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Bicycle Diary
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Great read, thanks!
Claarly a bike transportation rookie though...impressed alreayd by a handy 15lb bag of dog food? My weekly groceries must be over double that. Thanks to our pioneers for rear racks. My silly-small townie has a plastic crate tied on one. Slip in the grocery bag, handfree convenience. Bread and chips go on my handlebar with looong Salsa barends.
Claarly a bike transportation rookie though...impressed alreayd by a handy 15lb bag of dog food? My weekly groceries must be over double that. Thanks to our pioneers for rear racks. My silly-small townie has a plastic crate tied on one. Slip in the grocery bag, handfree convenience. Bread and chips go on my handlebar with looong Salsa barends.
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Nice. I love it when I ride into work when there is a dusting of snow on the ground...stop at the grocery store for food one way in - and half a dozen people stop to ask me how far I have to ride to get to work. I can't get rid of my car, but the 'ol Saab only has 2300 miles on her so far this year. Hey! It's a start!
Great read, thanks Bob.
Great read, thanks Bob.
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Great read. Folks around here are a little more accustomed to seeing people click-clacking around in their lycra than wherever that guy lives, but I still throw on a comfy pair of Kuhl baggies for my commute home.Bigwheel said:
I calculated the other day I've saved putting 10,000 miles on my car over the last 2 1/2 years that I've been riding home from work. That's saved about $1,250 alone in gas, not to mention wear and tear, and depreciation, on my car. Unfortunately due to my 4am commute in, I only get to ride home, so that's only 5,000 miles of saddle time (I get a lift to work in the morning from a neighbor).
Next step is getting either a Burley kid trailer or Bob Yak for hauling the groceries.
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good read till the end.... but i guess it is a realistic story; and at least he gave it a shot. more than most will ever do.
sh!t i have two cars (luckily i have a good location which lets me ride to work and back daily) but on weekends i wouldn't get out much without them.
sh!t i have two cars (luckily i have a good location which lets me ride to work and back daily) but on weekends i wouldn't get out much without them.
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I was disappointed in the article myself. The writers conclusion that $2.50/ gal of gas was a better deal than riding a bike seemed shallow.
There are alternatives for commuting on bicycles that allow for more carrying capacity, that while they use some outisde energy source, they are way more energy/environmentally friendly than starting up the car. One option can be found here: http://www.greenspeed.us/electric_moto-bob.htm
It is my goal to live somewhere that I can use my bike year round as a major means of transportation. I pretty much did here in CB when we lived in town, but it is not a realistic option for me living in the suburbs.
There are alternatives for commuting on bicycles that allow for more carrying capacity, that while they use some outisde energy source, they are way more energy/environmentally friendly than starting up the car. One option can be found here: http://www.greenspeed.us/electric_moto-bob.htm
It is my goal to live somewhere that I can use my bike year round as a major means of transportation. I pretty much did here in CB when we lived in town, but it is not a realistic option for me living in the suburbs.
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During the milder seasons I commute 2-3 days per week. Losing an hour's sleep in the AM is kind of a drag, but worth an extra couple of hours of ride time. Once the snow flies though, I'm pretty much done with biking to work, too many people just don't have a clue about driving in compromised traction conditions... In my neck of the woods we're just starting to connect various lengths of abandoned railbed into trail networks. There is still a long way to go, but I wonder what the impact of an extensive, connected trail system would have on the number of commuters. Blue sky-ing here, but I would put on my wish list a covered path that could be ridden year round (given a complete trail system already extant).
Enjoy it while it lasts I guess, have you every heard of Kenneth Deffeyes...MTBNate said:I don't know about you all, but gas in my area is $1.84/gal.
Just because you can consume a limited resource cheaply doesn't mean that you should do so, especially without recognizing the repercussions.
LP
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Totally off topic, I wonder when/if diesel gas will become more popular in the US. I have a friend who got a Jetta wagon TDI and drove to her folks house one one tank of gas 700 miles away for $35 (Diesel is currently 2.60/gal here.)
Even if diesel ever crept up to $4.00 a gallon the fuel efficient diesels still are ahead at the end of the year in the fuel bill department.
Even if diesel ever crept up to $4.00 a gallon the fuel efficient diesels still are ahead at the end of the year in the fuel bill department.
