Challenge: January Transportation Riding

Here we are, already into the new year. Some people have set resolutions for themselves while others opt out of this tradition. Typically, as I've admitted over the years here, I tend to avoid resolving to do anything in January. However, a challenge presented itself and now (even though I'm not calling it a "resolution") I find myself in the midst of a new goal of sorts for January. If you use Strava, you may be familiar with their challenges throughout the year. This one in particular is a more subdued challenge issued, basically asking cyclists to ride as many miles as possible in the month of January.

*Image from Strava

Most people who have joined this challenge (or really any challenge on Strava) are looking to log serious training miles. When they say they're going to cycle "x" number of miles, I know that the majority are joining with the mindset that it is for purposes other than what I intend. I decided to join this challenge - not because I have any intention of doing training rides this month - but rather, I'd like to see how many miles I can ride purely for joy, transportation, errands, etc. The number they've selected is 600 kilometers (or just under 311 miles) to be given the opportunity to purchase a "Prove It" t-shirt. There are markers along the way, and no one is being forced to complete 600 km, but I thought it could be interesting to see if it's possible to complete the same mileage, purely for pleasure. If it were summer, I'd say putting in 300 miles would be no issue, but because I work from home and the weather is so unpredictable in January, it could mean a lot fewer riding miles, so I've issued a self-challenge to see what I can do during the 31 days of this month.

With that in mind, I have set forth some rules for my challenge:

- I will not count any rides that are done specifically for the purposes of exercise, training, etc (which shouldn't be hard as I tend not to do those this time of year). I will, however, count rides I take to the gym to workout, since most people drive a car to the gym, and thus I consider it a transportation ride.

- Speed is not a factor in this challenge (nor is it for the Strava challenge), so I will be riding like I would any time for transportation purposes. I want to see what it's like to have a mileage goal, but still ride as though the mileage doesn't matter (if that's possible).

- Any ride accomplished on my road bike will not count towards the mileage goal (this will prevent me from sneaking in faster rides on clear days, simply to make up mileage).

- The goal (with the exception of transportation to workouts obviously) is to wear clothing I would normally wear when going out to run errands, etc. Again, this shouldn't be an issue as it is typically what I would do anyway.

The purpose behind all of this is not to torture myself, nor to make riding a bike into a bigger deal than it is, but rather simply to see what happens when the weather is uncooperative (or at least not what I would ideally like it to be). While I know that I can ride regardless of the weather, I'm curious to see if having a challenge in front of me will help me choose a bike more often for transportation. Will I wimp out and walk or drive rather than riding when the weather gets iffy? I suppose only time will tell.

Have you set a cycling goal for yourself during the winter months to see you through the tough times, or is it a non-issue for you to ride in the cold, snow, ice, etc? Perhaps you wait it out until the weather gets warmer or you live in a climate that is warm during this season?