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Note: It is a midly lengthy read. If you intend to comment, please read the whole thing. Thoughtful replies only. I don't care if you want to voice disagreement or say something humorous, but be thoughtful about it please. Thanks.
Edit: There are a lot of positive reactions here, and a number of folks here apparently bicycle much too. Feel free to talk about your bicycles as well as your bicycling habits.
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I've been an avid cyclist for just over a year. I began bicycling when my car needed significant repairs. My car was in the shop and I had to get around, so I bought a bike and began driving* it everywhere I needed to go. It took a few weeks for my body to adapt, but right from the beginning I loved cycling. Now that my car is fixed, I almost never use it. Soon I will be rid of it entirely.
*A note about driving and riding. People say one drives a car and rides a bicycle. This is precisely backwards. To drive means to use energy to make something move. When you ride in a car, the engine drives it. When you drive a bicycle, YOU are the engine.
I've always hated cars. They seal one off from the rest of the world. One cannot drive slow (notice it, the automobile compels you to move quickly), and it always feels as if one must contend with a million annoying obstacles (like other cars and people and animals and so on), which makes life stressful and irritating. Cars are false economy - people think they are fast, but when you consider how much work you have to do to afford a vehicle, maintain it, and keep gas in it, you realize you'd be getting around just about as quickly if you walked (I'm not joking - this holds true unless you are quite financially well off.) Over a quarter of this country's wealth goes towards producing cars and the infrastructure to support them (several trillion per year). The price of the car is land covered in concrete and asphalt which smother precious soil. Cars kill 47,000 Americans a year in collisions, and an estimated 30,000 more by pollution. (No one has statistics for the animal deaths, and probably many folks don't care about the animals anyway, but I do). Cars contribute to global climate change and necessitate unjust wars for resources. (Irony: the multitudes that complain about the war in Iraq but ride in cars on a regular basis).
What a sad state. One must sell a significant portion of their life for the "luxury" of a car. Ironic, because the car signifies freedom for the typical American. Freedom? Having to be a slave to afford a car? Turning clean air to smog, clean water to poison, precious soil to asphalt...? Such sad things to associate with freedom.
The bicycle is a liberating force. While the car epitomizes false economy, the bicycle is a highly economizing machine. There is no more efficient way to move across smooth terrain than a bicycle. The bicycle combines exercise with transportation, while the car necessitates extra time set aside for exercise (and many people who drive do not exercise at all, and they suffer obesity and all manner of degenerative diseases as a result). The bicycle immerses one in their environment, stimulating all the senses and invigorating the body and mind. Cycling connects one with the weather and the seasons. Cycling allows a great degree of mobility and freedom of movement. Cycling is cheap and allows one to sustain themselves with considerably less work and money.
It is sad that the bicycle is viewed as a child's toy. The joy of bicycling is wasted on children. I'd love to see young people looking forward to their first bicycle the same way young people look forward to their first car. Bicycles aren't mere toys, and they aren't mere sports machines. And the bicycle isn't merely for silly looking people in spandex shorts. The bicycle is a tool for everyone. Bicycles are an extremely useful and viable mode of transportation. With a rack equipped bike and pannier bags, one can transport far more on a bicycle than they could on foot, and at much greater speeds
The bicycle has given me strength. I pity many people I know, people who are astounded that I drive my bicycle 4 miles to work every day, not realizing how pathetically easy a 4 mile trip is, even in very unfavorable conditions. They are weak. I'm not; I can bicycle at a good pace all day long. I get sick less often and my outlook on life is vastly improved. I rarely suffer depressive moods.
More than anything, the bicycle has taught me to appreciate the journey and not to merely focus on the destination. Most so called "time saving" technologies merely increase dependence and hasten the pace of life, increasing stress and causing us to feel out of control, and we embrace all this because we are so focused on the next thing, getting to the next appointment, getting to work, getting home, getting here, getting there, taking care of this, and taking care of that... The bicycle taught me to focus on the present; to focus on the movements of my body and to focus on the the terrain and the sun and the air, and to just be. Cycling is my Zen.
 
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I bike everywhere now, it's amazing. To school it takes me around 25 mins, or 7 by car. But I wouldn't have it any other way, biking is seriously awesome.
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Right on, Ryot! I hope you keep it up. Bicycling is the transportation of the future.
I bicycle to the store everyday (I like doing this - I know all the cashiers by name and enjoy the trip in general). I bicycle to work and home everyday. I bicycle a good 10 miles to the mountains every weekend, and frequently hike up there. I bicycle to bookstores and thriftstores. I bicycle to school (I'm a senior in college). I bicycle to friend's houses. I bicycle during the hottest days of the summer, shirt free and in shorts. I bicycle on the coldest days of winter, wearing 2 layers of pants and as many coats as needed. I ride against intense wind in the Spring - in very low gear.
