2009-2010 Fall/Winter Commuter Challenge is on!

[out_spokin']

Hi everyone,
First frost for my commute in this morning! Must be time to get this challenge properly recorded.

Here’s who/what I have so far:

• out_spokin’: 75% of office days, 1 car-free weekday/week
• Yelsel: 3x/week if possible, 2x at worst
• TriGirl: 2x/week, rockin’ the new lobster gloves
• Biciclista: rockin’ the dark & dry days
• GLC1968: 1 full or 2 split commutes/week, rockin’ the 20 mile OW commute
• Kfergos: TBA, rockin’ the new bicycle advocacy job in a new city
• Tulip: 3x/week when not on the road (travelling that is, not the bike-type road)
• Malkin: to commute again, rockin’ the recovery
• Jenerator: daily, except when on call or travel
• 7rider: riding when possible, forget about those icy snowy days
• Grog: 80% active commuting, rockin’ 3x/week on the bike, running 1x/week
• Becky: riding to the weekend job as possible
• Medianox: at least 1 day out of 3, when the fog isn’t pea soup thick
• bikerHen: continuing her 5x/week commute, with an out for freezy feet days
• Voodoo Sally: continuing 5x/week through December, hoping to rock a mild winter for more

Check in regularly, let us know how it’s going, share successes, challenges, encouragement, crazy weather pictures, whatever! Thanks for joining in (and if you haven’t already joined, name a goal and jump on in!)

[buddha_bellies]

I'll jump on the bandwagon as well. Thanks!

Been biking to work everyday since '95. Only time that ever stop me was last year's deep snow and lack of snow removal at the side street. Heck! Even cars had a trouble of getting around.

So far my goal will be the same. Ride 5 times a week. If it snow, I hope to ride as well until the road is too dangerous. Then maybe snowshoe?

[Biciclista]

Three commutes this week! no rain, but plenty of dark and cold!
and tonight will complete my 98th commute of the year.

[pfunk12]

Count me in. Since I normally work 4 days a week, it will hopefully be 4 times on the bike. The only time I don't commute by bike is if my work schedule prevents it. And I don't plan on being on the bike in ice, snow, pouring rain, etc.

[Tri Girl]

Commuted 3 times this week (out of 4 days of work). Guess I need to get fenders on my Bike Friday because my bike is getting wrecked from all the rain and road grime. Been cold and wet- but I love EVERY minute of it!!!

[Becky]

How did I miss this thread earlier?

I commuted 2 days out of 4 this week to the FT job, and will likely ride to work tomorrow (Saturday). Just 200 more miles and I'll have 1000 commuting miles this year, so I'm motivated to keep riding!!

[malkin]

I made it! I made it!! I made it!!!

Ok, I wasn't really going to work, but I rode the route and fed the fish in the tank on my desk, so I really made it!

The sore places on my ribs really lit up at first, maybe because it was cold, 38 or so, but the pain was intermittent and then went away.

I guess when they said six weeks, they really knew what they were talking about.

[Yelsel]

Ugh, already down to 35 degrees for the commute home last night, and there was snow on the ground this morning. On the minus side, I'm not going to have too much time to fiddle with getting the layering right. On the plus side, we've basically skipped the 40s and 50s, so I'm not going to need to figure out those! I'm just afraid that I'm maxing out some of my warm stuff already, like I've already gone to the thick Ibex wool gloves.

[out_spokin']

Had to post an update after the morning's commute featured a gorgeous crescent moon. After a couple harder mornings getting out the door (snow on the ground last Friday, and freezing fog Tuesday) that was a nice reminder of why I love commuting this time of year.

The moon in a still-dark sky highlighted that I clearly need to get the rest of my lighting system up and running - my headlight and taillight are in full action, and I cleaned up the sidewalls so my reflective stripe can shine through, so that's good. Next up: I treated myself to some SpokeLits that I've got to install, and I've got to dig out the spare blinky to attach to the backpack for extra visibility.

So far so great on my commute goal, only missed one day for a good reason. Not so great on my first week of part time schedule in terms of a no-car weekday. Gotta work on a few elements of that. It's good motivation to re-think a few activities...

[blackhillsbiker]

I'm in. I'm hoping to cycle commute 3-4 days/week. I'm looking at snow tires for the ice. Tomorrow will be 3 days this week. Crazy fog this morning. I'm glad most of my route is on a bike path!

Deb

[hoffsquared]

Once ankle is better, count me in for at least 4x/week unless it's pouring or really, really cold.

[ginny]

Ooo! Count me in too. I commute every day (5 days a week) unless - just like others here, too much untracked snow. Though I am changing out my commuter and don't have studded tires yet... well, I'll try anyway.

[Biciclista]

only did 1 commute this week. And it was the 99th for the year!

[Becky]

2 commutes this week. I'd hoped to ride to work today and tomorrow, but it looks like the nor'easters have put an end to that idea. I'm not sure that I'm ready to tackle cold and rainy together. Here's hoping that Monday is dry and I can get back on my regular commuting schedule.

[pfunk12]

From the woman who said she would try to commute 4 out of 4 days per week - 0 commutes this week. Monday was a holiday so I did not work. Was home sick on Tuesday and Wednesday (also, with sick kids). I drove in yesterday because it was way too cold, rainy and nasty. And since I had taken 2 sick days, if I had biked to work in that weather, my boss and co-workers would have fired me. I was going to bike to work today because although it was cold, it was only drizzling at 6 a.m. Glad I didn't. I walked up the stairs to my office at 7 a.m. and my cellphone rang. Daughter #1 had a temp of 102.1 and an upset stomach. I said hello to my boss and secretary and said goodbye and went home to be with 2 sick daughters. Debating whether or not I should try and hop on the treadmill to sweat a little.