Lots of great advice above!

I've recently started biking to work, and I'm lucky in that it's a manageable distance for me (about 5 miles), since I am recovering from an injury and I want to be careful not to overdo it. My motivations are that it's much more pleasant than taking the bus (the walk between my bus stop and office is essentially a huge construction site), and it takes less time than the bus. And I can count it towards my PT.

I'm also terrified of riding in traffic, so it took me a bit of research and a lot of asking around to find a route that I'm comfortable with. I also don't care that other cyclists are going a lot faster than I am.

Bike commuting can be done in baby steps, too. My first time I just did it one way, then caught a ride home with DH in the evening. A week later I did my first round-trip. I'm planning to add a little bit more each week.

It's important to find safe places where you can work on your skills, get stronger, and become more confident when confronting those things that are holding you back.

Weekend motivation: to rediscover the joy I had riding my Schwinn Fair Lady when I was a kid. To not worry about wearing special shoes, or special clothes (but definitely a HELMET!), and to still have a great time even when things aren't perfect. To let that flat tire be my next big adventure. To have so much fun that I don't realize the sun is setting, or that my stomach is growling. To lose track of time.