bicycle culture

[mimitabby]

of course most of us were born and raised in automobile culture. Go to the store; get the car. Go to grandma's house, get in the car. Go to work, get in the car.

We have to try to convert these impulses to include bikes whenever possible.

During the summer, the days here are long enough that i can ride in the day light to and from my work. But now it is quite dark, and i really really don't feel safe IN THE DARK especially if it's raining. (it's not raining yet, but it will)
So now if i want to continue to amass miles on my bike, i have to find other things to do during the week.

So the other day, it rained but i needed to go to the library 4 miles each way to pick up a book. I took my bike. It took a lot longer than driving but it was less frustrating and more exciting.

Last night we wanted to buy tickets to a dinner theater downtown. If you buy them on line they cost $7.50 more per ticket, so I decided I'd drive down there and pick them up.
I told the DH this and he said, wait for me to get home, we'll go together.
You guessed it. We rode our bikes down there. The weather got more forbidding, so for most of the 8 mile ride home, we rode the bus, but this was a lot more fun than driving in and out of downtown during rush hour traffic.
all in all a fun date.
I tell you all this, because we're all on the same page, trying to live a healthier fuller life with our bikes.
Mimi

[Kalidurga]

I have to applaud you, Mimi. All summer, I kept thinking the same thing about trips to the post office, pharmacy/grocery, etc. Heck, one of the LBS's I use is only 2 miles from my home! I should be able to hop on the bike with a backpack and go, but instead I pick up the car keys.

Unfortunately, I am by nature a sloth :o For some reason, I can't get myself into the habit of using the bike for anything beyond "excursion" riding, when I load it up on the car and go somewhere to ride it.

This year's goal was to increase my riding distance. Next year's goal: Get off the trail and get comortable with road-riding, with the side-goal of using the bike for errands and such. Reading posts like yours, Mimi, should help quite a bit in achieving that.

[Bike Goddess]

Mimitabby- You all up there in the greater Northwest are seasoned cyclists! Rain...what the heck, ride anyway. Yes, it's wet, but as you say, an adventure awaits each ride!

Of course, most of the time rain in the NW means the "drip". Never terribly hard, just wet! I used to run the entire winter when I lived in Bellevue, and, Vancouver WA.

I wish it were easier for us down here in California(SF Bay Area) to also ride when it rains. However, because it is warmer in the winter, when it rains here it usually POURS!!!!!!! We get these storms called the Hawaiian Express. When these big storms come in, we get 30mph winds and lots of water! No fun being outside!

I live in a small town that is surrounded by hills. The only flat part is the main street (exactly one mile long). Although riding in the rain is doable and I certainly have been caught in many a storm, it's not much fun and can be quite dangerous. Our local bike club has a "rain cancels" note on winter rides because of this.

[Eden]

sigh - I just wish people wouldn't steal bikes. If I have a short trip to make I usually walk, just because by the time I get the bike out, go to the place I want to, lock it up, get what I need, unlock the bike, put the bike back in the basement I could have already walked there and been back. If I felt OK leaving even a beater bike out I might do more short bike trips. Even so I do usually walk. If it won't take me over 1/2 hour to get there generally I walk. If walking would take too long I bike, driving I usually reserve for very long trips or errands that I have a very limited time span for. (or for taking the cat to the vet - I'm not nearly so brave as UK Elephant to try to strap the cat to my back! ;) )

[Python]

I'm not nearly so brave as UK Elephant to try to strap the cat to my back! ;) )

I'm trying to persuade hubby that he really, really needs to get me a Siamese kitten. I thought I could train it to ride on the bike with me too...:o

He says we've got enough pets at the moment:(

[Triskeliongirl]

Its not too dark yet here to commute both ways, but when the clocks change and the days get shorter, either I'll bike in and then hitch a ride home with hubby, or if I need to take the car for some reason he'll ride in and hitch a ride home with me. If we both need to go by car we'll carpool. 1/2 a workout is better than none, and we have a gym at work so if we are commuting less by bike we'll spend more time in the gym. Our climate is mild, so club rides go throughout the year. Usually arm and leg warmers and a wind vest are the most we need, occasionally long fingered gloves, ear covers, and a windbreaker if its very cold or windy out.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

For the past 3 months (since I started riding) my DH and I have been doing ALL our errands into town on bikes. Only drive when it's raining. I can't beleive how little I've been using my car the last 3 months. (we work at home)
The ride into town is only one mile to 2 miles roundtrip depending on where we are headed... but with a BIG hill coming back home.
Every time we have to go to the bank, the PO, the grocery for a couple of items, the drugstore....one of us just takes a bike now. DH has a nice basket on his hybrid, and I have a backpack I like for biking when I need to stash things. Wish we could do it all through winter coming up! But will have to quit when the roads get slushy or icey.

[Bikingmomof3]

I would very much like to do all our errands by bike, unfortunately I live in the most bike unfriendly town I have ever seen. I would be quite literally taking my life into my hands going to the grocery store. I am not that confident of a biker to brave those heavily congested roads with no shoulder and no sidewalk. However, I do walk for light grocery trips or trips to the library.

[Kitsune06]

Right on, Mimi.

On principle, unless it's totally unavoidable, I use my bike for errands, etc. Work is a lot more difficult, but when I start on a M-F 7-4 or 8-5 job, I'll definately be taking miz Cakes with me.

If we want to make a real change, we need to start at home. Our kids need to grow up knowing that bikes aren't just for playing- they're a real, valuable form of transportation. I don't want my child to grow up the way I did, looking at someone who bikes more than a mile to get somewhere as 'crazy' until I learned better.

I *so* want that xtracycle, though...

We can only get so far by telling folks around us...

