I can't imagine living so far from work that I couldn't ride my bike. The farthest I lived was 14 miles, which was fine for bike commuting. There are ways to drive part way and bike or take transit part way. It's a habit, and habits take about a solid month to establish. But then it's natural.

Now, I work from home, so I don't commute anymore. I use my car once a week to go visit my BF. About once a month I have to travel for work out of state, but lately I've been taking Amtrak. Luckily, I live in a city that is bikeable (although it's not Portland!) and is served by Amtrak for longer trips. And, when I do drive, it's easy to get around since Richmond is pretty compact and has great restaurants and things to do and see within a few miles.