Originally Posted by ctoddrun

Doood... welcome to the club! Good on ya for getting back on the horse...

I'm afraid that, at the rate you're going, we're going to have to read about you on the "wall of remembrance" thread in a matter of days. A bit of friendly advice (offered strictly out of concern for your wellbeing and your enjoyment of what has become one of my all-time favorite things to do): Riding in traffic is inherently more dangerous than driving a car, if only because you're now a midget in a land of giants, as opposed to being one more giant. I suggest you take some time to carefully plan your primary (and, apparently, a backup) route - map it out on the web, test drive it in the car to make sure it's going to work, test ride it on a weekend without traffic if necessary to make sure the roads and traffic control (stop lights, signs, turn lanes...) are sufficient.

And then ease into this - take things easy for a while to get yourself accustomed to your new bike (congrats - what is it, btw?) and riding in traffic. Riding a bit slower will also allow you to be more observant, which can improve your safety AND your enjoyment of the trip. Pay attention to where the cars are likely to cut you off or right hook you. Where do you need to be mindful of the "door zone?" When's the best time to move left to make that turn? Where should you really take the lane, and where is there room to safely share? Then, when you're used to the route, the bike, the traffic, go all out for the land speed record! After all, this is supposed to be FUN and FUNctional transportation which improves your quality of life. And finally, feel free to post your questions here - search first, of course (as was recently pointed out, there are approximately 9 unique topics on these forums!) Again, welcome!