This all goes hand in hand with the 'Meal Portions' gripe thread. The more 'convenience' we can leave behind, I think the better off we are.

Oh- one more thing.

DGF who works for GM wanted me to point out (lest she have to take calls on peoples' cars 'breaking' after months of non-use):
If you're seriously biking around and not using your car, take it out and drive it (or just run it, but driving is better) for close to an hour once/month. This'll help heat the engine and exhaust pipes etc and 'burn' out the condensation, etc, that would otherwise rust and start breaking down seals, etc. Cars suffer more from non-use than over-use.

Public service announcement over. :D

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

If you're seriously biking around and not using your car, take it out and drive it (or just run it, but driving is better) for close to an hour once/month. This'll help heat the engine and exhaust pipes etc and 'burn' out the condensation, etc, that would otherwise rust and start breaking down seals, etc. Cars suffer more from non-use than over-use.

Public service announcement over. :D

Ok....Next month I think we'll have to drive about 8 hours round trip over to the Boston area to pick up DH's NEW BIKE!! :D

[Geonz]

I've gotten to that p;oint with my car. I used to be a sloth. It was a slow process. It's only gone 300 miles or so since July, since that was when I last filled it up.

One strategy is to find a map and draw a circle with a 1- or 2-mile radius, and find the trips in that circle and pick at least one to start turning over to the bicycle. Another is to have a "car free day" first Sunday of the month. http://www.car-lite.org/
http://www.friendsjournal.org/contents/2002/09september/feature2.html

I stumbled onto this site about the time I got the Xtracycle and it quietly inspired me, though it's got a religion and politics in it:http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=news.display_article&mode=C&NewsID=5266&cookies_enabled=false

We had a meeting last Thursday of some people who want to make things better for cycling, and we met with a lady who'd been part of a successful grass-roots movement to pass a smoke-free ordinance here. She talked about strategies and efforts to, essentially, change the culture by modifying people's defiition of "normal." Most people aren't going to *challenge* "normal" - but those people may just be susceptible to being convinced by what they see and heare that it's something different than they thought, and they won't challenge that either.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Sue,
I really liked that FriendsJournal biking/walking article! We have a large Quaker center near us here, where I used to go on occasion when I was a teen. They helped my family through a crisis way back then, even though they didn't even know us. Though I'm not a Quaker myself, I just finished voluntarily helping them design a billboard promoting peace. Good people, with good sense.

[Kitsune06]

Geonz,
I really liked that article, too. I tend to be leery of organized religion in general, but Quakers are among those I can sincerely respect (generally anyone who can count as a conscientious objectioner in terms of war) and that article was very thoughtful and made a lot of sense.

I only wish I lived closer to town. Everyone talks about 1-2 mile rides to get groceries etc... is that round trip? It's 3 miles to my nearest store (one way) so that makes it hard for me to really *want* to get up and go, but I do... (better than driving) maybe... someday... I'll find somewhere to live on a real road... ;)

[KnottedYet]

Kit - add Unitarians to your list of non-leery organized religeons.

We're pretty cool. Check us out. www.uua.org

Our church has a women's triathlon team, and the team has been working on getting more awareness of the biking option for churchgoers.

Like pointing out that we DO have a bike rack next to the building. We have no dress code, so I could even wear my bike skort to service if I wanted.

One of our ministers posted info about the Cascade bike club's $10 helmets sale. Now I'm starting to think of other ways I could push the biking lifestyle next spring (good weather brings out the bikers).

[Kitsune06]

Knot- they were already on my list. :D
But I'm not going to go into the 'who's on my list and who isn't' because I'd start offending people, and really, there are a lot of people in faiths not on my list (or on that other list) who are really, really great people. *shrug*

[Cassandra_Cain]

Mimi - thanks for sharing your anecdote and well done. Especially for making the extra effort to ride your bike when you could have easily driven.

Ironically, I've seen both ends of it....car culture vs. a much stronger bike culture. Then I didn't come to the US till I was 11, so that's the reason behind it.

Talking about this makes me miss the "Rocket" and good restaurants in Toronto...;)

[BeeLady]

I'm doing more and more errands on my bike. The more fit I am becoming the easier it is to ride my bike even if I have to take a longer route to avoid the heaviest traffic.

A lot of little details had to come together to make the transition easier: riding skort/skirts and riding shoes with recessed cleats so I can wear comfortable for-cycling clothes to ride in and still feel comfortable in the store/bank/library; panniers so I can just have my groceries bagged straight into them; good lights for nite riding and a bracket to hold me cable lock so its not a hassle getting to it.

Recently added a VERY lightweight German-made mirror that really works well.

I want to help change the culture where I am -- thanks for the links and we can all do our bit. Part of it for me is also having biking appear "normal" and do-able -- I guess the word I'm searching for is actually "conservative" rather than bicyle culture appearing like some left-wing liberal Al Gore plot (I'm in a very blue state, folks!).

[Trek420]

BeeLady "I want to help change the culture where I am -- thanks for the links and we can all do our bit. Part of it for me is also having biking appear "normal" and do-able -- I guess the word I'm searching for is actually "conservative" rather than bicyle culture appearing like some left-wing liberal Al Gore plot (I'm in a very blue state, folks!)."

Disclosure: I'm unapologeticly progressive, radical to most, in a Blue State and a Dike on a Byke to boot but I know what you mean. Bike culture here must look different from most other countries and probably must look different to succeed.

I'm not a sociologist, maybe my sis who's on the board and is one will weigh in on this. I feel the predominant car culture seems tied up with not just 'the freedom of the open road" but also with how we feel about strength, atheticism, power and ultimately masculinity.

