With the right gear, that's a blast. I came out of the Lincoln Tunnel into Manhattan about a month ago in the middle of a tropical storm. I was tired, and a little damp (but not soaked), but the discomfort was totally worth it to see the drivers and pedestrians pointing and staring at me as I waved....Just like the guy in that picture.

 

I don't know, that doesn't look so bad to me. That said, I do about 10k a year. 75% of which are urban miles.

Seat time is just as important as mileage. 1 hour in stop and go traffic is the same time as 1 hour on the highway, but you go 3-4x further on the slab.

It's easy to rack up miles on the highway. 300 hours in the seat of urban traffic obviously isn't the same as 125 hours on the highway.

I ride almost everyday like many here do. I put more mileage on my bike than I do my car. I use it for errands as well as fun. To me it's about riding the bike as often as humanly possible all year round.

 

Last year 30,000, this year will be about the same.