[Burrnerd]

I’m in my mid 40’s and have been riding to work for 8 years now. I live 16km from my office and the route is mostly scenic bike paths along a river. It takes me 37 minutes, plus or minus 5 depending on wind and load.

I bike 3-seasons. Proper equipment is vital and I always check the weather before going out (forecast always exaggerates). I use plenty of layers because I hate the cold. It gets dark early this time of year so I wear retroreflective material on my clothing, helmet and bike. I have “be seen” lights, front and rear, plus a serious 300-lumen Cygolite headlight mounted on my helmet to detect the camouflaged dog walkers sharing the path.

My current ride – see below – is a flat-bar road bike with good components (some XTR) customized by a local bike shop. Note that this photo was taken before I put some 22,000km on the bike. Lots of worn parts replaced and I added a softer saddle and Cateye computer for cadence. No front derailleur/shifter now because of limited hills on my commute.

I count my days cycling and last year was a personal best of 137 days. NO EXCUSES except vacation, business travel and snow-covered roads. Yesterday was Day 117 for 2011, but sadly snow has arrived and that is depressing, which suggests that cycling can be an addiction. Better dust off those skis.