How do you make the time?

How do you make the time to ride? And how often/for how long? I work fulltime, have to take my daughter to school in the a.m/p.m. The only time I can ride is in the a.m. It is too dark in the p.m. and with traffic too busy. Now that the sun has found CA. again I can ride again. It just seems that my early a.m. rides are too short. I gotta be home by 6:30 a.m. from my ride to get my kid going and me to work by 8:00. This means I get up at 5a.m. and leave as soon as I can. So my time in the saddle is limited. Just wondering how you all do it.

Yes, this time of the year is really tough! But good for you for getting up early to get your rides in! Isn't it dark at 5:00 AM?

I can ride pretty much all year around (weather wise), but the combination of working full-time and short days cuts in to my weekday riding outside. I ride my trainer a few times a week. I can’t wait for spring!!

I do a weekly group night road ride (bike path). It isn’t a super work-out, but it’s fun! We usually have about 10 riders and we do a 35 mile loop. I also do a little night mountain biking (also group rides).

If you can find a group, you might try night riding (I definitely would never night ride solo). Also, really good bike lights make me feel much safer. I use one on the bar and one on my helmet. They're expensive, but worth it!
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Ditto the lights! I use mine for occasional commutes when I can arrange that, and for evening rides. I go solo, but stay on well-lit bike paths. Here in Phoenix, the best time to ride in the summer is at night. I love getting out around 3 a.m. when there is no one around and having my way with the city streets. Since I live near the edge of the city, I can ride a few miles and be out listening to the coyotes howl. It's very peaceful and relaxing not to have to be concerned about those 4 wheeled monsters. However, I don't do the middle of the night rides in the winter--too darn cold for this desert rat. Sometimes I just resign myself to running, indoor cycling or just being lazy and doing nothing (this especially when it rains!).

FYI: I have a nite-rider non-digital evolution which can be mounted on the handle bars with a quick release, or on the helmet. I've used both, and prefer the helmet so that I can point the light where I want to see. I agree with AG that the good lights are expensive, but worth it. When I have a few extra hundred in my pocket, I'd like the get an HID set-up for doing some night trail riding. The evolution is okay, but I feel like I have to slow way down and strain to see the trail, so I haven't done much off-road with it. If you get a light system, be sure to get one with a decent rechargeable battery. They last a long time. I've had mine a couple years, and used it many times.

When the days got shorter - I was always coming home dusk-dark. I have a handlebar light and a rear flasher plus tons of relfective strips. Plus I ride a bike path (not very well lit) with just a short stint on residential streets. I enjoy riding in the dark - theres a real sense of "self" when you ride in the dark. Course I would Love to ride in the dark when its warm - but I guess we can't have Everything in life we want yeah?