I get a tremendous amount of pushback from my friends and family about riding for transportation. They worry out loud about me. They're worried about traffic, about assault, and about my bike being stolen. This is despite the fact that I've been riding for 3.5 years and +12,000 miles, and that I live and ride through reasonably safe areas. Most of them turn out to be very ill-informed about the actual risks or problems I experience. That doesn't make their comments any less discouraging.

Every single time I have this conversation with a friend or family member, I wonder if they would say these things to a 32-year-old man. Somehow, I doubt it.

When I need to really dress up for something, I bail and take the bus or train. It's a hair and makeup thing. Theoretically, I could go an hour early and shower/primp at the gym, but that is so incredibly inconvenient. I completely understand women who are required to dress up every day not wanting to deal with that on a daily basis.