So I commuted to work this morning for the first time, went well , but a little chilly at 37 degrees . 11 miles in 40 mins

Dayum, 16.5 MPH average, is that total elapsed time? Any traffic, lights, etc to deal with? What's the terrain like?

It was 10.8 in 40 minutes 24 seconds so a little slower . Its up and down hills the whole way. Nothing crazy though .

First commute huh? Must be a new job. Congratulations

Two lights

Not a new job just got into riding a few months ago and this was the first time a decided to ride to work. I did a practice run last Saturday

that's awesome. welcome to the my commute is a little over 11 miles through a collection of terrains and stop lights. in warmer weather, I can get it done in about 40 minutes, but I'm bustin' butt to meet that goal.

you failed to mention whether or not you enjoyed it.

jealous, sounds like a perfect commuting distance! ... maybe a couple miles short ...

It was a good ride but my thighs and my feet were pretty cold other than that it was good. I road the route Saturday round trip so I new what I was in for. Traffic was heavy in some spots. All in all it was enjoyable . I'm new to cycling but deffinately hooked.

not sure what gear you already have, but wool socks and a pair of shoe covers will do wonders for your feet. pearl izumi has a lot of cold weather stuff on amazon for pretty good prices.

I don't even have riding shoes yet, just regular pedals (put them on the xmas list for the wife along with shoe covers). I've been looking on line. It seems that Cycling cloths are just as expensive as barefoot waterskiing gear.

it's exactly like watersports. the gear can be just as expensive as the bike itself. you'll get there. if you're using test ride pedals, you actually have decent options with whatever you wear in the cold weather now. if you're a hiking boot guy, just double up your socks or invest in wool socks. if the shoes you're wearing are vented, duct tape the vents around the toe area. I did that with my cycling shoes until I got my covers. it was very effective.

Good to know , Ill have to try the Duck tape trick

Cool Deal. I just started riding in to work this week. There is some gear I'd like to get too. I think to keep myself in check, I may limit the expenses to the amount of $ I save in gas. I just started and I'm already in debt. I'll need to get myself out of the hole before I buy anything else.

I have commuted just over 2K miles by bike this year, and at 28 MPG and around $3.50/gal I've only saved $250 in gas for the whole year to date. Unfortunately I've definitely spent more than that on bike stuff this year.

Way to go!

Make sure to include parking, if applicable. It can be significant.

go, Go, GO!

I use to spend $90/month for parking and $25 for gas when I commuted on a motorcycle. So, the past 4+ years of bicycle commuting I've used that money to fund my bikes and gear and I'm way out ahead at this point.

Wow... that is hauling butt for a work commute. Good Job.

As for staying warm... XC ski gear is pretty similar to bike gear, with similar requirements, and much greater selection. Might want to investigate.

Congratulations! As its got colder, Ive had to scramble to order gear as this is my first winter commuting, and just did not get very prepared gear wise I guess. All that to say, I recently placed my socked feet in plastic bags (like grocery store style) and then my shoes over that. This worked great, as the main thing is to keep the wind off, and keep dry. I would only use such a tactic in a pinch however, as this causes you to trap moisture in the bag. Too long a ride, or too many longer rides would likely start to destroy your feet. Or at least cause an extremely unpleasant odor issue. Im hesitant to give a guess at how long would be too long, as everyone perspires at different rates and such. Myself, I wouldnt do more than ten miles in such a setup. Anyhow, it worked awesome that one time, and Ill likely use the idea again at least a few times, for what thats worth...

Looking at your byline.. you have a Trek 1000 Compact? If You can/ don't mind pictures would be great!