Sounds like a great bike shop.

It's amazing what a difference your route can make in bike commuting. I held off commuting for years because I thought it wasn't safe because I was thinking in terms of the roads I drive on to work. Finally it dawned on me that I didn't have to bike to work on the same roads that I drove to work. I started studying maps and found some lightly traveled roads that avoid most of the traffic, test rode the route one weekend (like you), and was surprised at how nice it was. I actually feel safer bike commuting than driving to work, in part because I drive more aggressively than I cycle.