Newbie

I recived a bicycle for my birthday in January. It's a fixie and I love it! Although I recived the bike early Feburary I have only recently started to ride it. Over the past two weeks I have enjoyed my various trips on two wheels.

When considering the reasons why commuting on a bicyle is not preferred I do see the challenges. First, the cost. If you have a vehicle why do you need to buy a bike, lock, bag/basket, lights, saftey gear, etc. There is a lot of upfront cost that may turn people away. I do believe I would have boughten a bicylce if I did not recieve one for my birthday, but it would not have been as nice.

Another challenge I ran into was bike policy? If thats a thing. Am I allowed to ride here? What is proper ettiquitte in passing people? Is there a map with bike lines? Is there any laws that say I need lights? How come I don't know any of these questions or where to find out about these questions? I think there could be a lot of people tunred off by these questions.

Effort. I am not talking effort in pushing the pedals forward (although that may be a challenge for people too) I am talking about the amount of effort it takes to get everything packed, ready, unlcocked, packed away, locked up again. Does this matter to people? I've noticed that it matters to me. Or at least I have noticed it. Perhaps I will get a more efficent process of things - one in which my headphones don't get yanked out of my ear and my lunch box choking me.

I do love my bike and I am enjoying the transition in my commuting style. I love the fresh air, using my legs, seeing the city, not paying for gas, and getting close to my location. Are the things I mentioned above challenges or simple factors that anyone would experince when going through a transition?

I think the biggest transition of all is getting my butt use to that tiny seat!