Isn't it silly when a truck pulls up along side you and revs it's engine?

But when they puposefully spew smoke, noise and buzz you as they pass?

Or yell at you and or throw things?

I've been called a "f*ggot" by drivers while riding more than any other situation place and time in my life. In case you're wondering I'm not obvious from any viewpoint still or moving much less from a bike. But in this Bluest Spot in the Bluest of Blue States (uh, moron drivers, get the gender right at least :p )

When I can discern what they yell....thats it!

Our TE guys endure this and more because a man is simply not a man in lycra, right?

We can't be athletes, athletes do one of 3 (and only three) sports which have balls in them. Athlete jerseys have numbers on them. We're not athletes.

It's not transportation, they see it as lack of transportaion. Not a positive thing being "car free" or strong and transporting ourselves by our own muscles, they see it as "we are car'less"

It's about power, who has it, who doesn't I think. Well.....off to watch football. :o

And as if to prove my point oh look, there's the Dodge Caliper advert. ;-)

[BeeLady]

Trek - I get it!

I think the REAL culture is big money behind the oil biz and the road contracts. Social changes seem like they're easier when a lot of rich folks don't have their billions on the line.

I'm a sweet lil ol' housewife, on the boards for charities (or was til I saw how meaningless much of that was) and generally a reformed hippie who married well and was propelled into the conservative thing.

My liberal/radical side is again showing itself now that my son is away at school and I no longer have to role model "fitting in."

Having been on both sides (so I like to think), making cycling a smoother fit with the Blue State way of thinking will help gain cycling more acceptance more quickly. Cycling is morally superior to air pollution, green house gases, depence on foreign oil, etc. and any thinking person has to see that. The easier we make it for people to change, the better.

[Trek420]

Many don't give a hoot about global warming, could care less about energy independence or *any* issue but they ask me "you're 50!!:eek: I don't believe it :eek: "

"It's the bike (that and I chose good parents, genetics)" I say.

People will do stuff that makes them look/feel better.

Heh, whatever works. :rolleyes:

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

There are some good chapters in the book The Art of Urban Cycling which discuss how America came to be a nation of automobile worshippers, and how the cities, housing developments, and roads evolved over the decades to be purposely designed in such a way as to actively discourage any transportaion method other than cars and trucks. It was no accident. There was Big Corporate Money involved in making this design plan become a reality. It also discusses why people in cars feel more "anonymous" and feel they can be way more aggressive than people face to face. They are almost completely insulated and feel devoid of accountability for their actions.

There are bigots, racists, chauvenists, aggressive motorists, and just plain stupid people everywhere. Nothing will ever completely change that fact. The more bikers of all kinds speak out, stand up for themselves and each other, organize, and demand their rights as citizens, the more Stupid People will realize that bullying will not make the people they dislike "go away" and in fact may get them into serious trouble.

[mimitabby]

All i know is that in most cities, they can only widen the roads so much and the number (and size of) cars keeps growing. this means worse traffic, and THAT means, more of us are going to just realize that it's actually easier to get from point A to point B on a bicycle.

Since the pResident of the USA is a bicyclist, you'd THINK that would help our cause, he even rode with Lance!! but unfortunately, that does not translate down to us on the streets competing with more and more cars, bigger and bigger cars, and worse and worse streets.

[KnottedYet]

I just want to ride my bike whenever and however I want, eat nice food, breathe clean air, say "hi" to people I encounter, and get happily l@id on a regular basis.

My bike can get me most of that, but for all of that I need other folks to participate.

Bike culture has a place with car culture, and it all comes under the Golden Rule. Unfortunately, we live in a culture of empire (with all that entails) not a culture of Golden Rule.

I've come to the somewhat disheartening conclusion that the best i can do is follow the old cliche and "be the change you want to see in the world."

I get an inordinate amount of pleasure from having some pedestrian smile and wave when I holler out "Good morning!" on my commute to work. Or having a driver do the same thing when I wave and shout "Thank you" to the car who gave me the right-of-way (even though I legally had it anyway). Just change-mongering my way through my day.

[Trek420]

mimitabby ...."the number (and size of) cars keeps growing...."

and cars are bigger because people are bigger because we are sedentary and so on it goes ...

"Since the pResident of the USA is a bicycling, you'd THINK that would help our cause, he even rode with Lance!! but unfortunately, that does not translate down to us on the streets competing with more and more cars, bigger and bigger cars, and worse and worse streets."

I'm noooooo fan of the pResident one thing that he did, well two things:

the donotcall list is a good idea and...

he put some real teeth and money into ICETEA (is that the acronymn?) and targeted it to transportation and urban use.

I'm glad he rides! If you're a fan of the President you're glad he rides, he is one of the healthiest Presidents ever....if you're not then hey, the more he rides the less work he gets done.

Tailwinds, Pres, ride like the wind, ride long, ride hard, it's all good.

Sometimes it's a statement; pedal power vs. oil power, building community vs. sprawl, nice food vs. junk, get happily l@id on a regular basis vs....oops wrong bulletin board sorry, how'd that get there.

Mostly while I feel strongly about those things I ride just to ..... uhm ride.

It's fun, makes me feel good, helps me to deal with my sucky job just to see my bike shoes below my desk.

But most of us here would ride anyway. With few bike lanes we seek them out. find the routes and share them with others and advocate to improve the routes, with few bikes that fit women we find the ones that do, we figure out how to ride to work and still look fabulous with helmet hair.

There's lots of folks who would like to ride in theory but can't/won't deal with the obstacles.

Make it easier for them and we'll see a difference.

