So far, I've been a pretty reliable bike commuter. Started when I got suspended from the bus when I was 13 -- my parents weren't going to reward me with a car ride (14 miles RT) for misbehaving.
Have always ridden since then, including 10 years of 40+ miles RT which included a 47 month stint where I never drove once.
For the past 7 years, have 15 miles RT with 1k of climbing and have never driven. But I'm healthy, so it's not a big deal. We'll see how I'm doing in a few years since I'm only 52 right now.
FWIW, I think merino wool is da bomb for cold and wet weather.