Get out the bikes! Gas $4.09/gal in Seattle.

[KnottedYet]

On the way home from church I passed a station with gas for $4.09/gal. (Lake City Spirit station on 125th) First time I've seen it over $4 here. The station nearest me has it for $3.99.

But what's a penny among friends, eh?:rolleyes:

[surgtech1956]

Last week here in Michigan it went from $3.48 to $3.70 and now it down to $3.62.

[shootingstar]

wow. But I must admit I haven't paid attention to gasoline prices for over 1/4 century.

I'm not kiddin'. :D After I learned that in our building one pays over $15,000 to own a parking stall...even less incentive for us.

[KnottedYet]

wow. But I must admit I haven't paid attention to gasoline prices for over 1/4 century.

I'm not kiddin'. :D After I learned that in our building one pays over $15,000 to own a parking stall...even less incentive for us.

Good for you. I'm duly impressed.

[shootingstar]

Knotted: Several years ago, I owned my own condo and its parking spot. It was a pkg. deal.

For the first few years, I didn't even bother to figure out where my own parking spot was...that blew away my partner. He wasn't living with me at that time...

But I figure I better investigate...before someone else stole my parking spot.

I also owned a place 1/2 block away from the subway station. In cycling seasons, I biked most of the time. Subway was handy for snowy/lousy weather. :D

Right now, we live a 15-min. walk away from the closest commuter train station. Next year there will be another one just as close but in a different direction, going to more places.

More choices and my bikes (3). Who cares about gasoline..especially if one doesn't have young children.

[Aggie_Ama]

My husband had the pump cut him off at $90 when he was filling up his truck Friday. He loves that truck but is trying to find ways to keep it parked as much as possible. My tiny Dodge Caliber has a 13.5 gallon tank, I filled it up Saturday for over $43 and it wasn't empty yet.

Needless to say, our bikes are on the back of my car for our hybrid commute tomorrow. We will park half way (13 miles for me, 10 miles for him) and ride to work. At this point we haven't even bought commuters, our bikes are far from the ideal commuters but he has already done it twice. This will be my maiden voyage. We figure only commuting 3 days a week will save us around $40 a week with gas prices right now.

[KnottedYet]

And that $40/week can be used to buy BIKE GOODIES!!!! :D

Whooo-hooooo!:p

[F8th637]

And that $40/week can be used to buy BIKE GOODIES!!!! :D

Whooo-hooooo!:p

And that's $2080 a year. . which is a VERY nice bike! :D

[Geonz]

That was my thought sitting on the train going to Chicago and thinking "do I need a folder?" and how kewl it would be to have one with me... but ... hunnerts of dollers...
But... it's 1/30 of the price o fa car.
I've got that Dahon now ... our gas is only about 3.50 ...

[deedolce]

I certainly am very conscious of combining trips or doing without completely!

I see so many more bikes now, even in bike friendly Davis. Actually a good thing, I see more families, when a year or two ago, it was just the die hard commuters.

If anything, I'm thinking of getting a touring bike, that I can put my racks and panniers on, so I can go longer afield comfortably, and shop in neighboring towns of Dixon, Woodland, Vacaville!:D

[KnottedYet]

Like this?
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m21/KnottedYet/DSCN0522.jpg

[kelownagirl]

I love Kelowna but it's not very easy to commute here. I could never go without a car, probably not even for a week...

[smilingcat]

maybe I better order one of these before everyonoe else get the same idea.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=22829

I'm seriously thinking of the Bionx wheel. With this, I could commute and add a pannier and do most all my chores around town like shootingstar.

I showed the Bionx to one of my co-worker. He is bit nutty, bit of a survivalist. gun totin you name it. Funny thing. He recently bought a 2kW soloar PV system with an inverter. Now he is thinking of getting the Bionx bike. Said he will test ride oh today. He is just getting really angry with his commute cause he drives an F350/3500 monster truck. there are two or three others like him at my office. extended truck with crew/king cab 4 wheel drive. Some kind of diesel engine blah blah blah and they are all singing the blues.

And yes I paid $4.09 for regular in San Luis Obispo yesterday.

Smilingcat

[shootingstar]

It just dawned upon me...I never thought about it until now.. each of my partner's adult children (nearing 30), have never owned/leased a car yet.

Each of them do live close to public transit and they use it often. After the divorce, my partner gave up car ownership completely. And chose to live in a place close to public transit, services and stores. By then, the children were teenagers. So they used public transit to get to his place. This is a city of over 2 million people.