[Kitsune06]

I dunno, Trek, with more and more big business leaning on vehicles that run on the blood of dead iraqis, more warmongering and ultimately still more oil consumption, this entire administration is subtly nudging more and more people to become one with Bike Culture.

MWBR... the pendulum is still swinging...

[mimitabby]

this entire administration is subtly nudging more and more people to become one with Bike Culture.

MWBR... the pendulum is still swinging...

one would hope~!

yes, i wish the pResident and all of his men would all get on bikes and go into the hills and not come back.
GREAT idea!

[Trek420]

I don't think our Veep would make it up a hill. :cool:

Maybe if world leaders got together on this bike they'd be more peaceful:

http://www.conferencebike.com/web.mov

[bikewriter]

Hi! New to the forum and so glad I found you all!

Lisa S.H. ...There are some good chapters in the book The Art of Urban Cycling which discuss how America came to be a nation of automobile worshippers...

I recently started Asphalt Nation which takes a more in depth look at how the car took over the road (and how we can reclaim it). I also recommend How To Live Well Without Owning A Car which really helped me make the decision to go car-lite (and eventually - fingers crossed - car-free) through a combo of cycling and bus riding. The book has a Car Cost Calculator (http://www.practicalzen.com/car_cost_calculator.html) that my bf put online that lets you calculate how much your car costs you (or conversely, how much you can save by relying on your bike for transportation!).

[mimitabby]

Hi! New to the forum and so glad I found you all!

Lisa S.H. ...There are some good chapters in the book The Art of Urban Cycling which discuss how America came to be a nation of automobile worshippers...

I recently started Asphalt Nation which takes a more in depth look at how the car took over the road (and how we can reclaim it). I also recommend How To Live Well Without Owning A Car which really helped me make the decision to go car-lite (and eventually - fingers crossed - car-free) through a combo of cycling and bus riding. The book has a Car Cost Calculator (http://www.practicalzen.com/car_cost_calculator.html) that my bf put online that lets you calculate how much your car costs you (or conversely, how much you can save by relying on your bike for transportation!).
Welcome to the forum! we have a spot for you to tell us about yourself!
"getting to know you" please do stop there and tell us. I am most curious about your "nome di plume" so to speak.

[pooks]

What a wonderful thread.

I'm a bit of the backward chick here, because I became truly motivated by reading a friend's blog (http://nobody-knows-anything.com/) and being inspired by her desire to ride more for environmental reasons (she has an xtracycle, too) and by her bloglist, where I found many of the bike blogs I read regularly now, including Oil is for Sissies (http://blog.lib.umn.edu/thil0020/carfreelife/) and Minus Car (http://minuscar.blogspot.com/).

So when I got my bike (for health reasons) and was so horribly out of shape, I found it easier to motivate myself to go on short trips to the post office, etc. than to simply get out in the heat and ride for the sake of riding. Thus I've accumulated a fairly nice number of "green miles" but no ride longer than 11 miles!

I just figured out a new 6 or 7 mile ride for me that goes largely on good streets that get very little traffic during the day (unless it's rush hour or time for school carpools) but haven't quite motivated myself to try it. Instead I've done a few 2-mile loops in the immediate 'hood. But now that the weather is FINALLY more pleasant I hope to get back into riding the way I did in July and August -- where I'm on and off my bike two or three times a day. At least once to just get some miles done, and then for errands as needed.

I did make it a point to ride to Starbucks, to the grocery store (and took my bike in to pick up my prescription), through the bike drive-through, and into the doc's office to schedule an appointment. Each little challenge was fun.

So thanks for this thread. I needed it to goose me a little. I've been too distracted lately to be as motivated.

Oh yeah -- Geonz -- I have already linked to the sojourner's entry because I saw it on your blog, and now I'll add the friends one. Thanks!

[JmcG]

I too try to do a lot errands and go places on a bike. In this area, where there's always traffic, it's so refreshing to ride a bike everywhere, especially when you're moving faster than the cars. We live a mile from the grocery store, and will ride over on our bikes if we're not buying too many groceries. It's actually so much easier to ride to the grocery store than driving and I don't think it takes any longer. On a Friday afternoon, driving can take longer!

We also like to go house hunting on our bikes and explore new neighborhoods. This past Sunday we rode to a new neighborhood that we just discovered while riding on Saturday - and went to all the open houses in the neighborhood. This area is really nice for biking b/c between all the bike trails and area roads, it's really pretty easy to get around on a bike. I love using my bike as a main mode of transportation - it's somehow freeing to the spirit. When I commute to work, it takes about an hour, where driving only takes 15-20 minutes, but I'm in such a better mood after riding than driving, even though the drive is much quicker.

[cherinyc]

All i know is that in most cities, they can only widen the roads so much and the number (and size of) cars keeps growing. this means worse traffic, and THAT means, more of us are going to just realize that it's actually easier to get from point A to point B on a bicycle.


Reading this thread makes me very sad - mostly b/c of the above statement. The roads are getting worse, the cars are bigger, and contrary to what you said mimi - it's making it MORE difficult to travel on my bike. Actually the correct word would be dangerous.

I too have my LBS shop and a grocery store under 5 miles from my house, however, in order to get there I have to travel on a very high speed type highway (3 lanes accross - each side) go through a 4 way intersection as well as a famous NJ jug handle. AND - in an area where there is always lots of traffic. I've really come close to trying it - on the hopes that all the crazy drivers will be civilized - and not be on their cell phones, or eating a sandwich, etc....but I really feel like it's gambling with my safety. (and I'm a pretty big risk taker, trust me)

People here will turn a road's shoulder into a full out lane, if it means getting in front of 2 more cars (and they'll do it going 60 mph).
Gosh - I can't wait to leave NJ.

