chickening out

[dave66]

well had my first balk of the season - been raining for 24 hrs, trails are waterlogged, thunder, lightening 30 kph headwind...2 C......and i took my car to work.
I have biked to work every day since mid march so why the pangs of guilt for driving in?
any other i-have-a-car-in-the-driveway-but-prefer-to-ride-to-work folks out there who go thru this when they chicken out and drive to work?
ok....just me

:D

[hairygrump]

I don't have a car myself, but I take the bus in to work when I'm injured or when bikes are busted or I have to carry something expensive.

I feel like a lazy piece of crap when I have to do that, but further I think it actually screws with me a little bit physically. Legs get really bouncy and I'm just grumpy and weirded out all day.

I hate the bus. Oh god, do I hate the bus.

[DirtRagArt]

Now that I've sold my car, I bum rides from my coworkers when they don't ride...but those days are usually far and few between.

By the way, it was about 65° and sunny this morning so I rode the trail in. It was sweet.

[Clark Kent]

The chik works ( and lives ) were I do sooooooo on the RARE occasion that I NEED to drive into work I tag with her... All the way there I stare at the trees and the sky...Sucks to be incased... And those occasions were ya end up drivin by a biker..... GOD I HATE THAT!

[hairygrump]

Ugh. Seeing a biker from the bus window. The absolute worst. Especially in winter time.

"I"m SOFT! I'm SOFT! I hate myself! Get me off this crazy thing!!"

[FishMan]

So dave66, you ride trails to work? Sweet.

Don't worry about it, you're taking the first steps towards becoming a true all-season cyclist. Just hang in there as long as you can this fall, and when you finally break down and start taking the car for the winter, feel good that you did some good for yourself, society and the environment for riding most of the year. Next year keep pushing yourself to ride a little longer, and before you know it you'll be riding year round.

For advice, see:

icebike.org

or my web page:

http://www.prairienet.org/~fishman/snowbike/index.html

[FishMan]

Oh yeah and as for dealing with bad weather, is there any reason you don't ride on the road (other then that commuting by trail must be totally awsome!)?

Nasty weather like you were describing rarly lasts for very long, not often more then an hour. Keep an eye on the weather and avoid riding through those unsafe riding conditions by either leaving for work early or going in late.

[seveneye7]

I try not to let the bad weather get me, but I have to say, we haven't had a real bad day this year yet. Only three rain days so far. ( been dry for too long here!) I sometimes have to bail, and drive my car if I'm feelin' a bit under the weather. Yes, it does make me feel like a wuss. In the long run, I usually feel fine after a day off the bike, and I'm good to go for a while again. Better than runnin myself into the ground, and havin' to sit out for a week!
By the way, I've been commuting for just over a year now. Worst day was 7 degrees below (air temp). Didn't even want to know what the wind chill was! I've probably driven to work five times since I started, so I'm hangin' in there.

[dave66]

Last winter was my first bike commuting winter since 1990. I didn't ride everyday [ottawa can get a little brutal - this ain't fresno!] but did 2 or 3 days a week over the winter. Coldest i rode was -30 C but there were plenty of -15 to -20 days as well. Learning to dress for it was tyhe hard part - frost nip on my toes and fingers but the worst was frostbite on my shins - never knew frost bite could blister......

Calling my ride in 'trails may be an overstatement: more converted rail line [pathway] with short interconnected trails and numerous sigletrack loops off it to stretch commutes form 15-50 k. as these are all buried in the winter i stick to the roads but as i have to ride thru some country [town to town] i have to skip the bike after heavy snowfalls.
But after last yr i found i can handle the darkness, cold, wind, even a wet ride home - but a wet ride in? nothing worse than puttin on a still damp cold pr of shoes of the ride home in November darkness.......
/Dave

[i8urbrain]

The first couple of times that I pull on the cold weather clothing I get down about it. Then I tell myself that in 12.5 miles there is no weather that could kill me. However after Isabelle riding threw 3ft. of water for two days did freak me out. I had to empty my rims of water, and check my BB and hubs each day. Now I just know that I will warm up at the end of my ride.

[CRUM]

I commute haphazrdly. Sometimes, I ride several consecutive days to the bike shop. And then not ride to work for a couple of weeks. And I don't feel guilty. I ride when I can. I ride when I want to. I don't ride when I don't or can't.

But when I do ride to work after a long period of not, I always wonder why I don't rearrange my life more so I can ride to work more often. Bottom line, I have a lazy streak. Combine that with a job that needs my truck on a regular basis and the excuses to not ride are easy to come up with.

I hope to change my slovenly and loose dog ways. Commuting regularly takes commttiment. I admire those folks who find a way to use their bike for most of Life's little journeys.