I cycle every damn day. It's amazing. I am psyched that you enjoy it so much, too! Don't grow out of it!
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United States22883 Posts
Bicycling is fun and enjoyable, but so is going really really fast.
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I haven't done any cycling lately, and I really ought to, because it is absolutely fantastic.
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Great post. I also prefer to bike instead of drive, for many of the reasons you`ve listed. the main problem with cycling is the hills, since that requires a lot more work... aside from that, it`s awesome.
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To Jibba: I realize that my hatred of cars is not shared by everyone. And I realize many people love driving really fast in cars. But I'll just say that I often feel like I am going faster on my bicycle than I do in my car. There is something castrating about riding in a car. All the stop lights... all the other traffic... the damn traffic laws, etc. On the bike, you are "out in it." To me, cycling is way more intense and feels way faster. I realize this is entirely subjective.
Doctor Helvetica, I hope you will begin cycling again soon, then!
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It's a pity I haven't used a bike in a while.
Mainly, because I walk everywhere, or use public transportation. I live in Chicago, and it's fairely easy to get anywhere using the CTA, and plus you don't have to worry about parking.
A lot of people take the train to downtown, and that's something I like about Chicago. People taking the initiative to use the train, not only, because it's easier on their wallets, but because it's better for everyone in the long run.
I'm 19, and I still don't have a drivers license.
My Dad is always on my back about getting it, but in reality there's no real tangible reason I should have one.
1. I don't have a car.
2. I don't have a job, so therefore paying for gas/upkeep of a car is nearly impossible.
3. I hardly ever go anywhere far, and I do. It's usually somewhere close to a train stop, or a widely used bus stop route.
I'm also pretty scared of all the idiotic people driving out there. I'm not saying most people who drive are morons, but I've seen people do the most idiotic things driving. Eating, talking on their cell phones, texting, etc..
Not to mention everything you talked about relating to pollution, and effects to economic stability. Hybrid, and more efficient cars are becoming available, but nowhere where I think it should be.
My girlfriend, and I have no problem taking public transportation, and walking anywhere.
Although sometimes we go driving, but locally of course since I refuse to waste her Mother's gas substantially. We go in her Mother's car, and she drives.
Great Blog.
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29 fps - I feel you about the hills. It helps to have a good gearing bike. If it is a long incline, but not too steap, I will gear down a bit and just slog through it. If it is a short and steep incline, I'll stay in a reasonably high gear and stand up and pump it - but your bike should be well maintained if you do this.
I live in New Mexico, and we get some pretty intense wind conditions. Riding against intense wind is like riding up a steep hill for a long time. Same deal - gear down and slog through it.
Admittedly, there are plenty of difficult and uncomfortable aspects of bicycling - hills and wind in particular - but those things make me feel alive!
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It's -40C here in the winter and it's bloody difficult to bike around. Cars are required for some socities. However, I bike all the time in the summer and it is great. Too bad I was just biking in the rain and fractured my wrist (read: no biking or SC for a while).
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On August 15 2008 10:08 nA.Inky wrote:
To Jibba: I realize that my hatred of cars is not shared by everyone. And I realize many people love driving really fast in cars. But I'll just say that I often feel like I am going faster on my bicycle than I do in my car. There is something castrating about riding in a car. All the stop lights... all the other traffic... the damn traffic laws, etc. On the bike, you are "out in it." To me, cycling is way more intense and feels way faster. I realize this is entirely subjective.
Doctor Helvetica, I hope you will begin cycling again soon, then!
Yeah. I need to lose weight also.
Have you ever seen a fat cyclist?
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this inspired me to go rent some bike to XT instead of rest on my days when i dont run =) (I was planning it anyway, but consider this the final nudge  )
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Thanks Mickey! Be proud of your car-freedom! Even if you don't cycle, as long as you are car-free, you are doing well. I have a great friend who hasn't even been in a car in nearly 10 years, and he walks nearly everywhere, or else takes a bus.
If you go for the car, you'll have to sell your soul. Don't let your dad push you into it. The mistake many people make is associating cars with freedom and adulthood. That is the trap!
You're on the right track!
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United States22883 Posts
On August 15 2008 10:08 nA.Inky wrote:
To Jibba: I realize that my hatred of cars is not shared by everyone. And I realize many people love driving really fast in cars. But I'll just say that I often feel like I am going faster on my bicycle than I do in my car. There is something castrating about riding in a car. All the stop lights... all the other traffic... the damn traffic laws, etc. On the bike, you are "out in it." To me, cycling is way more intense and feels way faster. I realize this is entirely subjective.
Doctor Helvetica, I hope you will begin cycling again soon, then!
I'm not sure how it works in New Mexico, but here bikes still have to follow traffic laws and stop lights as well.
