I've been commuting for a year now, but I feel like a new commuter now, having installed a basket on the front of my bike. That was supposed to hold my laptop, but the laptop goes on the rear rack in several layers of padding instead. This morning I had a large-ish package to return to Amazon by way of the UPS Store so into the basket it went along with my clean(ish) clothes for work. I felt very European. It was a good ride. I had cars to trip the traffic lights for me all the way out of my neighborhood, for a change. One lady pulled up behind me and, just as the light was changing, asked me if my bicycle was a racer. I don't know what my Giant Cypress does on its own time but it doesn't race when I'm on it. I told her it was a hybrid. She wanted to keep talking but that light is only like 10 seconds if you don't hit the pedestrian button.
Got to work (law school) at lunchtime (I teach in the evening) with students everywhere. I prefer not to go amongst'em in my lycra--I can see them averting their eyes from my middle-aged bulk and varicose veins--but so it goes. The ladies room was closed for cleaning when I got to it so I'm still waiting to get into my Clark Kent duds.