Hi there, I am a very new commuter. I have been lurking here for about a week, and read some great advice somewhere here about taking your bike in to work with you on a Friday morning, and riding home after work, and then riding back on Saturday to pick up the car as a sort of "test commute". Well, I did it, and it wasn't so bad, I think I will be doing it on most days if it stays dry.

Here's the questions though... I have been doing longer rides on weekends (30-45 miles) and my fingers keep going numb. I am riding a Specialized Rockhopper with bar ends on the handlebars, but I find the bar ends to be too thin and hard. Is there a way to make them thicker or cushier? Maybe wrapping some kind of foam around them, or would that make them unstable? What kind of fenders are best for a mountain bike, or do they even make them? And, how do I get my D*mn light to stay on the little clippy thing... it slips off and crashes into the road every time I go over a pothole. (lots of potholes here in Vermont...) What about rain? I would really like to ride in the rain, but have never done it, and am a little worried about slippery roads.

Any advice would be appreciated. Oh, my commute is 12 miles with a REALLY big hill about 2 miles from my house (uphill on the way in).

Thanks so much, Kim