> What do people do when it rains or snows? Do people walk instead, take mass transit, or drive? I live in Northern Germany and for the last 20 years I used my

> What do people do when it rains or snows? Do people walk instead, take mass transit, or drive? I live in Northern Germany and for the last 20 years I used my bike to first drive to school, then to university and now to my workplace. On average I drive about 10 to 15 km a day for commuting and perhaps another few km for shopping and going out in the evening. I can not remember a single day were I did not drive bike because the weather bad. Even two or three winters ago when the streets were covered with ice for 4 weeks driving to work with a bike was not a problem at all. Some stuff I learned: * buy high quality mudguards * use a hub dynamo (Shimano or SON) and not these horrible cheap one which touch the wheels * invest 80 euro in a really really good LED front light (I am a big fan of Busch & Müller, those things are really bright and switch on automatically when it is getting dark) * for snow and ice buy some spike tires. If you are a bit careful and experienced you can drive over pure ice without any problems. They cost 60 euro per piece but you can use them for 3 or 4 winters * for normal weather buy some tires with protection against glass and other sharp objects. I have a pair of Schwalbe Marathon Plus and I never had a flat tire in the last 6 or 7 years * buy the most expensive lock you can find (Abus or Kryptonite) and always lock your bike to something * always have a set of dry clothing at your workplace just in case the rain is really bad. * some people buy special rain pants but I personally don't like/need them * buy and wear a helmet * install a fender rack to which you can install some bike bag (I am a big fan of everthing from Ortlieb) With the right gear driving in bad weather is not a problem. Sometimes it isn't fun but I am grateful that I am not dependent on a car! But what matters most is the infrastructure. Driving bike in Germany is really nice most if the time. But when I lived in the midwest in the US in a smallish town I was one of very few ciclyst in town and driving bike there sucked a lot.