I'm an idiot.

[Owlie]

I just discovered a route that I could have used to ride to school all summer. I'm not willing to try it now, since I'd be commuting home in the dark at least some of the time, especially if I try to avoid rush hour traffic. That, and I'd have to ride through a poorly-traveled part of campus in the dark. (I'm in a lab and therefore have unpredictable hours; I've left at midnight before.) So I'll try it in spring. I'll have to work out how to carry a computer, though.

Maybe extra motivation to get that CX bike?

[ZenBiker]

Absolutely, you NEED that CX bike now!

[lph]

And you need a bad-*** bike light :-)

There are lights out there that not only ensure that you will be seen and can see, but are so obnoxious that people don't know if you're a bike or a motorcycle at first glance.

[OakLeaf]

I'll have to work out how to carry a computer, though.

If a messenger bag is too heavy for you, computers are really sturdier than you might think. Back in the day I had thousands of motorcycle miles with laptops just bungied on the back. Worst thing that ever happened was that one time the removable battery got a little loose, and I had to remove it and reinstall it. Nowadays with solid state drives and non-removable batteries, they've got to be even more vibration resistant.

And of course you need a new bike. Doesn't everyone? ;)

[malkin]

You FOUND the route! That makes you a clever and creative person! Shout EUREKA and carry on smiling.

[rustyshrapnel]

Plus, you can now use the winter to research a nice laptop-friendly commuter bag! Oakleaf is right; laptops nowadays are pretty sturdy. I commute about 6 miles to work and have a laptop. Most days I carry it in a backpack with a padded interior laptop pocket. On really hot days though (because back sweat is gross), I put it in a nice neoprene case for added impact protection and tuck it into a pannier. If you've got the space, wrap a towel around it too. Panniers that attach to the bottom of the rack where it fastens to the stays as well as on the top of the rack will reduce bouncing if your route is less than smooth. I do about 3 miles of my commute on a road that allows heavy truck traffic like semis that tear up a road like it's their job, and I've never had a mechanical issue with my laptop from jarring or bouncing. Arkel makes some extremely nice laptop panniers. I also use stuff from Golla (http://www.golla.com/). It's not cycling-specific gear like Arkel's bag, but their neoprene cases and laptop backpacks look great and work, and their backpacks fit wide-screen 16" laptops (something I've found difficult to locate in some panniers). I have a bright red backpack from them that really gets me noticed on the road. If you have a 14" laptop, the Loop Pannier from PoCampo is another great option: http://www.pocampo.com. I use some of their other bags and they've all performed brilliantly for me on a bike, and transition perfectly between bike commute to work appropriate to after-work happy hour.

[Geonz]

No kidding! I'm often telling my math students that the difference between the successful and not as successful student is that when the light bulb goes on, the successful student says "Wow! That's so obvious! I must be brilliant!" -- *and* later on, when things are confusing, keeps looking for solutions because s/he knows that that light bulb switch is out there -- while the less successful student thinks "gosh, I'm such an idiot for not seeing that!" and assumes that when not seeing something, s/he is too idiotic and therefore isn't likely to ever figure things out... and it's all attitude and expectation and not at all actual "aptitude."

Reward yourself with good bike lights :)