Less Car; More Bike Part Five of Eight

Shoot a few scenes out of focus. I want to win the foreign film award- Billy Wilder
Marriage is a wonderful invention: then again, so is a bicycle repair kit- Billy Connolly

I want to thank you for your continued reading of this series. I’m surprised we’re at part five already! Just like in #1 of the series, maybe it’s time for some honest reflection. Have you been affected by the rising price of gasoline? Have you been able to cut down on unnecessary trips? I’d like to not be a doom-sayer, but if just one refinery hiccups in our country we’re gonna be reviewing this series much closer. Have you actually ridden or walked to the grocery store and brought a load home?

Well, why not? What are you waiting for?

In chemical reactions there’s a point where something reacts. If heat is required it’s usually termed the “activation energy”. For me it happens to be called laziness, and it takes a little more discomfort to change. Whatever is holding you back, let’s get over it. Let me take a wild guess... If you haven’t ridden much in the last few years there could be a little fear of committing yourself to a bike trip. This is a relationship with a machine that’ll have to develop to reach your goal of “Less Car”. We have a terrific relationship helper for bikes called the “Survival Kit” that mirrors the Ten Essentials that hikers use. If you’re going riding, you should always have the basic five: Helmet, Water, Spare Tube, Pump and a basic tool for minor adjustments. If you’re going out for fun (Let’s say a couple hour long ride, maybe stop to eat somewhere) you might add another five items: Shorts, Jersey, Gloves, Shoes and a lock or cash. As you gain in experience you may see the value of a smaller seat, better tires and making friends while you’re out riding. You’re not alone in this thing, other cyclists want you to do well also. As usual, please feel free to stop by any Sport Chalet location to ask for ideas and help in this.

I’d love to get your comments too!

This video is a little eccentric, with a society of Supermen amazed by the powers of the BICYCLE REPAIRMAN. I can't resist including it though.

Less Car; More Bike Part Four. Check the hyperlinks!

>When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized that the Lord doesn't work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me- Emo Philips
>All city bikes weigh fifty pounds. A thirty-pound bicycle needs a twenty-pound lock. A forty-pound bicycle needs a ten-pound lock. A fifty-pound bicycle doesn't need a lock. ~Author Unknown

This week we have two topics, which you may have noticed by the quotes above and below.
For basic errands you wouldn’t ride your multi-thousand $ bike, you’d take something more humble. However, you don’t have to have the worst bike in the rack either. A simple fact I’ve learned from camping in the Sierras is that in case of a bear attack you don’t have to be the fastest runner, you just don’t want to be the slowest. This philosophy also works when you park your bike. Don’t stand out as the most expensive, and don’t have the weakest lock. Here’s a basic bit of lock intel, if you use a decent cable lock AND a decent U-lock at the same time you are no longer the weakest member of the herd. There are specific tools to kill U-locks, and other tools for cables. A bike thief is a predator looking for the easiest most-expensive bike to grab. Make yours tougher than the others, and you achieve success. Also, if your U-lock is over five years old it may be time to upgrade. Locking your bike to the most solid anchor is very important. Smaller trees? No. Chain link fences or posts. Avoid! If you lock up to a pole make sure it’s really anchored to the concrete, a theft ring in New York cut and sleeved 3” poles in the neighborhood. When someone locked up and left, one guy lifted the pole up thru the lock and the reset it with the bike gone. Be suspicious, check out your hitchin’ post!

>The sound of a car door opening in front of you is similar to the sound of a gun being cocked. ~Amy Webster (As you ride along a line of parked cars in traffic...)
Riding safely in traffic takes equal parts of intelligence and visibility, and possibly some luck. I cannot possibly communicate everything you should do to be safe, but I can advise you toward being prepared. Get your head "set" that no one is looking for you, you will have to make eye contact with drivers, and watch closely what they’re doing in intersections. A helmet is obviously needed, and a full set of reflectors. Going up in cost, please find a way to use: 1. Reflective tape on your bike and helmet. 2. A bright flashing LED light on the back of you. 3. A reflective vest. 4. A headlight that illuminates far ahead. 5. And a back-up flashlight. Do your best to watch all vehicles near you with the strong suspicion that they are your enemy. Be careful, and make sure they know where you’re going in intersections. Always be careful!

These are only recommendations toward basic safety and are in no way a complete guide to cycle ownership or traffic safety. Please consult your local Sport Chalet for any specific questions that you may have in these aspects.

