Best thing I did for my mental sanity this year has been purchasing a bike. I ride it door-to-door from my apartment in Greenpoint to my office in Manhattan. I haven't taken the subway in almost 4 weeks. I am noticeably happier and more positive.
You're lucky your bike commute is so calm. I ride my bike to work 3/4 days a week year round from the UWS to wall street, and the dedicated bike lanes are filled with people walking in large groups, roller bladers, joggers, bikers who don't know what they're doing, etc.
What you need is still: less complaining, more bikes. When the flow of bikes is steady, the groups and joggers realise that this space is not meant for them.
It's not calm, I have to dodge ignorant pedestrians all the time. But the normal commute hours tend to have plenty of bikers on the road who keep the lane pretty clear.
It's definitely not a scenic ride through the country, but it still beats the L. :)
I know people who made a sport of riding their bikes to work several miles every day of the year through the Minneapolis winter. Maybe there were a small handful of exception days. A little rain isn't a problem.
You don't even have to be a thrill-seeker to ride all year in semi-harsh climates. I did it in Boston this year without a ton of gear - just a warm coat, gloves and skull cap (under the helmet) for the cold, and rain jacket/pants for the wet. Helps that we have indoor bike parking though. I hate leaving a bike in the rain all day.
I'm lucky enough to have a flexible schedule that lets me dodge the rain, or leave when the rain is the weakest. And my tires are pretty good for wet conditions.