Now at this time, each with their own places, they walk probably at least 1-2 kms. every few days or more often on a weekly basis to do stuff. Or occasionally taxi. No, they don't bike at this time. He might have suggested once...and quickly gave up. :)

So I guess, if you include a generational thing of non-car ownership /non-car use, here's one example...but something that just evolved naturally over time.

When there is mass public transit strike as it happened in Toronto (several times) and Vancouver, that's when you do find out how many people don't have cars or cannot use a car for themselves (because someone else in family needs it.)

and Kelownagirl...I guess we'll find out how sprawly Kelowna is...we'll be there in June..there's a cycling meeting where the Kelowna advocacy cycling reps. will be talking about their local situation.

[RoadRaven]

Well... you still have cheaper fuel than us DownUnder

I am paying NZ$2.02 for 1 litre of high octane petrol for my toyota corolla.

There are 4.5 litres to a gallon, so that is NZ$9.09 per gallon

On today's currency conversion (converted at an online bank just a couple of minutes ago) that is...

drrrrum rrrrroll....

US $7.07 for a gallon of petrol in New Zealand!

[Bad JuJu]

Needless to say, our bikes are on the back of my car for our hybrid commute tomorrow. We will park half way (13 miles for me, 10 miles for him) and ride to work. At this point we haven't even bought commuters, our bikes are far from the ideal commuters but he has already done it twice. This will be my maiden voyage. We figure only commuting 3 days a week will save us around $40 a week with gas prices right now.
Amanda, I'm so interested in hearing how your hybrid commute works out! This is something I've been contemplating doing for a while, but until now, with high gas prices, I just haven't been motivated enough. Already have a bike I can use as a commuter, just need to think about strategy details. Where are you leaving your car? Is it a relatively safe place? Please let us know how it goes.

[Trek420]

I'd made it a training goal this year to bike to work twice a week, this is just gravy on the cake ;) I already know that riding to work has many benefits this just solidifies it.

This is an international board and I'm not saying that Americans are isolated or ... I'm jut not sayin' but for many here in the U.S unless you travel or know people out of the country many here are not aware that our prices have been really unusually low.

[Tuckervill]

It all makes me so sad, tho. And our gas is cheap compared to many parts of the country--$3.35 this morning. We live on the edge of Oklahoma, where gas is cheaper (probably because of fewer taxes). It seems the retailers in my little town feel the need to compete with those in NE Oklahoma, so they keep prices at Tulsa rates. Yet, 25 miles to the east, it's sometimes (often) 25 cents higher per gallon. Unfortunately, I have to go into "town" once or twice a week. But I'm working on not doing it so often.

What makes me sad...all the people who are struggling to make ends meet when they HAVE to drive to "town" to go to work. Then all the people who are making payments on 20mpg-or-less vehicles, which they usually drive over the speed limit, and finding they have to put the gas on their credit card to make it to work this week. And pretty soon it accumulates and we have people in full blown financial distress. If they had just started taking their foot off the gas pedal more often, they could have started planning ahead for this. That's just one tiny segment, the one I used to be in years ago, so I identify with them more than the people who are plucking chickens across the creek from me. (Those people are already walking/biking/ride-sharing to work, and living nearby.)

And our president is surprised when a reporter asks about $4 a gallon gas. Not to make this political, but I'm cynical enough to think that the dead silence from our leaders is election-year related...and optimistic enough to think that things will get better immediately after the election, no matter who wins.

Karen

[Brandi]

$88.01 to fill up our truck yesterday! I told my dh not to go nuts when he saw how much it was going to cost. We have one car between us. And I have my scooter. It cost me like $2.25 maybe to fill the tank and that last's me about 100 miles. I ride it on most of my domestic errands. But when we have to go into town in the truck (which is about 20 minutes down the road), we make sure we do a few things not just 1 thing.
I don't know maybe having just one car doesn't hurt us as much at the pump? But it is a truck, we have to have it for work too there is no getting around that. I just try and ride my scooter as much as I can.

[Aggie_Ama]

Amanda, I'm so interested in hearing how your hybrid commute works out! This is something I've been contemplating doing for a while, but until now, with high gas prices, I just haven't been motivated enough. Already have a bike I can use as a commuter, just need to think about strategy details. Where are you leaving your car? Is it a relatively safe place? Please let us know how it goes.

