Well, managed to ride the bike to work 2 of 5 days -- more or less expected for the first week (would've gone yesterday, too, but for unseasonable rain and need to run errands at lunchtime). Have logged a mere 26 miles (avg 6.5 per day of riding @ 4 days), but it feels good to do it, and it'll increase... gradually.

It's nice. Really nice. Still figuring out which route is best (i.e. safest). All of these backroads are likely to have aged/youthful redneck farmers not necessarily watching where they're going (at 50mph+), and it seems that the uphills almost ALWAYS have no shoulder. Second-worst is an uphill without curves and shade that make me less visible. I'll work it out. Found today that I preferred going quite slow in the dirt and weeds (where a shoulder should be) rather than plugging along on the pavement where you hear 'em coming but have no idea how close they're gonna be. And for this reason, it's good I got a more off-road oriented bike.