I have lived all of my life in the coastal portion of southern California (west Los Angeles, Huntington Beach, and Encinitas) and have bicycled for recreation and for transportation since high school. The climate is benign, I love hills, and I can usually (but not always) plan an acceptably safe route.
I did not own a car before age 26.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069