1st 6 months of bicycle commuting
 

As the story goes: I moved in Jan 2010 to Costa Mesa So.Cal, with all my clients still in the LA area. Without traffic, it's 45min, with traffic 1.25hr or longer. Even though I condensed my clients into only 2-3 days a week on-site, the pressure built; pressure to beat rush-hour home, pressured by fluctuating fuel costs and waste, pressured by the pure guilt of a wanton lifestyle of convenience. All of it told me it was time to ride. But I hadn't been on a bicycle for 2 years since a BAD MTB accident. So, I started dreaming and researching grand tours, routes to work, bicycle builds. And in March I scored big with CL on an '82/83 Miyata 1000 for $125; started wrenching for the first time, and began commuting and running all my errands on my new ride...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8331912...7624944030587/

That's her first picture day after months of cleaning, tweaking, upgrading... and a big learning curve. (no pics yet with the commuting and errands rig)

So, now it's been 6 months and I can officially say, "I bicycle commute". It's a twice a week combination of:
9AM'ish out-the-door
Costa Mesa to Long Beach via PCH (20mi, 1.5-2hr)
Metro Link Rail LB to DownTown LA (45min)
Downtown to Hollywood or Bev Hills or West LA, Grab Lunch before the first client, around about and back Downtown (20-35mi)
Dinner Downtown: taco truck, Subway, ramen, something cheap
Metro Link Rail to LB (45min to settle my stomach)
LB to Home (another 20mi)
9PM'ish (12hrs, 1-3clients, 65-75mi TTL)

After a couple days or a weekend at home I can dread the looming ride, but I forget that the minute I roll past a blockade of cars. Mostly, it has me looking forward to my next work day. And, really, my joy is this new freedom. The pure, guiltless freedom that chooses to spend the entire day riding a bike I built, getting paid to do it (sorta, kinda), and feeling like I'm double billing 'cause I'm paid to work while my ride is this fat paycheck of life.

cheers everyone!
-Michael

I'm right there with you at my first 6 months (roughly 1800 miles). Congrats! Sweet bike, too! :thumb:

I've also started commuting this year. Every once in a while negative thoughts will crop inside of me, too... You know, "it's too windy, legs too sore, it might rain, you're gonna be late, take the car". It all goes away once I'm on the bike. When I am riding I am always taking in everything that is around me, and it is like sensory overload, especially in traffic. All of my senses are on full alert, I am 100% focused on controlling the machine, pushing myself harder, watching the road in front of me for debris, and keeping track of the dozens of cars around me. No time for pesky thoughts. I would say it's like meditation (only less calm and quiet), because it completely clears my head of swirling thoughts. I don't even have to try, whatever might have been bothering me before completely vanishes.

And +1 on the bike. Cantilever brakes, too! Looks like it has room for fenders if you need them. I spent a lot more on a new cyclocross bike and I really love it so far, definitely worth the money, but if I were going to do it over again I would much rather get a deal like you did. I'm guessing it didn't come with the saddle. What other upgrades did you do?