Oak: ETA... anyone who thinks the wind in her hair is such a big deal, has obviously never ridden with the wind in her b00bs. That I probably will never have the chance to do again, but the feeling is seriously worth the risk.
Whoo-hoo, Oak. Really???

Appreciate chrys' experiences from Alaska,transplant from Germany, etc.

Nothing to do with cycling, but today there was a funeral for 19-yr. girl who got her car license recently, died after driving into a tree in one of the Vancouver suburbs, while she was talking on her cellphone.

Cellphone use while driving just adds another dimension of risk for cyclists which never existed before ..even 3 decades ago.