I've been commuting by bike for over 30 years. Over the past decade or so the majority of my commutes have been 15-45 miles in each direction and I've used road/touring/xcross/long bikes to ride them, usually dressed in cycling specific clothing while either hauling or staging my work clothes, food, toiletries, etc.

While on the one hand I enjoyed these long commutes because of the time I got to spend on my bike(s) each day, on the other hand it cost me in time for maintenance, logistics, cleaning-up, etc. and took away from time I could spend doing other things at home and with my loved ones. Since finding BF a few years ago, it also cost me lots of money as I discovered all this new gear, clothing and such that I had never really been 'in' to before. (Hey, I like to experiment with new stuff...and I finally could see what was available and afford to try it - so sue me! )

Back in November I finally found a job that was close to home again, like it was in the old days when I was either in the military or living in a small town. My place of work is only 4 miles away...more rolling than one would find in most cities, but close nonetheless. Despite being so close to home, I've still been riding the same bikes and wearing all my cycling specific clothing for the commute, changing at work/home. Thing is, I never used to have to do that...I used to ride in the same clothes/uniform I worked in, in the same shoes/boots I worked in. WTF?

So I decided to change all that and try to go back to my simpler days of bike commuting. I've got a new commuter bike on the way and I am adjusting both my gear and my wardrobe accordingly - and I'll detail it all (or ask questions) in posts to come.

The purpose of this thread is for people like me, who either have ,or want to have, a short, simpler commute, to share ideas and experiences. Hopefully we can make it a sticky - I think a lot more people who live closer to their places of employment would commute to/from work if they knew they could do so without dressing like the stereotypical 'spandex superhero' and could find relatively inexpensive bikes more suited to the purpose than your typical racing/sport/fitness bikes. So please, post your own experiences, bike/gear/clothing choices and questions, etc. and help make this thread a resource for the new, short, simple, commuters.