The AM Commute went great! We parked our car at a well lit supermarket, with ample parking. The weather was really cool which meant only my hair got sweaty under my skull cap. Ended up being 11.97 miles, I rode hard (so easy to do with a tailwind on my roadie) and only took 40 minutes. We had to get up 40 minutes earlier to ride but I got to spend 7 miles with DH and we met a commuter that rides every day! It was really a fun morning, I am wondering how the afternoon will go. Today is my day to ride all the way home (23 or so miles).

Oh and we had mapped on my commute and done it twice prior to today. I knew where the roads with those road humps were, where to turn and my exact route. That really increased my comfort level. If I keep this up I will really rack up the bike journal miles. :D

[SouthernBelle]

I think part of the problem we have in North America is that we are so spread out in some areas. I'm looking for a bike suitable for commuting, but my commute is less than 2 miles. I'm less than a mile from a grocery. I live in town. But I know people who are many miles from either. Often those in more densely populated areas don't get that.

Also I've noted that the days of the country grocery store seem to be past.

[short cut sally]

I drive one of those big honkin' 4 wheel drive diesels..4.55 gallon last week. I minimize my driving just to work and back. Am considering getting a moped or dirt bike to drive back and forth to work.. I would ride my bike, but coming home at midnight 1am every night when the bars just got out is not my cup of tea. Hence why I drive a truck, way too many drunks in vehicles my size out there and I do want some protection..I did have a small car before and just about getting in 2 accidents by people in my lane (driving the wrong way) I opted for safety (DH opted for diesel). If I didn't have a fear that late at night, I would consider another little econo box for a car...however, I can ride my bike all day long and not think about the drunk driver-which I guess I should. The econo box of a vehicle offers alittle more protection than being on the bike that's for sure.

[kat_h]

A quick reminder to everyone who still needs to drive sometimes (including me) :

- make sure your tires are properly inflated
- replace your air filter recently
- get tune ups regularly including new spark plugs and checking the timing
- clean out the trunk. get rid of heavy stuff that you don't need to carry around

All of those will improve your fuel efficiency. We tend to focus on the dramatic changes but the things add up too.

[F8th637]

Great tips, kat_h!

I started driving the speed limit for the first time since I've probably gotten my license. I had to put it on cruise control but at least I felt like I was helping myself. . some. :p

[tulip]

Great tips, kat_h!

I started driving the speed limit for the first time since I've probably gotten my license. I had to put it on cruise control but at least I felt like I was helping myself. . some. :p

I did that today, coming home from my partner's house, which is about 70 miles away. I go there every weekend, and that's about the only time I use my car. Driving the speed limit, I found myself alot more relaxed, actually.

[F8th637]

I did that today, coming home from my partner's house, which is about 70 miles away. I go there every weekend, and that's about the only time I use my car. Driving the speed limit, I found myself alot more relaxed, actually.

It's funny how I don't mind being passed while I'm on my bike but I really hate being passed in a car. ;) We all have to make adjustments, right? :D

[Bad JuJu]

The AM Commute went great! We parked our car at a well lit supermarket, with ample parking. The weather was really cool which meant only my hair got sweaty under my skull cap. Ended up being 11.97 miles, I rode hard (so easy to do with a tailwind on my roadie) and only took 40 minutes. We had to get up 40 minutes earlier to ride but I got to spend 7 miles with DH and we met a commuter that rides every day! It was really a fun morning, I am wondering how the afternoon will go. Today is my day to ride all the way home (23 or so miles).

Oh and we had mapped on my commute and done it twice prior to today. I knew where the roads with those road humps were, where to turn and my exact route. That really increased my comfort level. If I keep this up I will really rack up the bike journal miles. :D
Thanks for the tips! I only have to be on campus two or three days a week, so I just need to decide...to do it!

[Deborajen]

Boy, watching gas prices go up and up I'd love to commute by bike right now. I'm going to wait a few months, though. There is a bridge closed for rebuild on a main road between home and work that's sending lots of crazy rush-hour traffic through my normally quiet neighborhood route. It's scary enough in the car - forget the bike!

Somebody did call the opinion line recently for our local newspaper and made a comment that with high gas prices, now it's time to spend some money to finish and fix up the bike routes "because that'll be the only way some people will be able to afford to get to work anymore." It was probably smart-a$$, but I'll take it!

Deb

[kat_h]

I was thinking about this thread while I was reading the news today. The article I read said that the price of rice doubled in 2007 and has increased by 30% so far in 2008. As much as we all worry about the price of gas most of us have ways to reduce what we use and ultimately can afford it. There must be people sitting around discussing the price of rice, trading tips for how to use a bit less in each meal, comparing what they paid for it, except rice is one of the most fundamental basics in the world and gas is still really a luxury item. The next couple of years could be interesting.