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Durak - I am sorry to hear about your accident! Don't let it keep you off the bike forever! But do heal up.
Doctor Helvetica - Cycling is an excellent choice for getting in shape. It is my favorite form of exercise because it is the one kind of exercise I know of that doesn't bore me - I enjoy it greatly!
I have seen fat cyclists, but I know what you mean. Avid cyclists are usually very lean. I am quite lean at 6'1'' 160 pounds. I was fairly lean when I started cycling a year ago, but I've gotten leaner, my endurance has gone way up, and I am in pretty good shape (better than 90% of Americans, easy).
JeeJee - Right on dude! Go for it!
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Jibba - you make an excellent point. Yes, bicycles do have to follow traffic laws. However, here we have many bicycle trails that are totally separate from streets. Also, as a cyclist, you tend to take more side streets and residential streets, and while you should obey traffic laws, you can be somewhat relaxed about stop signs if it isn't a trafficky area and you have good visibility. I'm a little lax about it because I can stop on a dime on the bicycle, so I frequently merely slow down a bit for stops. In a car, I'd stop completely.
In situations where there is another car or anyone else around, I do follow the laws completely, and think everyone should.
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A lot of positive response here, and a lot of bicyclists here as well. Feel free to talk about your bicycles!
I didn't know a thing about bikes when I got mine a year ago. I started out with one I already had - a cheap Wal-Mart mountain bike. IT was too small for me (I didn't realize the frame size mattered, since I always rode BMX as a kid). The brakes wore out after 2 or 3 days of use, and the gears never worked right AT ALL. I went to a bike shop and GAVE that bike to them. I bought a new mountain bike for 280. That is the bike I still have. But I've made significant changes as I've learned more about cycling.
I don't need a mountain bike because I don't ride off road trails. So I switched out my mountain tires for the smoothest, thinnest tires I could get. I switched out my suspension fork for a rigid fork, making the bike lighter and more efficient. I added a rear rack for pannier bags, and bought the bags as well. I got front and rear lights (you should have them by law, here, and I wouldn't ride without them regardless.) I got an air pump that attaches to the frame. I got bar ends on the handles for extra/better grip positions. Bottleholder. U-lock with holster. Altogether I probably have 500 in the bike. Maybe less. I named him Jimmy. I ride Jimmy every day and he shifts fine and serves me perfectly well. I don't need a better bike. 300 bucks is plenty to get a fully functional, good bicycle.
If I could do it over, I would get a touring bicycle. Jimmy is essentially a touring bicycle now, but a typical touring bicycle has the larger wheels of a road bike, and that would be faster and more efficient than what I have. But I don't plan to upgrade until Jimmy is worn out entirely. Jimmy does a perfect job.
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If you live in the middle of nowhere, you have almost no choice but to have a car. With a bike I would be driving forever to get everywhere I would usualy go, especially since here are hills everywhere, and if you try to hurry you will be sweating so much. Also, public transportation sucks where I live, and for biking everywhere its too far.
Other than a lot of Germans though, who love their car, I just see my car as a way of getting from A to B.
For cycling, I see cycling mostly as a sport. And although I really enjoy it, its my least favorite part of Triathlon.
Edit:
Also this is a picture which resembles my bike. It is quite old, got it from my father, but still runs great. Complete Shimano 105, and very lightweight, despite having a steel frame:
+ Show Spoiler +
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h3r1n6 - I dig your bike!
To your other comments: they say that a commute beyond 15 miles one way is probably not ideal for a bike. I'd do more but only if it wasn't a regular commute. For a daily commute, I'd say 15 one way is a good max.
Something to consider though: people often have to go far away because of work. But people work so they can have things like a car... So you get this vicious circle of sillyness. It's not always true, but often...
Given all the problems with driving, it is wise to relocate closer to the places you must be, or else replace your normal destinations with ones closer to home. This is a good long term goal.
As to sweating... I don't mind it at all. I ride hard and fast, and I sweat much. It cleans out my body. Strangely, if I smell bad (I don't use deodorant and I bathe once a week), I find a long ride often makes me smell OK. Sweating removes toxins from the body.
