At what age would you consider giving up winter commuting?

[beanzontoast]

Just wondering - is winter commuting in the snow and winter weather something that you think you will stop doing when you reach a certain age / level of (diminishing) fitness / attitude to the cold?

I must confess, my affinity for it wanes year on year now I'm in my 50's. There are some days I'd rather walk to work!

 

[palinurus]

I don't know. I'll probably keep going though. If I start getting nervous or feeling the cold too much I'll probably change the bike rather than not cycle, get a velomobile or something.

 

[gbb]

At 51 i've no intention of stopping yet.
If i work weekends (its Sunday..16.00hrs...and i'm still at work) SWMBO usually suggests i drive in. No idea why...perhaps its so i can get home earlier, but i cant bring myself to drive in...even with the snow we've had over the last few days.

 

[BADGER.BRAD]

Not quite sure with this. I'm 41 at the moment but have the added problem that I work outside in a very physical job (10 to 15 miles a day on my feet lifting/bending) and do wonder how long I can keep both the cycling and work up, Hopefully I'll find another job where I can extend the cycle commuting rather than continue the hard work and killing myself before retirement as a lot of the other lads have done. Ask me in another 10 years and I'll let you know what I think! I have already recently started to use my refound love of motorcycles to give me a daily dose of said motorcycling whist commuting but am knocking this on the head to try and get a go at both hobbies. Bicycles for local, motorcycles for personal transport further a field and the car for family use and hauling large stuff (yuk I hate the car).

 

[Arthur]

I'll be having a long hard think before setting out tomorrow morning. The sun started to thaw the snow here today, leaving a layer of water on the roads which has already frozen solid again.

Fresh snowfall I can deal with but riding on sheets of flat ice is a lottery. I'm not far off 50, but I think I'd have been just as doubtful about these conditions 20 years ago.

 

[Happiness Stan]

Its not so much the cold as the dark.

 

[gavintc]

52, and cycling is still way better than driving to work on a regular basis. My next commute (in 2 months) will be 12 miles each way in dodgy Napoli traffic so looking forward to it.

 

[J4CKO]

Im 39, its not so much winter commuting as commuting on ice, no fun at any age and best avoided if you can, its all very well showing how hard you are but collar bones take a long tome to heal, the Land Rover sliding towards me last year decided me, I dont cycle if there is ice.

 

[beanzontoast]

Totally agree with those of you mentioning ice. I think that's an age-independent thing: I've always felt nervous when it's icy.

Beyond that though, there's just times when getting up very early, commuting in the snow / slush in the dark and coming home the same way starts to lose its appeal. By the end of the week, I'm bushed. Don't get me wrong - 90% of the year, I enjoy my commutes and can see me going on doing them up to retirement. But the last few winters, there's been days/weeks when the wet kit, the cold and the road-gunge messing up to the bike really gets me asking myself - what the h*ll am I doing!?

 

[gbb]

Not sure you're any safer in a car mind. One guy didnt turn into work yesterday (he does live 20 miles away). Filling up with petrol, he heard a skid and a bang...car went straight through TLs and smacked into a bollard. The guy at the next pump said 'thats the third i've seen this morning'....
Thats it, he rang in..'i'm not coming in'.

Its still Sunday, it's 18.30 hrs...and i'm still at work, been here since 06.00.
Dampen my desire to commute by bike...not a bit. Just pick my routes carefully and ride with due caution. I'm lucky mind, most of my commute is urban, no major roads.

 

[snakehips]

I'm in my 50's. There are some days I'd rather walk to work!

You young boy ! Keep it up for a few more years.


Snake


My Library

 

[ufkacbln]

About 16 years ago I bought a recumbent Trice (1994) and found that inter commuting on snow and ice is actually fun (if done safely) my present steed a Catrike Expedition is even better than the Trice.

Simply apply a little more vigilance and listen to the tyres!

56 and still enjoying it!

 

[Plax]

When I stop bouncing when I fall off.

 

[LOGAN 5]

I was thinking that last week with the atrocious weather we've had since November and now the early snow and ice. When I was younger I thought I'd be cycle commuting for ever but now I'm not so sure

 

[hackbike 666]

66

Last year was hard going though....obviously there was something wrong and most commutes felt like I was cycling uphill all the time.I really thought it was near the end for my cycle commuting.I also had a cough brought on by the cold weather.I reckon it was caused by something that bit/stung me in Hong Kong last year as it started soon after and my arm swelled up.

This year has been a revelation.I have managed without too many probs and the cough hasn't been bad on the bike at all.Well apart from early December,but it has got better.