Yesterday I commuted by bike for the first time. 15 miles each way.

The morning commute was nice. It was dark at 6 am when I left and the little peep frogs that live in the utility easement were cheering me on! Blinky lights worked perfectly illuminating all those stupid Recovery Act road construction signs. No problems. Even saw fine specimen in spandex. All in all a great way to start the day

The evening commute was a completely different story. I live in Chicagoland. Did you know the wind was from the Southwest yesterday? There is a portion of my route I need to tweak especially in the evening. This stretch of road is just too narrow, in too poor condition (it's a stretch of road no one seems to be responsible for) and too busy. And the crosswind is a bear!

I used a backpack but I'm definitely going to rack up and get at least one pannier.

Now I have another reason to look forward to summer. Once everyone else is out of school my mornings are mine again.

congrats! watch out for those "kill zones" as I like to call them

Congratulations on taking the plunge. I hope it changes your life and outlook. No matter how crazy everything gets, I still have those two rides per day to myself where I can take it easy, look around, and think about how blessed I am. Enjoy!