Originally Posted by jagged
There's lots of discussion of equipment in this thread. Let me talk a bit about route selection.
Remember that you have options available to you that cars do not. For cars, one-way streets are huge obstacles. For you, dismounting and walking a block down a one-way street might shave several blocks off your ride. (Do not ride on the sidewalk, or ride the wrong way on a one-way street!). For cars, driving through parking lots, parks, stairways, and buildings is a no-no. For you, it's all a possibility.
Great post, except I disagree with the whole walking your bike bit. If you can't ride at walking speed, then you should get out and practice. I see nothing unsafe about riding on sidewalks to avoid a short bad road stretch, as long as you yield to peds, and use extra care when reentering the road.
I absolutely hate it when some moron tells me I have to walk my bike over the simplest of obstacles. Most days its more likely I'll fall while walking as opposed to riding.