The NY times has an article about it, seems that more people are trying it to combat high gas prices. I've been biking, or walking, or taking the bus, or taking the cable car, or even driving for some time. It helps to live within 4 miles of work, although I know one guy who has an 11 mile one way trip. Another friend was roller blading until she changed jobs and her work is now too far away (and not very easy to get to without a car).
There are challenges: safety (all of us have been damaged), getting the right gear together at the right time (damn I forgot my damn nylons is not a good feeling at the work end), and staying dry during rainy season (nothing like wet, dank, clothes at the end of the workday to really fill you with joy--forget the shower, put in a dryer!) are the main ones. The beauty of it is, you don't need to do it everyday, if it's cold or hot or you're late, you can drive instead. Also, the buses have bike racks and that can cut some time if you're in a hurry too.
Oh, I forgot to mention route planning. That's important too. I want quiet, residential streets with either 4 way stops (I can run them when there's no cars) or stops for the other way and not mine and lights at major intersections. My roller blading friend also wanted less leaves and sticks and potholes.
Some good Sacramento biking sites:
http://www.sacbike.org/sacbiking/ (the best really)
http://citybicycleworks.com/site/intro.cfm (great, great, great service)
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