I'm not a girl, but I do ride a hybrid, and I find it to be the perfect utility bike. It's geared a lot like a mountain bike, so it's not nearly as fast as a road bike, but the street tires and lack of shocks make it a much better choice for city riding than a mountain bike. It's practical, it's durable, and, since it's a hybrid, no one will steal it.

About Pensacola: Is it built on a grid pattern, like a traditional city? In older towns, the grid pattern is ideal for riding a bike, because there's always a side street. Or is it infested with cul de sacs and dead ends, so you end up riding on busy 50 mph arterials, armed with only a water bottle and a samurai frame of mind?

(I'm sorry you had to deal with the psycho guy in a truck. You're probably a lot tougher that that lard-ass, if that's any consolation.)