[Grog]

I was thinking about this thread while I was reading the news today. The article I read said that the price of rice doubled in 2007 and has increased by 30% so far in 2008. As much as we all worry about the price of gas most of us have ways to reduce what we use and ultimately can afford it. There must be people sitting around discussing the price of rice, trading tips for how to use a bit less in each meal, comparing what they paid for it, except rice is one of the most fundamental basics in the world and gas is still really a luxury item. The next couple of years could be interesting.

Exactly my thoughts.

Interesting times ahead.

[Jolt]

I think part of the problem we have in North America is that we are so spread out in some areas. I'm looking for a bike suitable for commuting, but my commute is less than 2 miles. I'm less than a mile from a grocery. I live in town. But I know people who are many miles from either. Often those in more densely populated areas don't get that.


I think you've hit the nail on the head. In a lot of areas, things just aren't set up in a way to be conducive to walking or biking to get to work or get errands done. My parents and two sisters, for example, live in western NJ and it's a fifteen-minute drive (and not because of stop and go) just to get to the grocery store, Walmart etc., and a lot of those trips are along a busy, high-speed route. Not the best setup for utility cycling, and plus it's VERY hilly (puts the Worcester area to shame in that department!!) to boot.

[GLC1968]

Exactly my thoughts.

Interesting times ahead.

Interesting and a bit frightening. :(

[Grog]

Interesting and a bit frightening. :(

If you really want to scare yourself (although it will be less scary now that you live in the PNW, to a point), go read
The Long Emergency
by James Howard Kunstler.

He's bringing together global politics, urban studies, climatology, and oil depletion theories in a very skilful way. Frankly it's quite pessimistic but it ends on a positive note. I reread bits of it last night and I find that it's a good mental exercise to see things differently once in a while. It's easy to take our environment for granted...

[GLC1968]

If you really want to scare yourself (although it will be less scary now that you live in the PNW, to a point), go read
The Long Emergency
by James Howard Kunstler.

He's bringing together global politics, urban studies, climatology, and oil depletion theories in a very skilful way. Frankly it's quite pessimistic but it ends on a positive note. I reread bits of it last night and I find that it's a good mental exercise to see things differently once in a while. It's easy to take our environment for granted...

That's funny. I just got his other book (the novel: A World Made by Hand) delivered yesterday. I've read a lot of other things on that same topic, but I've not read his book in particular. I'll have to see if the library has a copy. I can guess what the positive note at the end is...does he see that happening in our lifetime, or do we just get to experience the frightening part?

[redrhodie]

If you really want to scare yourself (although it will be less scary now that you live in the PNW, to a point), go read
The Long Emergency
by James Howard Kunstler.

He's bringing together global politics, urban studies, climatology, and oil depletion theories in a very skilful way. Frankly it's quite pessimistic but it ends on a positive note. I reread bits of it last night and I find that it's a good mental exercise to see things differently once in a while. It's easy to take our environment for granted...

+1. Kunstler's unfortunately hitting the nail right on the head with his predictions. I do hope he's wrong about the ability of someone to find a reliable, renewable, affordable alternative to fossil fuels. I agree it's unlikely to happen soon enough, though.

[mimitabby]

+1. Kunstler's unfortunately hitting the nail right on the head with his predictions. I do hope he's wrong about the ability of someone to find a reliable, renewable, affordable alternative to fossil fuels. I agree it's unlikely to happen soon enough, though.

thanks for the book recommend. i'm reading it now on google books. Hopefully it's the whole book

[GLC1968]

thanks for the book recommend. i'm reading it now on google books. Hopefully it's the whole book

Thanks for pointing this out, Mimi! I'm going to try to read it on Google and save the trip to the library for later. :)

[mimitabby]

no, you can only read a certain number of pages. then it stops and tells you to order the book :confused:
owell

[Grog]

That's funny. I just got his other book (the novel: A World Made by Hand) delivered yesterday. I've read a lot of other things on that same topic, but I've not read his book in particular. I'll have to see if the library has a copy. I can guess what the positive note at the end is...does he see that happening in our lifetime, or do we just get to experience the frightening part?

His "happy" comment is about how it might provide us for opportunities to create new solidarities and renew our communities in a much richer way than is the case currently.

We might rise to the challenge... maybe!