Thanks for a well-paced story!

I commute 45 minutes to work by bicycle. I have a 20" folding bike with 6 gears. If I were to walk all the way, it would take 2.5 hrs one way. It's sizzling hot in Japan now, so I'd only do it for a thousand USD. But I might push myself to do it routinely when the temperatures go down to at least 15°C (59°F).