I have also spent years cycling between work and home, until my luck ran out and a motorist hit me. I had several close calls before then. I spent a lot of time piecing together a route that keeps me away from vehicular traffic, but there are a few dangerous intersections that I have no choice but to go through in order to go where I have to go, and sure enough one of them was where a motorist broke my hand.

Now, working from home, I often start the day with a bike ride, but since I’m not forced to go between two specific points, I can choose a route that has a lot less risk. I am also not limited by the length of my commute, so rather than 40 minutes of riding split in two 20-minute segments, I can instead ride for a full hour if I want.

When (if?) it’s time to go back into the office, I will go back to using a steel cage with crumple zones and air bags to traverse the dangerous intersections. The cycling for fun and exercise will continue to be on my own terms with whatever routes I think are safest.