Hi all!

I'm new to bikes, and thus new to commuting (as in...no commute as of yet!). I like in upstate NY and we are closing in on WINTER (ICK!) fast. I am bound and determined to try and get a few commutes to work before I throw in the towel for the year.

Unfortunately, my city is not at all bike friendly and it's an overall challenge finding acceptable routes. Even more unfortunately for me: while my husband and I live in a nice suburb, my commute would be directly through the ghetto....with no way around (at least not one that involves a 40 mile detour). Biking would actually shave 3 miles off my commute...currently it's 8 miles in the car, but quite quick and I hop on the interstate bypass and am work in no time. Going through the city makes it just about 5 miles, which isn't bad at all. Oh, but those neighborhoods!!

I would be going in the early morning (leaving probably around 5:30). I don't imagine too many unsavory characters are up at this time....but then again it's also almost pitch black (which I guess brings up the topics of biking in the dark on your commute). I'd be coming home around 4.

I guess I'd like to hear through other people that might have rough commutes...what do you do? A coworker said he's never take his road bike on a commute to our workplace. When he lived closer, he'd always ride his cheap hybrid (at least cheap compared to his Madone). I guess I could do that too, but then again, I kind of feel like the defeats the purpose of me buying a decent bike in the first place!

I feel like there are so many logistics! It's almost overwhelming....