[mimitabby]

Reading this thread makes me very sad - mostly b/c of the above statement. The roads are getting worse, the cars are bigger, and contrary to what you said mimi - it's making it MORE difficult to travel on my bike. Actually the correct word would be dangerous.

I too have my LBS shop and a grocery store under 5 miles from my house, however, in order to get there I have to travel on a very high speed type highway (3 lanes accross - each side) go through a 4 way intersection as well as a famous NJ jug handle. AND - in an area where there is always lots of traffic. I've really come close to trying it - on the hopes that all the crazy drivers will be civilized - and not be on their cell phones, or eating a sandwich, etc....but I really feel like it's gambling with my safety. (and I'm a pretty big risk taker, trust me)

People here will turn a road's shoulder into a full out lane, if it means getting in front of 2 more cars (and they'll do it going 60 mph).
Gosh - I can't wait to leave NJ.

Well, it's not bad enough yet there Cheri. when the cars are in gridlock, you will discover they are very easy to get around!
:)
aren't there any lights that you can cross against? I do remember crossing highways in NJ IN A CAR and it was already quite an adventure in 1970!

[xeney]

One of the reasons that my husband and I will never have any money is that we make living in a cycling/walking friendly area a priority. Actually, it's not the reason we will never have any money; it's just the reason that we live in an old house that isn't really big enough for us. But neither of us is willing to commute by car, which limits his job options and pretty much keeps him in the public sector instead of out there making a kajillion dollars and buying me $5,000 bikes. My office is probably going to move in the next four years, and that means I will be looking for a new job or going into private practice. I am just not willing, as long as I have any choice at all, to get in a car and drive every day.

I get a lot of "you guys are so lucky!" from coworkers and relatives, but that irritates me a little. We bought our house when prices were really cheap in this area, but the neighborhood was also a little crappy. We were just very committed to living here. Many of my coworkers used to live in this area, but as they made more money and started families, they moved to the nicer suburbs, and now they spend two hours every day in their cars. Choices.

When I was a kid my parents chose to move to the country, to an area where it was seven miles to the grocery store (but my mother usually drove fifty miles to buy her groceries at the Air Force commissary instead, because it was cheaper) and forty miles to my dad's job. The reason I never rode a bike as a kid is that we weren't allowed to ride on the roads because of all the drunk farm kids and the huge semis on our roads. If my parents couldn't drive us somewhere, we were stuck at home.

When I grew up and moved to the city (first Los Angeles, then Davis and eventually to Sacramento), I learned very quickly what I wanted out of my adult life: I wanted to be able to walk to the grocery store and to restaurants and theaters, and most of all to my job. I have commuted on foot or by bike since 1992 and I don't intend for that to change. When we were buying a house, we didn't look at a single house that was not walking or biking distance to my job and to the area where my husband is likely to work for most of his career.

We occasionally talk about moving out of state, but this is always the priority: we have to be able to do almost everything we need to do by walking or by biking. Period. Life is too short to spend it stuck in traffic.

[mimitabby]

Xeney,
great post. Yes, it is all about choices. I too, live in a small dumpy house in a working class neighborhood so that I can choose to spend my money AND TIME on things more important.
I have a 4 mile commute and have had that commute for almost 30 years now!

[cherinyc]

When I grew up and moved to the city (first Los Angeles, then Davis and eventually to Sacramento), I learned very quickly what I wanted out of my adult life: I wanted to be able to walk to the grocery store and to restaurants and theaters...

Xeney - I think you've helped me a great deal with what you've said above. I am getting ready for a move to Denver, CO - having lived on the East Coast my whole life. And when I tell people I am moving there, the first question I hear is "oh? are you moving for work?"
NO - I am not - I am moving for life. This is the first time I am moving somewhere - that I am NOT going for financial wealth, but for quality of life. To quote you above "I learned very quickly what I wanted out of my adult life". Well maybe not so quickly, but I have learned that I don't want to be in an area that is not health/life friendly. Nor do I hope to have a child someday, and raise them in an area that they can't be outside and active.
To each his own right? But I applaud you, and mimi, and the others - who have put material things (higher wages, bigger houses, etc) second to just being able to feel healthy and alive.
I am feeling very overwhelmed and emotional (slightly teary) about all this right now...that tells me I've just had a "EUREKA" moment. :D

[mimitabby]

Xeney - I think you've helped me a great deal with what you've said above. I am getting ready for a move to Denver, CO - having lived on the East Coast my whole life. And when I tell people I am moving there, the first question I hear is "oh? are you moving for work?"
NO - I am not - I am moving for life. This is the first time I am moving somewhere - that I am NOT going for financial wealth, but for quality of life. To quote you above "I learned very quickly what I wanted out of my adult life". Well maybe not so quickly, but I have learned that I don't want to be in an area that is not health/life friendly. Nor do I hope to have a child someday, and raise them in an area that they can't be outside and active.
To each his own right? But I applaud you, and mimi, and the others - who have put material things (higher wages, bigger houses, etc) second to just being able to feel healthy and alive.
I am feeling very overwhelmed and emotional (slightly teary) about all this right now...that tells me I've just had a "EUREKA" moment. :D


I left NJ in 1970. I would be lying if i said i had no regrets. It would have been nice to be near my grandparents for the rest of their lives, but on the other hand, I just had to get out of the ratrace. Seattle is a big highpowered city, but things are just so much more lowkey here (we invented grunge!)
Good luck.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

When my DH and I bought our house 3 1/2 years ago, at first we thought we wanted a nice secluded country place out in the sticks. But after thinking long and hard about it, we made a conscious decision to buy a smaller property IN TOWN purposely so that we would be able to walk or bike into town much of the time. We also anticipated a time when gasoline would be unobtainable. We did not want to have our life depend on our cars (we already work at home with our own business). We love being able to do our errands into town now on bike or by walking!

