I am Dave almost 43, I wound up bike commuting on my old Roadmaster (so old they made it in the USA)when my car died and it wound up being a very positive experience.
Various things have kept me from doing it since but I plan to resume it this summer!
I also have an ancient Falcon Cycles English made Mercx that I haven't ridden nearly enough and may do quite a bit of my commuting on this summer. I really just like to RIDE that one, although the Roadmaster is not actually unpleasant once I got it adjusted to me.
I live in the Spokane, Washington area and have been invited to go and do some off road rides down the back of Mount Spokane...that might be a little over the old Roadie (master's) head me thinks. No suspension, great for easy trails and the street, but the ride down the mountain sounds like a one way trip for it, maybe me too if I am on it! The Roadmaster is the second new bike that I have ever owned and I have owned it far longer than the first, which was a KHS Montana.
I am a massage therapist, and in fact I massaged one of my clients in trade for the Mercx, and may have a shot at about a 6-7 year old lightly used GT mountain bike with a front fork and Deore XT components, that might be more the speed for Mount Spokane, but we will see.
Great to be here!