My son had his bike stolen, lock, chain and all, while it was chained to a rack outside while he was in class at a university downtown. A well reburbed but still patina-ed 20-year-old yellow Schwinn road bike. A month later, his friend spotted it, locked to a light post outside another classroom building on the same campus. Evidenced by all the work we'd done on it, there was no doubt it was his. A call to campus police and pretty soon the police were cutting the lock off and giving him his bike back.. Cruel justice. The police told him they'd call him if anyone came forward to "contest" ownership. Nobody ever did.

I commuted 6 miles to work on my 1972 Bottecchia sometimes, but that was mostly county roads and little traffic. I took it right inside and up the stairs, and parked it in the office library or in my cubicle. I didn't ask permission, and nobody complained. My advice is ride what makes you feel good, take it easy going in so you arrive fresh, and try to get inside parking.