Take heart- cars are no longer getting bigger and bigger! GM and Ford are unable to sell us their monster vehicles anymore and going bankrupt- people ARE buying smaller cars (look how Toyota and Honda are expanding their plants every day to keep up with demand), and they ARE beginning to consolidate their trips. And people ARE buying more bikes and using them!

[pooks]

Recently added a VERY lightweight German-made mirror that really works well.
.

Tell me more? We bought mirrors that we thought would work but they were awful.

As for choices -- yes, we've been told we're "lucky" but we also have made financial sacrifices to be so lucky, and stayed in our house long after most of our friends upgraded, etc., etc., etc. It definitely is about choices, and hopefully we're all making the right ones. Probably the people who think I'm "lucky" wouldn't give up any of their lifestyle to share in my "luck," and I wouldn't take on their bills to have their lifestyle, so there ya are.

I did the post office ride today, went to Starbux, and suddenly decided to do the long, new ride I mentioned upthread. It was great. This is my favorite time of year, and it will only get better!

[Tuckervill]

I get a lot of "you guys are so lucky!" from coworkers and relatives, but that irritates me a little. We bought our house when prices were really cheap in this area, but the neighborhood was also a little crappy. We were just very committed to living here. Many of my coworkers used to live in this area, but as they made more money and started families, they moved to the nicer suburbs, and now they spend two hours every day in their cars. Choices.

:applause:

We, too, get that "you're so lucky" speech. Lucky my BUTT. We WORKED for what we have. What's so hard for them to realize is they think they're working hard for what THEY have, but they have their priorities all mixed up.

DH went in to a bank to talk about refinancing our house. The guy's face actually fell when he said we only needed to finance $100k. What? You can't buy a new house here for less than $250,000 (it's way worse in other parts of the country, I know). The bank guy was fully expecting us to be maxed out on our credit and the debt-to-value ratio on the house. No. We don't live that way. We gave up a lot of "amenities" so we could have an acre of land in a city (near a bike trail), and that's all we paid for it. We LOVE our neighborhood and we love that each house is different and unique, and we love our 110 yo Victorian with original windows that we picked up for less than HALF what people working two jobs get all starry-eyed over in the new subdivision up the street.

I guess my rant is over now, but I could go on and on. lol.

Karen

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Tell me more? We bought mirrors that we thought would work but they were awful.

I have to say here that when I first bought my little Third Eye helmet mirror, I found it hard to get used to. Seemed to block my field of vision, be annoying to constantly adjust, etc. My brother had told me of how he had bought a helmet mirror and discarded it after a day because it "blocked his vision". But because I wisely have a policy of NOT doing what my brother does (!), I gave my mirror more time because I figured it might simply take getting used to.
Other types of mirrors would not fit on my drop bars with bar-end shifters.

I'm really glad I stuck with it, because after about 2-3 weeks it became second nature to me, I didn't even notice it in my field of vision anymore, and adjusting it became quick and easy. I absolutely LOVE being able to glance at it and see the ENTIRE panorama in back of me- including all the road shoulders. Amazing how a little 1 inch round mirror can show you the entire world in back of you. I tend to glance at it automatically, just the way I do with my car rearview mirror, and at any given moment I do feel safer knowing what's going on traffic-wise all around me, and what's coming up the road 2 blocks behind me.

[Geonz]

I'm afraid I sometimes glance in the mirror... when I'm walking down the street, not wearing a helmet :eek: I'm so accustomed to it. I make a point of maintaining the habit of looking behind me so I don't cream myself if I'm wearing a differnet helmet.

[SandyLS]

I took the dog for a walk yesterday and caught myself trying to glance into my non-exsistant take-a-look eye glass mirror!:confused:

[BeeLady]

The mirror I bought was made in Germany and expensive, about $24, but weighs only a few ounces (or few grams). I just looked it up at Performance bikes on-line and it is the "Ultra-lite weight bike mirror'" and they have if for $19.

Very little distortion, quite adjustable and really a nice big view at about any speed. Fairly easy to move from bike to bike too, if you need to.

ps I am using this mirror with flat handle bars, no bar ends, and have no problem with it, contrary to one of the reviews at PB.

[Geonz]

Now *this* is bicycle culture:
(dancing with a tire pump)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1992127263006761549

[pooks]

For the past 3 months (since I started riding) my DH and I have been doing ALL our errands into town on bikes. Only drive when it's raining. I can't beleive how little I've been using my car the last 3 months. (we work at home)
The ride into town is only one mile to 2 miles roundtrip depending on where we are headed... but with a BIG hill coming back home.
Every time we have to go to the bank, the PO, the grocery for a couple of items, the drugstore....one of us just takes a bike now. DH has a nice basket on his hybrid, and I have a backpack I like for biking when I need to stash things.

I know you like to wear knickers sometimes when you're running errands -- what about your husband? Is he always in road shorts, or does he wear other stuff? There's a great little greasy spoon cafe where my husband and I love to eat breakfast on the weekends, and it's only 4 pretty easy miles away. I keep saying we should ride our bikes but he says no, he's not going inside wearing his cycling clothes; he'd feel like a dork. (Hmm, could it be because so many folks on Harleys show up there?)

So I was wondering what the guys do when they're running errands around town on bikes. I'm sure many of them don't mind, and my husband doesn't mind wearing them to cycle -- he prefers it. But not going inside stores and such.

[xeney]

We don't wear cycling clothes for any ride under about 15-20 miles. And if you have a way to carry it, you can always put a skort or capris or something on over your bike shorts before you go into the restaurant.

