Originally Posted by baldilocks

Winter cycling has changed the way I ride…Has your riding evolved? How and why.

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

… Back in the 60’s in the Motor City, I had an “English Racer,’ and longed to tour at about age 14, but then joined the car culture.

In Ann Arbor MI in the 70’s I really realized the utility of bicycles for commuting, and began touring on a five-speed Schwinn Suburban, but soon bought a Mercier as did my girlfriend, later my wife. We toured in Michigan and Ontario.

In 1977 we moved to Boston on our bikes, as a bicycling honeymoon from Los Angeles to Washington, DC and then took the train up to Boston. We have toured in New England and the Maritime Provinces, and one trip to the DelMarVa peninsula…

After the birth of our son in 1988, I have pretty much been a year–round commuter only, but in the past few years I have done a century or two a year and I follow a ten week training program for centuries published long ago in Bicycling Magazine.

I have a really great commute that belies, IMO, the image of Boston as a city unfriendly to bicycling…

Addendum: Since joining Bike Forums, I have also ridden on the Second Annual Fifty Plus Ride at Watkins Glen in the Finger Lakes Region in 2010 in conjunction with the (NY) Southern Tier Bicycle Club; and with the Third Annual Ride in Chelsea MI in 2011, called "One Helluva Ride," sponsored by the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society.

Also since subscribing, I have adapted to riding my Cannondale Mountain Bike in rain and winter precipitation, including on icy roads, thanks to advice from the Forums.

Second Addendum: On June 1, 2012 I was hit from behind by a car while commuting home on a Friday evening. I was off work for three months, and off the bike for five. See this post, “One of our own was hit Friday Night,” with my first reply a few weeks later:

The Bridgestone was totaled in the accident, and in April of 2013, I bought a Specialized S-Works.

Third Addendum:
On 7/28/13, I was the "host" for a Fifth Annual Fifty-Plus Ride held in the Metropolitan Boston area.

Fourth Addendum:
On 7/26/14, we did the Sixth Annual Fifty-Plus Ride again in Boston.

Fifth Addendum:
We did the Seventh Annual Fifty-Plus Rides in Chelsea, MI on 7/11/15, and in Raystown, PA on 10/10/15.

Sixth Addendum:
In August this year of 2016, I bought an aluminum Specialized Diverge to use as a new. lighter beater bike, and reserve the heavy duty Cannondale MB for Winter riding, with studded tires.

For the past three weeks though, I have had plantar fasciitis, and it's too painful to just stretch my left foot to mount any bike, so I've ridden it just two blocks….

See also this summary::

Originally Posted by Phil_gretz

Originally Posted by Jim from Boston

...This year however has been a bust because this winter I developed a weakness in my neck muscles supporting my head upright (perhaps due to a two month unavoidable layoff) on my previously well-fitted bikes.

I had a subsequent fitting on both, with some handlebar adjustments. I recently got an exercise consultation for neck, shoulder and core muscles, and was given an exercise routine, that takes a big chunk of 50 minutes to perform. Exercise may fix it, but that’s a long-term solution.

All these remedies have barely allow me to ride my minimum 14 mile one-way commute with slight discomfort near the end. By this time of the year I'm doing weekly 50-60 mile rides easily, and even training for a Century.

Just yesterday, I rented a hybrid style bike with flat handlebars, and was comfortable on the commute...[and subsequently bought one]