I was an avid bike commuter when I lived in Cambridge, but decided to leave my bike In NJ when I moved out to LA.  Admittedly, I bought into all the LA stereotypes and rumors including the city being extremely bike unfriendly and increased mortality rates for bikers.  However, one of my classmates convinced me that biking to school is perfectly fine and preferred to driving.  I was skeptical until I saw him arrive at school, intact, 4 days in a row while commuting on his 1970s road bike that he purchased for $100.  Amazing!  I was inspired to find a cheapo bike so he took me to the Salvation Army in Santa Monica.  We didn’t find any great bikes there, but there was a dude standing outside the store selling two very awesome road bikes for $160.  Sold!  Yes, there is a high probability that I’ll probably panic mid-ride and run myself into a fancy BMW if not a Prius.  Yes, I’ll probably be that biker sitting in traffic because I’m too scared to weave between the cars completely defeating the purpose and value proposition of owning a bike.  However, I’ll take great pride in keeping up with my traditional commuting habits and savor the added bonus of partaking in one of LA’s trendiest activities made popular by Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, and Rachel McAdams.