I agree to an extent with a lot of the comments that have been posted here, but if the author got too "real" most readers (who have never tried cycle commuting) would dismiss cycle commuting as too difficult, or fringe behavior. The most difficult thing about bike commuting or getting someone to do it, is changing their mindset. The first part of this equation is to get people to visualize themselves riding to work: to that end, the article does its job. I agree with tjspiel that it would have been much MUCH better if the author had made it home too, but in actuality, that may be what happens to a someone who doesn't regularly ride a bike. If they can get a ride into work the next day and then ride the bike home, they are taking small bites, but hopefully getting closer to the goal of bike commuting.

I also think it's important for people to know that they don't have to be clad in lycra (not that there's anything wrong with that) or invest hundreds of dollars in bicycle specific clothing to ride back and forth to work, especially if their trip is 5 miles or less. As someone previously posted, commuters in Europe generally wear their work clothes on the bike.