merely being more comfortable (for given conditions) than others might suspect. I'm not articulate enough to describe that. And I don't need to; anyone reading this already understands.

When we're riding, we're more comfortable and more 'happy' than an outsider is capable of understanding.

Since they don't understand they are forced to think that we're either lying or crazy.

+1 - can't tell you how many times I've been riding home 9 miles in frozen rain in the dark - totally happy - but knowing there's no way to explain it to someone in a car

My family has never really said anything, but I don't think they think much of it anymore unless the temps are below zero.

I'll probably blow off the ride tomorrow and work from home assuming the internet stays up, because we've had a metric buttload of snow and it won't be plowed by morning. Come Tuesday it should be fine though, other than -30*F wind chills but that doesn't really bother me, I don't have to shovel cold.