Originally Posted by
agarose2000
Y'all keeping forgetting the OP.
I GUARANTEE that recommending her to keep it simple and to just "wing it" with minimal accessories for a 13 mile ride on hairy roads in evening hours will cause her to never try bike commuting ever again. Plus, she's on a mountain bike and avowedly is a beginner to this whole cycling/commuting thing.
She'll get stuck on a busy road, feel that her life is in danger by all the traffic that can't see her, and it'll be over.
If she could drive 10 miles and bike the final 3, ok, just wing it, but that's terrible advice for the OP.
Very good point. I tried my planned route and it was definitely nervewracking... not the stress-free ride I was hoping for. But it wasn't terrible enough to put me off commuting entirely. I still think it's worth doing. I've decided to drive half way to avoid the busy roads and then bike the rest. When I transition to a job closer to home (which I am working on) I can bike the entire route.