My morning commute offers a wonderful block of time for reflection. During my solo hour long spin to Planet Bike HQ my mind jumps wildly from this to that like a bouncing ball. This morning it wandered to the commitment one needs for year round bike commuting in WI.

I’ve been seeing a few less commuters on the paths this time of year and it got me to thinking. When I first started out, and even to this day, the toughest part is getting out of the garage. It’s often a shock to the system. You walk out of your nice warm dwelling into a 20 degree garage knowing that it’ll be at least 10 degrees colder outside. What is it that gets you out riding to work? Dedication certainly plays a part. My best way to cope with this obstacle is to get outside and pedaling as quick as possible. I put all my gear on inside, open the door, hit the garage door opener, grab my bike off the hook and I’m pedaling down the road in under a minute. Within 5 minutes I’m enjoying the repetition of turning the pedals over and over. And there hasn’t come a day that I wasn’t happy ditching the car for my commute.