Hobby, and circumstances have made my hobby riding a lot more infrequent than I like.
I returned to two wheels in the fall of 2007 with the notion of making a four-mile commute to (and from) the rail station on days when the weather isn't too brutal here. (More about the weather later.) Problem is, I like my bike so much that I don't have the heart to risk parking it at the station.
Regarding the weather, thanks to our wonderful legislature that won't provide money to maintain the roads, the pavement has become hazardous in ideal weather conditions, let alone the added danger of the potholes, ruts and wheel traps camouflaged by snow or standing water. Add the traffic density, the incredible stupidity of cagers in our area (plus their hatred of cycles and riders), and an enormous deer population even in our neighborhoods, and the overall commuting experience becomes quite risky. Thus, I drive a fifteen-year-old, four-wheeled rice mill to the station.
