I used to have a 13 mile round trip commute. It was all uphill on the way in and all descent on the way home. I would ride up almost every day, but if was running late or feeling under the weather I would put my bike on the bus and then ride home.

I would get soaked with sweat by the time I made it up the hill, so I would almost always bring an extra shirt and a little towel, unless I was too hungover, stoned or stressed out to remember.

Riding during busy times, like when classes were getting out, could be suicidal at times because of the masses of oblivious pedestrians, frustrated drivers and overloaded metro buses all vying for the same space on the road.

I never had a bike stolen, because I was obsessive about properly locking up my ****ty fixed gear with a burly u-lock next to $800 road bikes locked with pencil thin cable locks wrapped around the fork. Theft wasn't really that common anyway, but it did happen to a couple people I knew.

The main thing I miss about it is riding down this bike path everyday, especially on a clear day or at night: (not my pic)

edit: sorry I didn't realize that pic was going to be so big