As my name suggests, I mainly ride to and from work, year round. I do a little recreational riding (I've done one century), but I've never done a group ride. I ride a Surly Cross check. See the first couple posts of the
Advice for New Commuters thread for how I equip it.
I have two basic choices for my commute--roads and MUP. The roads are 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 miles each way, depending on the route. The route I take most often is mostly a 3-lane 35 mph one-way street. It usually takes 20-25 minutes to ride.
There is a good MUP, but it's a litte out of my way. It usually takes 30-35 minutes.
I ride regardless of the conditions. Snow, rain, ice, whatever. I sold a car to get my bike, and I use the money I save from not driving to get good equipment.
I've been riding since I was five years old and riding on the streets since I was eight (I might have riden earlier, but that's my earliest memory of street riding).
I expect to edit this for content over the next few days.