[Geonz]

Four miles - no need for special clothes. If I'm feeling disciplined enough to ride without working up a sweat I'll even just wrap a reflector strap around that right ankle and do my commute. If it's going to be over 40 miles without padding I just make a point to ease off the seat a lot.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I know you like to wear knickers sometimes when you're running errands -- what about your husband? Is he always in road shorts, or does he wear other stuff? There's a great little greasy spoon cafe where my husband and I love to eat breakfast on the weekends, and it's only 4 pretty easy miles away. I keep saying we should ride our bikes but he says no, he's not going inside wearing his cycling clothes; he'd feel like a dork. (Hmm, could it be because so many folks on Harleys show up there?)

So I was wondering what the guys do when they're running errands around town on bikes. I'm sure many of them don't mind, and my husband doesn't mind wearing them to cycle -- he prefers it. But not going inside stores and such.

Pooks, this is a good question.
Here are some thoughts on this subject:

First- I honestly think most people look really nice in their biking shorts. I've seen lots of photos of women on this list in their biking shorts who are very overweight and they all look really NICE to me. Way better than wearing some big silly mumu or white polyester WalMart pants. Black Spandex has a way of smoothing things out and of course black is a slimming color. And our beauty shines out from WITHIN us anyway. It's what we say and do that makes us beautiful.

Second- After wearing my spandex black capris/knickers all summer, whether biking or not, I just sort of got over feeling odd in public wearing that stuff. One of the benefits of passing 50 I guess. Most of this summer I wore some nice Terry Spinnaker capris that had a VERY thin chamois and could be worn when not biking too...so I did.
The truth is, I love my biking knickers and biking tights so much that I have a couple of them with no chamois that I like to just wear any old time now! You must understand that before I biked, I used to like wearing black leggings a lot anyway, with either long tops or short dresses over them. Now I've simply lost the feeling that I "need" to cover everything up around my hip area, big deal. let people sue me! THey all probably wish they were biking too.
....Mind you, I might feel odd if I were clattering around town in cleat shoes and a screaming Lucky Charms jersey! :eek: (but I would DO it if I wanted to!) I don't much like wild patterned bike jerseys though, so I wear thin wool base layer tops that just look like nice regular turtlenecks or hoodies, or soft longsleeve crewneck shirts on top, and I wear regular Merrill running shoes to bike in. So I don't look "too" wacky when I walk around in my biking tights or capris. We both work at home so I don't have to dress for office environment, but this would all apply for weekends to other folks, I suppose.

Third- I am lucky to have a husband who is very laid back about appearances and dress. He seems to love most anything I wear. Like me, he likes to wear good PLAIN tops in wicking material or thin wool, and he wears some nice plain black or brown sneakers for biking. He likes understated clothes for himself, and he looks damned good in them. Right now he is biking in longsleeve SmartWool crewneck polos in solid colors. He wears PI black biking shorts in either spandex or Woolistic brand merino wool blend biking shorts.
When it's cold he pulls on a pair of non-baggy fuzzy polarfleece sweatpants over his shorts. When he does that, he looks like he's dressed "normally".

But all summer of course, we were biking in tank tops or t-shirts, sneakers, and our spandex shorts and knickers. That is how we dress when we go for breakfast in town on Sat & Sunday mornings on our bikes. We have breakfast in our favorite little small town cafe before continuing off on our ride, whether short or long. Everyone else is in shorts too, so what's the difference? There are plenty of "normal" people odder looking than us in town. We look good compared to some!
I happen to think my husband looks INCREDIBLEY HANDSOME and ATTRACTIVE in his biking shorts. It's all I can DO to behave myself over breakfast.
But in general, I think both men and women of ALL sizes and shapes look WONDERFUL in their biking clothes! We should ALL wear biking clothes ALL the time!!! :eek: :D I practically do already anyway nowadays.

Probably blabbered on way long enough now... :)

[KnottedYet]

Don't let him be intimidated by the Harley riders.

Remember: "Leather or lycra, we both wear black."

[hellosunshine]

several years ago we had a GOLD BIKE SCHEME in town,council sprayed bikes gold,left them in special bike parks,the idea the general public could borrow one,and return it to any of these bike parks.


well,lo n behold they were are nicked!aint rocket science is it!!!!plonkers.

[Bad JuJu]

Occasionally, my neighbor and I ride our bikes to a little local place for breakfast--it's only a few miles, but then we always want to ride home the long way. We both have Terry skorts, so we usually wear those, mostly for the fun of it. But if I didn't have the skort, I'd have no trouble going into the restaurant--well, it's just a little cafe, really--in bike shorts. I'm pretty short, so my tops usually cover my-ahem-rear assets, but even if they didn't, I kinda feel like Lisa--black lycra smooths out a lot of lumps and bumps and the black is slimming. Besides, I'm old enough to feel like if people don't like what they see, they don't have to look.

But I'm thrilled that it's getting cool enough to wear knickers here for cycling--I just love my knickers, and in fact just got a new pair by Shebeest. Might try a pair of the spinnakers from Terry--they look so cute, with the slit in the hem. And I'm thinking they'd be nice for spinning class, when I also want to do a little strength workout before class.

[Mimosa]

That's why most people over here have a town bike (http://www.gazelle.nl/nl/imagebank/fietsen/2007_esprit_d_azure_popup.jpg) for doing simple trips (to the shopping centre, going to school, going to a friend, just getting some fresh air, you name it). You don't have to dressup, just your normal clothing will do. But then we don't have any hills in this country :p. It's easy to go everywhere when it is flat and there are paved cyclepaths everywhere.

