Fall and Winter Commuter Challenge!

K - Reading about your experience reminded me of the Iditarod bikers (a combo of riding and pushing). You are a very determined person!
It's a good thing that bike has disc brakes!

hi everyone,
Hope you're all having better weather and that signs of spring are on their way. I saw my first daffodils this week. This morning I got to ride in through snow flurries and the moon trying to break through the clouds...made me sorta happy to be back in full darkness for the a.m. ride. Happy weekend!

I saw the tips of leaves poking through the dirt just last weekend :D

I have a funny commuting story: I moved to Wy for a temporary position a few months ago. Since then, I have wondered if that was fool hearty... I have been desparately looking for a job. I actually talked my way into an interview for a great job. The guy called me to set it up. He was telling me about where to park and how to get a parking permit. I timidly asked (because I find people think I'm nuts that I ride my bike everywhere) if I brought my bike, are the racks I could lock it to. He got really excited and told me he rides every day and brings his bike up to the lab. I said, well, I don't want to be any trouble, I'll just park it outside. He said he fully intended on judging me on my bike and it would be great if I brought it upstairs :D I'm thinking I have a pretty good shot at this job :cool:

i rode today, it was 33 degrees. TOO COLD.

I rode today in SNOW! :eek:
Okay. So it was just a couple of scattered flakes and it's not like it stuck to anything and it was 38 degrees.
But still.....
(It did look cool, reflecting in my headlight)

Ginny that's an awesome story! Good luck with the job interview!!!

I'm not even remotely a part of this challenge, but I was JUST given a key to the bike locker, and rocked my 3 mile commute today. Whoo, and a Hoo.

I'm mostly back to daily commuting. Snow and below zero temps kept me off the bike last week. But the weather is looking better and better. They say we might hit 50 degrees tomorrow. I'll believe it when I'm riding in it. :p But I did wear just my wind vest yesterday and this morning and I haven't had to put the shoe covers on all week.

According to BJ I have 23 commutes for the year. Not real inspiring, but better than sitting on my butt. :rolleyes: bikerHen

Well I started commuting again- this week. 54 miles in two days but you ladies deserve praise, fanfare, awe! I waited for the time change, it wasn't the temperature since it is Texas. :o

me too. It's finally warm enough that if i get rained on, I know i still will be warm enough. I made two commutes this week and will likely have a wet commute going home today.
(YYIPPPEEE, it's finally warm enough to commute!)

Hi everyone,
Glad to hear more folks are celebrating the return of warmth and light and getting back into the commute.

I'm so psyched - my original goal was riding 2/3 of my office days from equinox to equinox, and I DID IT! As of today, I hit 42 rides of 63 days, for my 66.7%. Which means I got a minimum of 500 fall/winter commuting miles in! :D :o :)

We had a mildish and sorta scary dry winter, but I still got in some crazy rides on days I'm sure I would have blown off without our challenge. Winter's not totally over for us, we usually get a pretty big snowstorm in March and/or April, so we'll see how it goes through the next couple of months. But I'm clearly on a roll, and just loving being on the bike most days.

Thanks again for all your posts, encouragements and support. Happy spring!

Congrats Outspokin!

I will say though DH commuted home much of the winter, in the dark. We also carpooled a lot. We stuck to our guns and still only used about 1/2 tank of gas at most in the truck each week, way down from a tank every 3-4 days. I did enjoy my rides this week and am looking forward to the rest of daylight savings time. :)

I did a hybrid commute Wednesday of 15 in, 15 headwindy hard miles back.
Can't commute on days I've got the kid and that's been 4/5 this week. Sigh.

I have a 4 mile commute. Rode to work in khaki pants and my raincoat, there was a little tiny bit of mist, no big deal.
1 hour before quitting time I looked outside. AHHH sunshine, blue sky, my commute home was going to be a piece of cake. 20 minutes later, l looked again. WHAT? ugly black clouds on two sides of the horizon. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
it got darker and darker, so i left the office 5 minutes early, figuring I'd get out before the squall hit.
Out the gate. rain drops.
Out the second gate. SLEET RAIN WIND EEEK! :eek::eek: I am already :( wet to the skin in less than 1 mile.
Fortunately, even though there was sleet mixed in with the rain, it wasn't real cold, so i got home squishy drippy wet, but not too cold.
I got home, and discovered everything i wore was wet. (i forgot to zip the raincoat. :D )

are any of you guys still commuting?
Today's my second bike commute day of the week. there are 4 other bikes here today (in my building) so it's official; it's spring!