College students riding a bicycle?

My first year in college I made the amazing discovery that I could actually get to class quicker on my bike than in a car or on foot. As a bonus I saved about half a tank of gas every week and managed to replace the "freshman bulge" with a pair of very strong legs. Each year millions of college students discover, like I did, that riding a bicycle is a quick, easy and fun way to get around.

Now I put in four or five thousand miles a year on my bike, much of it "utility bicycling" to the store or work. Here are a few of the things I've learned along the way . . .