Glad I could help. I'd like to skip having more flats, but I know it's not in the cards .

One thing on the lights that may or may not be obvious. Just like on a car, they're not just there so you can see. They're also there so other people can see *you*. I figure if it's a bit rainy or a bit foggy, my bike lights should be on. Visible is good. Batteries are cheap. My life isn't.

I would like a rearview mirror (or two), a horn, and a bell as tools for riding in traffic. The mirror is the biggie, cause I'm finding I have a hard time looking over my shoulder far enough while maintaining a good line on the road. Horn for communicating with cars. "Hey, dude! No crashing into the bike!" Bell for communicating with pedestrians. "Look behind you!" I'm doing bike == car tho, and you might not be.

If you're scared of falling, go practice with a spotter or two. Find a big grassy field or an *empty* parking lot and just take some falls. A quiet cul-de-sac works well too. Try stopping too hard. Try swerving. Turn too tight. Do everything you can think of to lose your seat. Make sure you wear suitable clothes, like sturdy pants with good leg coverage and a long sleeved shirt. Wear your helmet. Wear gloves if you have them. Take breaks if you're scaring yourself silly. Eventually, the falls will stop being scary tho and you'll have learned how to fall.

I did this as a kid, and it has helped me in a lot of near misses. It may have saved my life when a car buzzed me as a teenager and scared me off the road... at a point where there was a 6" drop. I ended up still straddling my bike, with only a bruise to show for it. The other benefit to falling practice is you end up with a much better idea of your limits, and much better balance. You really really really don't want your first fall to happen by accident. It's a good way to get hurt.