Dan I wil keep it short. I live one state north of you and have been riding for years. 2004 was not a good year for me either. I was hit by a car twice. The first time a car hit my elbow with her rear view mirror. The second time my bike went under the car and I went over the top when a woman made an illegal left turn through me. By the way I still ride everyday. Today I just got back from a short ride of 48 miles. I kept it short because the wind was gusting up to 38 mph.