First of all, I just wanted to say thank you for posting this thread. I too have been struggling to ride. And the discussion here has been helpful.

I am in pain, to varying degrees, 24/7/365, from my crashes of the last few years. And that permanent damage will be there for the rest of my life. But the worst, is the emotional and psychological. My real life cycling friends just do not get it. The majority have never been thru that situation. That part, of people not understanding, really hurts too.

Besides getting a hybrid that has been mentioned, I instead also own a cyclocross bike. I love the versatility of that sweet little work-horse bike. It's a no-brand-name Nashbar special. It was the same geometry as my roadie, so I knew it would fit ok. And yes, btw, I've crashed bad on that bike too. Sometimes I just ride it the 7/10mi loop around the sub-division. Where I live it is so bike un-friendly, it's hard to find a place to ride that feels safe.

Also, I have taken up alternatives I would have never done before when cycling as I used to, pre-crashes. I've found a relatively safe route to take the dog on a longer walk, 3mi, and I figure that's something, vs doing nothing.