The Benicia Bridge Bicycle/Walking Path opens today.

I posted in the NorCal Section. https://www.bikeforums.net/northern-california/577406-benicia-bridge-bicycle-walking-path.html

I rode my bike to work this morning for the first time since 1986. There is a lot of truck traffic on the weekdays, so it was good to have my first day on a Saturday. I definitely will need to get some type of mirror. I tried many helmet mirrors yesterday at REI. I am use to the Mirrycle brake mount mirror on my old bike. I wonder if I can adapt a Mirrycle mirror for Shimano STI levers to my Ultegra? Or is Ultegra an STI lever?

It is a pretty easy pedal to work, mostly downhill. It is normally cool in the morning. This morning was unusually warm in the 70's with winds less than 5kts. The water on the Carquinez Strait was flat and serene except for a lone boat cutting through the water which made me want to take the boat out tomorrow on the Napa River.

First Week Commuting
I normally do not wear glasses while riding because they give me a headache where the temples push against my head. Some evenings on my commute home, the combination of the wind being blow through the strait, the turbulence of the vehicles flying past on the bridge, dust on the road and bike path, and the outside concrete bridge barrier not allowing dust to blow off the bridge pathway is terrible. I need to get a couple of sets of glasses that do not put pressure on the side of my head.

I also have to invest in better bicycle commuter clothing as my cotton jeans and t-shirt do not work very well when it is cold/foggy and windy across the bridge in the morning or very hot on the way home in the evening.

The heavy truck traffic is not as bad as I thought on the Martinez end of the bridge or on Shell Ave. The roadway in this area seems to be the cleanest and best kept part of my commute.

On the Martinez end, railroad tracks need to be crossed a couple of times. The first sets are at the intersection and is well designed. The second set, the road is buckled and at a 45 degree angle. I am pretty cautious since the tracks at the intersection are unusually deep between the rail and the concrete.

Hi, welcome to the club!
Congratulations with the changed lifestyle. How long is your commute? Have you biked in every day? Which bike do you have (a picture in the sticky commuter bike pictures thread is most welcome!)?

Regarding the equipment and clothing; there is a lot of good info in the advice for beginners sticky thread. But generally sweating in cotton clothes is unpleasant and jeans are probably the worst biking trousers you can imagine. You probably have some better options in your closets which you could try before spending $ on some bike specific clothes. After all, finding the right gear is a trial-and-error experience.
I also get headaches from sunglasses, but getting bugs, dust and other debris in the eyes can be very dangerous. Finding a pair of glasses that work for you is vital.

Hey, congratulations for getting back into bicycle commuting. I used to live in your area, back when I was too young to drive (or bike). I lived in Martinez, and I remember crossing the Benicia bridge to church on Sundays.

My commute has been going well. Evenings, when I have dinner or something planned on the Martinez side of the bridge, I drive my vehicle to work rather than cycling home and recrossing the bridge later. I live less than 13 miles from work. It is an enjoyable commute.

Took a spill this morning. My front tire lost air. Luckily I was on a slight incline. My comfortable contoured handlebars cracked. I can see now carbon is not a good idea for me. I could still be riding if I had bent aluminum handlebars.

Any recommendations for comfortable contoured aluminum handlebars. I have seen the cyclocross style that I like.

I totally agree with you here.
<<Disclaimer - the following represents my personal opinion>>
I personally would not recommend ANY carbon on a commuter bike unless you meet any or all of these criteria:
- you ride for a sponsored team who can replace stuff for you and pay for medical costs resulting from failures
- you weigh 160 pounds or less and use your commute to train for racing
- you are an elite level athelete who needs any 'edge' you can get (use of carbon is still debatable, even here)
- your only bike is/has carbon and you can't muster the cash to buy/build a commuter.
- the carbon in question is non-structural (derailleur plates, brake levers) and just happens to be a feature of the component (i.e. you didn't have a choice to opt out of it).

This, of course, that's just my opinion, but I'm a pragmatic, ex-racer, retro-grouch and feel that (above conditions excepted) carbon is way over-rated, dangerous and unnecessary. It is also worth noting that I'm a hair over 6'2 and my 'prime fitness' level puts me at about 185 lbs, so structural carbon is marginal at best for someone like me, and I've seen too many carbon failures over the years to have any trust whatsoever in the stuff. <<rant over>>

With that editorial out of the way, and back in to the spirit of the post - welcome back!

for glasses, I use yellow-lens Rudy Projects, which I like because I can use them in all lighting sitations. In order to avoid pressure points, I put the glasses on AFTER buckling my helmet so the earpieces are unobstructed.

Handlebar-wise, randonneur or 'ergo bend' bars might suit you, as they offer a number of comfy hand positions.