I am happy to have found this forum. I'm somewhat of a newbie and need a place to bounce ideas off of others.

My hubby and I got bikes after our last trip to Europe in 2006. Hubby saw all the Copenhagen bikers and decided that he wanted to commute by bike to work - 6 miles each way. So we both bought bikes on Craigslist plus two for our teenagers and he started commuting. His trip is all downhill on the way into work and he has shower facilities. He's on his third upgraded bike - a Surly Crosscheck.

Until August, my job was only reachable by an hour car trip, but I got a new job in August that is downtown. With parking at $350/mo I take the bus, and need to drive to the bus stop. Voila! Time to ride my bike to the bus - 2 miles there, downhill mostly and I try to take the long way home. It actually takes about the same time as driving to the park-n-ride, then parking and walking to the stop. Plus I get a better seat on the bus. I started riding once a week when I had alternate transportation for my son, who turned 16 last week. I even rode this winter down to 35 degrees, in the dark and the rain. Now that he has his license, I am free to bike 5x a week.

So last week I rode for the first time after he got his license, and in my rush to get on the bus, I forgot to lock it. You got it... some complete jerk stole my bike! My $100 craigslist used dorky women's bike, plus my helmet, rack, light, mirror and pedals/clips - all gone! I was in so much shock that I started crying - and I never cry. Just replacing the rack, fenders, lights, pedals, helmet and mirror set me back $200. And as dorky as it was I LOVED that bike!

I've been riding my daughter's bike since (she was in a car accident so she can't ride for a while anyway). This weekend I got a new (well…new-to-me) Marin bike, again off craigslist.

Anyway, my reason for joining this forum is that I get such joy commuting and I have no-one to share it with. Plus I don’t know anyone who commutes IRL except my hubby. And I never see women on my commute. (Although I see a lot of women downtown.) So I'm a 50 year old (look and feel 40) Vice President and part-time Finance professor, mom-of-teenagers who wears funny bike gear and changes into her suit in the restroom at the office.

See y'all around.