Hi Chris,

I'm new to this tribe too, and new to commuting. I live in the east bay and will be starting a new job in SF in July.

I'm planning on buying a new bike (a SOMA Double Cross) for my commuting machine.

Since my son will be starting Kindergarten this fall, my tentative plan will be take him to school in our car (and bringing my bike), then driving to Ashby BART and taking the train into SF. I'll debark at the Civic Center station to ride to Pacific Heights (where my new job is).

My son's school starts at 8:30, and so I'll be getting on the train at 9 a.m. to head into SF. My wife works in Berkeley at the university, so she'll get our car at Ashby, then pick my son up, and they'll head home. I'll then take the train back home after 6 p.m. and ride to the station closest to our house, then bike home from there.

So far, this seems the best plan my wife and I have come up with that meets all our needs, minimizes the use of our car, and maximizes my use of public transit.

I'm impressed by your cost analysis of your commute; I'm going to have to do the same thing for mine once I start my new job.