I am doing a one-month internship out in Lexington this month, and my commute would be 14mi each way from Boston to Lexington two days a week. Should I commute all the way by bike, or take a shuttle (1.5mi away from home) from Cambridge? The main problem is the Minuteman - is it icy this time of year? A friend of mine told me I'd be unable to with normal tires, and I'm not sure I want to invest in studs for max 8 days of commuting. (the streets around Boston are not icy enough to justify them either, at least not IMO)

Riding on Mass Ave, if you're comfortable on Boston streets, isn't bad, and is no more icy than the rest of the stuff you'd be riding on. The Minuteman's state varies, but Mass Ave is pretty consistent.

Assuming it's the Lincoln Labs shuttle, though, that's pretty convenient and free, so you might want to just stick with the shuttle.

Yeah, I really hate Mass Ave north of Harvard, though. The shuttle is nice, but I'd like to go for some longer rides this winter. I'll probably take the shuttle if it's going to be below 25 or windy.