Originally Posted by
Jim from Boston
Getting serious about getting into shapeImpressive facilities but we live in a small, but elegant condo in downtown.
Just prior to reading this thread, I posted to the Winter Cycling Forum: Fitness is my prime motivator for winter commuting, as my only tenable activity, though indeed just last week I looked at indoor trainers, to keep at work, but time and disinterest in indoor riding is still a limitation.
Sufficient outdoor riding prepares me for the Spring (link) and builds up tolerance for the cold in general.
Anyways, apropos of the title of this thread, one of the best motivators I experienced was in 2016: This February, another facility that I work at has set up a much less "stringent" Winter Challenge for February.
So far this February as of Feb 8, I have no miles due to work and family activies, but despite temperatures of about 32 °F. with a wind advisory, I’m planning a nine-mile ride from my workplace this Saturday to home (but I can drop out along the route and take a bus. 
)
PS: @Alfster , as a resident of Alberta, you may find this link interesting:Lexicon Of Urban Edmonton Ices
Challenges, especially with friends and/or coworkers, is definitely a great motivation. However, in our area I doubt anyone would find the motivation to get me out in our -25 to -35 degree celcius temps (-13 to -31 deg F). I've tried it before, but it's simply not any fun. I'm looking forward to getting Zwift working to see if that helps with the indoor training. Plus, I alternate my workouts so that it's not always bike training. I follow the Fitness Blender workouts online for strength, cardio and stretching exercises (mostly using mat floor work and barbells ... which is new for me but I love it).