Less Car: More Bike Part Three. Lots of links!

"Let our people travel light and free on their bicycles."- Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire

"Don't buy upgrades; ride up grades."- Eddy Merckx

So, how should you carry things? Let’s think of a grocery store trip as an example. You’re not provisioning a distant outpost, but getting “some” food/supplies for a few days. Don’t get discouraged because you don’t have the perfect rig, just do it.

If you walk, you’ll probably use a backpack. Compared to a month of gas/short trips, a backpack is a good investment. Upside- it’s easy to use and maintain. Downside- Slow and sweaty, maybe heavy. Packed carefully, carrying a few 2-liter soda bottles and some groceries can be very possible.

If you ride, you have more options. We’ve covered the backpack already, but I can’t really suggest it for riding. 

Low dollar/light load/short distance? Think Beach Cruiser with a handlebar basket! If the bike looks horrible, it’s less likely to be stolen. I’ve heard of people covering a nice bike in saran-wrap, and then spray painting the saran-wrap . “Camouflage!” Blend into or below the urban environment.

Mid-price/load/distance? Think of an older or lower dollar value bike with rack mounts, and add a rear rack and panniers. Jandd makes a pannier called the “Grocery Bag Pannier”, click on that name to see it. This is a nice option, but what’s on the other end of the price range? Something Home Made! There are very nice new-bike options available for commuting...

Open Budget/large load/distance unlimited? Get a BOB or similar design trailer. Get a Touring Bike and “Bag it out”. (Only handlebar and rack Bag shown, fully loaded here.) Or for the over do-ers reading this, get an Xtra-Cycle or Surly Big Dummy. That link shows a bike-towed trailer with about 400lb of 4’ x 8’ x 3/4” plywood ready to go. How about a Touring Unicycle, I kid you not! If you need to carry something, it can be done. (Thanks to SurlyBikes for some of the pics!)

As usual, your comments are welcome. Next time let’s look at traffic visibility and security options.

Less Car: More Bike Part Two

Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race- H.G. Wells

... The bicycle is the most efficient machine ever created. Converting gasoline into human calories, a bicycle gets the equivalent of three thousand miles per gallon. ~Bill Strickland, The Quotable Cyclist

At the conclusion of last week’s episode I’d asked you to think of three positives of living without a car. I wasn’t kidding, post ‘em as comments! I asked you to do that as change is sometimes a little scary. You might want to change your life a little, and that can be uncomfortable. Your customers are thinking of this also, so be ready to tell them what you learn.

The reasons to drive a car are obvious, and recently the reasons to drive less are also. Your reasons WHY are personal, and important. Honestly, do you really need 300hp in a 4000lbs vehicle to go get a soda? Where could you cut out that one trip in the dino-burner? Work? Groceries? Where is that one excess trip that you can eliminate?

An obstacle to getting started in this is your perspective from the vehicle, “those other drivers have serious issues”. So don’t ride the same road as them. Please navigate over to www.bikely.com, and take a look at alternate routes to your destination. For most trips you may find at least one alternate route, but it can be safer. Or cleaner/nicer. Until you know of alternatives, feeling trapped makes sense.

As usual, your comments are welcome. Next time let’s look at carrying methods and bike options.

Live without a car? How about “much less car” travel?

Hello Blog Reader. Please come into my office and have a seat, thank you for coming to this meeting.

We have something very important to discuss, and it’s something you’ve been trying to ignore for some time. Ignoring something does not make it go away, you might’ve noticed. Let’s get right to the bad news; we will likely never again see gas prices in the $2 per gallon range. It is likely that we will see gas in the $5+ range within the next two months. This is very hard news, I would like a tissue too. We HAVE to acknowledge this change, because ignoring only hurts us. To acknowledge it fully, we have to deal with it, and the easiest way is to start in our own homes.

In your anger at the situation you might ask “what makes you so smart about this?” You’re feeling a loss, and that’s normal. I can discuss this with you as I’ve done it, through one of the wettest winters in Southern California history. If we work together, this can be easier. I will give you my experience and references. Your relationship with your car must change, and it’ll be OK. The quality of your life might even be better...

As we meet quietly on this blog, we’ll discuss the steps to take; some difficult and some easy. My goal as your guide is to help you keep your cash in your pocket, and get the things done that life demands. As you leave today, I’d like to reflect on the concept of “I can live without a car”. Don’t think of the obstacles, but of three positives.

See you next week. Bring a note pad, or hook up your printer!