Hi everyone.
I'm mostly a utilitarian cyclist from Washington, DC. I grew up in a rural area near Memphis, TN and people who used bikes to get around were pretty low on my radar growing up. I probably got annoyed a few times when I encountered cyclist never dreaming that I would one day be a cyclist.
I got my first "real" job in October 99 and moved out to the DC metro area (northern VA). I found out how much parking cost at my job and took the suggestion to use public transportation to get to work, although that was not something I imagined that I would be doing when I took the job. A couple of years after moving here I took notice of the fact that many people in this area bike to work and often beat the bus. I bought a bike, did a few weekend rides and finally worked up to commuting and haven't looked back. After a year of commuting, I decided I didn't really need a car in this area and sold it before moving into Washington, DC proper. My job is still in Northern Virginia, but fortunately it is easily reachable on bicycle. I prefer the city environment and living here also makes my commute a longer than before, so it works out.
I also still do some fun weekend rides and I belong to a regional recreational cycling club. I actually have two bikes. I use a Giant Cypress DX for commuting and I have a Specialized sirrus that I use for fun rides or as a backup. I love bikes. My next bike purchase will probably be a road bike.