the bicycle

I love bikes. Here is the current incarnation of my commuter rig.
New Nitto Randonneur bars, rear rack, stem Acorn handlebar bag and Rivendell Silver bar-end shifters. Rides like a dream.
I've been doing most of my riding on this bike. Even recreational/exercise rides. It has big 37c tires which smoooooth out the bumps. Dare I say it...I may not ride the racing-type road bike again. Yikes. Or, even schlep the mountain bike on top of the car to the trail. We'll see. I am committed to using the car as minimally as possible.
I probably end up driving my car no more than 3-4 times a month now. I'm trying to cut that out-if possible.
I gas up the car about once a month or once every other month. Some experts predict the gas prices going up to possibly $4/gal by the end of spring. Bikes will become more popular as a means of transportation.
There are more bikes coming out that address more practical needs: fenders, racks, wider tires, etc. Check out the above mentioned Rivendell, A.N.T. bikes, Surly, Velo-Orange, Jitensha Studio and many other sources of, "real-world bikes".