[KnottedYet]

several years ago we had a GOLD BIKE SCHEME in town,council sprayed bikes gold,left them in special bike parks,the idea the general public could borrow one,and return it to any of these bike parks.


well,lo n behold they were are nicked!aint rocket science is it!!!!plonkers.

Gold bike!?!? Flossie, RUN!!

(my bike is gold)

[pooks]

Thanks for all the answers! I don't worry about my road shorts (maybe I should, ahem) but he never wears shorts of any kind so he's more self-conscious about it. I never knew why until recently -- one of his friends in high school was a football player with huge muscled thighs, and my husband had what he considered to be "skinny" legs and so was self-conscious. He actually has beautifully shaped legs - but old baggage is hard to discard, sometimes!

It's so cool this morning I think I'll wear my jeans to Starbucks.

Oh yeah, re: the gold bike scheme. Great idea! Well, except for the "people steal bikes" part!

[cherinyc]

For me, it's not the leg part of the bike shorts that I am selfconscious about, it's the way the chamois part lays in the buttocks area. If my butt in the shorts just looked like, my butt in the shorts - well I would be greatful for the spandex holding everything in a defined shape.
BUT (no pun intended) it's the diaper effect of the chamois in my most comfy shorts that I hate.

[pooks]

I think I'm too dorky to care about the diaper butt. Because first I had to get over the idea of wearing spandex without a big loose t-shirt to cover up my sins, and I started feeling all biker-chick tough. Dudes, this is what we wear; deal with it.

And I thought the diaper butt was just part of the look.

By the time I started reading about people who hated that look and were looking for different styles of chamois, I'd already taken on that "deal with it" mantle and I don't even think about that part. (Of course, I'm also not looking at that part, if ya know what I mean.)

[mimitabby]

several years ago we had a GOLD BIKE SCHEME in town,council sprayed bikes gold,left them in special bike parks,the idea the general public could borrow one,and return it to any of these bike parks.


well,lo n behold they were are nicked!aint rocket science is it!!!!plonkers.

Does nicked mean stolen?

[mimitabby]

We were riding our bikes through a resort town, and we all stopped for lunch, a tandem group. We found some picnic benches and grabbed one. Across from us, resplendent in all their black leather, was a group of motorcycle tourists.
Here we were, in our rainbow bicycle array, and there they were in black. We
approached each other and made bike jokes. My camera was forgotten unfortunately... it would have been a great shot!

I'm like Lisa. People are just going to have to get used to me (and others) in bike duds.
I yam what i yam.

[pooks]

Nicked does mean stolen.

And I read a funny story on bikejournal about cyclists and bikers meeting up at the same convenience store. One of the cyclists referred to himself as a "biker," and the Harley-guy said, "No, we are the bikers. You are the bikees."

Badabing!

[cherinyc]

One of the cyclists referred to himself as a "biker," and the Harley-guy said, "No, we are the bikers. You are the bikees."

Badabing!

I don't get it.:confused:

[pooks]

***ers DO.

***ees get DONE TO.

(*** can mean anything you want it to.)

But you might think, "prison humor."

[cherinyc]

awwww - got it. Der..:o

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well, there is diaper butt and then there is DIAPER BUTT. My Shebeest and LouisGarneau padded tights and knickers just look like some very descrete gently rounded padding with a defined line of stitching around it, so unless you have no brain you easily can guess what it is (Oh, it's stiched in, so I guess it CAN'T be an incontinence napkin!). No giant pillow effects.

Then again, I once tried on some really expensive PI shorts that had chamois that stuck out in the back like a SHELF! I could have lined up some jars of jelly on that baby! Other than that slight "issue" however, those shorts fit me fine. :eek: (but no, I did NOT buy them!)

So I think if the chamois doesn't stick out in bizarre clownlike ways, I have no problem with people seeing it.

[cherinyc]

so unless you have no brain you easily can guess what it is (Oh, it's stiched in, so I guess it CAN'T be an incontinence napkin!). No giant pillow effects.

Then again, I once tried on some really expensive PI shorts that had chamois that stuck out in the back like a SHELF! I could have lined up some jars of jelly on that baby! Other than that slight "issue" however, those shorts fit me fine. :eek: (but no, I did NOT buy them!)


I think living in an area with so few bicyclists (relative to the population at least) like I currently live in, keeps people from knowing what that chamois stitching is. Until a few months ago, I wouldn't have known...this is trully an auto-full, bicycle-less area. It's trully over-crowded (with morons).

Secondly? I think I DID buy those PI shorts you mentioned. Most expensive pair I own (got them 50% off :D) but the chamois sticks out like a shelf. Like you said. :rolleyes:

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I think living in an area with so few bicyclists (relative to the population at least) like I currently live in, keeps people from knowing what that chamois stitching is. Until a few months ago, I wouldn't have known...this is trully an auto-full, bicycle-less area. It's trully over-crowded (with morons).

If they're truly morons, you won't have to worry about what they're thinking anyway...they're not thinking at all! ;)



Secondly? I think I DID buy those PI shorts you mentioned. Most expensive pair I own (got them 50% off :D) but the chamois sticks out like a shelf. Like you said. :rolleyes:

Then I guess you've got a new place to store your extra jelly jars then, girl! That way, people will clearly see that's it's just a storage shelf, and NOT a diaper! :rolleyes:

[cherinyc]

If they're truly morons, you won't have to worry about what they're thinking anyway...they're not thinking at all! ;)



Then I guess you've got a new place to store your extra jelly jars then, girl! That way, people will clearly see that's it's just a storage shelf, and NOT a diaper! :rolleyes:

hee hee....I'll have to practice first. Kinda like the old fashion modelling training where you balanced a book on your head and walked.