Hello all, I'm a writer residing in the Cascade foothills, about 35 miles due east of Seattle, Washington.
I commute to work and back by bike and bike/bus combo approximately 90 percent of my workdays, and have done so for the past three years. I live 17 miles from work, but in poor weather, I can cut my total ride daily distance down to under 10 miles; thank God for bike racks on the busses. As I tell my co-workers, my ride is typically the highlight of my day; I wouldn't trade commutes with anyone.
I have four bicycles. The newest is a 2000 Bike E RX, a so-called short wheel base recumbent. I also have a cheesy GT front suspended Timberline MTB which I have rigged for use on the multitude of trails and logging/powerline roads surrounding my home. The third frame is my commuter and the one I rode most. It's an old hardtail MTB with wet pavement tires and lots of lights and reflectors. My last bike is dearest to my heart. It's a 1972 Peugeot UO-8, of which I am the original owner. It's pretty much painful to ride, with its inadequate gearing and creaky noises, but I can't let it go; it's like a child to me.