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I don't think that you are off topic Brett. What articles like the diary are supposed to be about are AWARENESS. I agree with Lanpope here. Just because you can get something cheap, it is always better to think about the repercussions. Whether it is fuel, food or clothing etc. and of course bikes....2melow said:
There is no creeping up to $4/gal for diesel here in the Butte, it is down some now but when I filled up my boomtruck once a month or so ago it was almost that. It is part of my cost to do business, but when it is twice what it was a year ago it starts to make you wonder what you can do to just say no........
Diesel technology has been proven in Europe for years. Luckily companies like VW and Mercedes/Chrysler are getting that technology into the states. We looked at getting a TDI wagon, but opted for the gas model which gets marginally less mileage, cost less and is easier to deal with in the winter climate we live in. Of course there is the hybrid technology now available but the battery cost to replace out of warranty scares me personally.
Now this is off topic, how about insurance? I was paying almost 18 grand a year for liability insurance for my business after 5 years starting out a 8 grand a year. No claims, no late payments. Last year there was a mixup at the accountant/bank and a payment was late, they sent back my check and dropped me like a hot rock which left me scrambling to get other insurance. At which point I found out that there were other options available to me and substantially cheaper to boot. Do I ever think that if I need assistance from my new company that I will get it easily? Not a chance. Then this week we got a letter from Blue Cross that said our quarterly premium is going up $100. No claims, (with a $2k deductible we don't get much chance to use it) and a long history with them. It has sent me off looking for another option. Hopefully cheaper but I am not counting on it much.
So by the time it is all said and done, there is no free lunch, and there never has been. But at some point you become "mad as hell and not going to take it anymore" which if we could fuse that energy into a peaceful, cohesive movement here in the states change could occur. This is right up there with the dream of covered bike paths however
If we consider the environmental impact as well as the financial impact of burning fuel, diesel is not the answer. More particulate matter and NOx emissions than gasoline (even considering the higher MPG of diesel).2melow said:
The problem is not merely pecuniary...but luckily bike commuting addresses all aspects of the personal transportation issue pretty well IMO.
LP
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Relying on petroleum for personal transportation given the inefficiencies of even the best of today's automobiles is irresponsible at the very least. Unfortunately, here in the US the infrastructure has gone down that road so far that some really have no other choice. When you consider the materials, medicines, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, etc., that we rely on to feed, clothe, house, and keep ourselves healthy with, you'd think we'd find a better way to get around than using up all that liquid gold. The numbers regarding the role of petroleum just in the agricultural business are chilling. For me, contemplating the future has become a very scary pastime.lanpope said:
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Yeah, part of me is actually sorry to see the prices come down. The sad fact seems to be that nobody is going to pull their head out of their asses until cost demands it of them.
I usually average around 5,000 miles per year on my car and, oddly enough, most of those miles comes from my drives to the trailheads of my favorite bike trails. Aside from the infrequent acception, I commute to work every day all year. It's actually faster than driving for me thanks to the traffic and the parking situation. I think where the writer of that article went wrong was with his 100% exclusive bike switch. Unless you live downtown and are content to stay there, most people are going to need a car occasionally. Still, it was an entertaining read.
I usually average around 5,000 miles per year on my car and, oddly enough, most of those miles comes from my drives to the trailheads of my favorite bike trails. Aside from the infrequent acception, I commute to work every day all year. It's actually faster than driving for me thanks to the traffic and the parking situation. I think where the writer of that article went wrong was with his 100% exclusive bike switch. Unless you live downtown and are content to stay there, most people are going to need a car occasionally. Still, it was an entertaining read.
I'm in the same boat. I have driven my toyota about 1500 miles since the beginning of May. Mostly to trail heads, or to haul something too big for my xtra-cycle, and on one big out of town trip to visit some friends on the other side of the state. I can't help but think that I had better enjoy those distant trials while I can before it all hits the fan.Lucky 7 said:
The sad part is that I love my little truck, and I actually really like to drive it. But hey, I try to keep it pretty much to a minimum. Every little bit helps right?
My wife still drives everyday and probably only about 10% of our trips together are by bike, but she is really coming around. I've learned that its better not to push her too much. I think she is actually starting to enjoy riding to the local chinese food place or the book store. She has even commuted to work by bike a few times...
LP
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