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great blog, and i agree with everything you said
i like to cycle, but i find myself running more often than not. for the past few years ive been jogging to and from school, about 4km i think, and whenever i go anywhere local i always go on foot. if i ever go anywhere really far away, i take the bus or the train. i like to jog more than i like to cycle, but obviously cycling is more efficient than running so i may adopt to using a bike when i finish school and need to travel to uni or work. thanks for the recommendation!
i consider myself a fit and healthy person, and i dont see that long, hard rides on a bike would tax me enough to make me stop and consider driving (like you mickey, i dont have my licence and dont plan on getting it anytime soon). like i said earlier, i jog about 4km to school and back everyday, and on the weekends i try to get in about 10-15km on at least one day and rest for most of the other, but i can understand people that like the convenience of a car, but really cycling is such a blessing for health even if you are relatively unfit you can improve dramatically.
smog from cars and trucks can really piss me off, especially if im on a route on a populated road, so most of the time i try to jog / cycle away from all that. nearby my house there is a park i cross, and it leads into a dense-ish forest/shrubbery area and connects with a boardwalk into a swamp/creek. i run past beautiful creeks, plants and animals and there is almost no one i see, its almost deserted so i dont get bothered
like you inky, i dont use deodorant, mainly because im a prick and i dont care if people think i smell or anything, in the same way that i dont care if other people smell. but bathing once a week, dont you just love having a hot shower in the cold months at night?
enjoyed this insightful read, you seem like a nice guy inky. keep posting these cycling, vegetarianism and any other related stuff plz 
edit: there are very few things in this world that can compare to the joy and pride that i experience when i finish up a jog covered in sweat. when im running and my face is saturated with sweat so much that my eyes begin to sting from the sodium, come home and jump in the pool or pour cold water onto myself - feels great both physically and mentally (i feel proud that i worked so hard)
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I love biking but travelling somewhat a far distance does not seem interesting b/c you would smell bad.
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On August 15 2008 11:06 JohnColtrane wrote:
edit: there are very few things in this world that can compare to the joy and pride that i experience when i finish up a jog covered in sweat. when im running and my face is saturated with sweat so much that my eyes begin to sting from the sodium, come home and jump in the pool or pour cold water onto myself - feels great both physically and mentally (i feel proud that i worked so hard)
as long as all your jogs aren't like that.. make sure to have easy jogs/rest days to reduce risk of injury ice baths are really amazing though, they save my shins for sure.
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its fine, i havent suffered an injury or anything from jogging, the worst ive ever had was a sprained ankle playing soccer, and after that i havent played soccer since because 1-2weeks of sitting down and not running was FUCKING HELL. so i gave it up, besides team sports boring anyway
its hot here and thus i sweat more, and i make sure i drink plenty of water so i dont dehydrate and cramp up and get sick
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While you are right to point out the flaws of cars, you make it sound like no good as come of the Automobile. The automobile has singlehandedly fueled the explosive of growth of human production, allowing one man to produce unprecedented amounts of goods. This vastly increased production has allowed many many more people to pursue a path they are interested in rather than simply working to produce goods for a much smaller upper class.
Due to this increase in freedom, we see corresponding explosive growth in scientific knowledge, leading to ever increase production leading to ever increasing scientific knowledge. They are two cycles that really feed each other. This current cycle of scientific growth was precipitated by none other than cars, which you hate so much. After the construction of the Instate Highway System, we landed on the moon, trounced the Russians in the Cold War, began the Internet, and became the most powerful nation in history.
On the whole though I agree with you. Despite this massive increase in productivity, man doesn't really seem happier than before. A large part of that is probably that increases in production and scientific knowledge also make life more complex and difficult to live.
Personally, I ride a bike everywhere. It is much better for your body and better for the planet.
When cars are run on renewable energy, I'll start driving again
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im not arguing the importance of cars, planes, ships or any other vehicle, but i think for your average person that only needs transport to get to and from work or to go around a relatively local area, then a bike is much better
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overall I sort of agree with Stan as well, a lot of the times cars are simply necessary (less often than people think, but still)
although this part was downright silly:
On August 15 2008 12:40 GeneralStan wrote:
After the construction of the Instate Highway System, we landed on the moon, trounced the Russians in the Cold War, began the Internet, and became the most powerful nation in history.
reminds me of:
From Anonymous Lawyer:
Since Lay formed Enron after a merger in 1985, the Berlin Wall has fallen, we've seen the rise of the Internet and new information technologies, AIDS has become a manageable illness instead of a death sentence, and the Red Sox have won the World Series. Surely Ken Lay and Enron deserve credit for much of this. But all that gets forgetten because of some fraudulent partnerships and financial schemes. It's unfair. Unfair to the legacy of Ken Lay, and unfair to the lawyers who tried to defend him. It's a sad day for corporate America when a man like Kenneth Lay dies.
=)
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John Coltrane - Thank you very much for your nice words. That was very appreciated. Unfortunately due to fatigue, I can't give you a good reply right now, but wanted to say thanks for your comments in general. Also, if running instead of cycling is working for you, I support you 100%. You are actually one-upping us bicyclists, contributing even less to pollution and waste.. The only downside is that you will wear out your knees in a few decades (give or take...). You can extend your running habit if you run on grass or other softer terrain. Please remain car-free! You are very special already for being proudly car-free. I admire you. I admire anyone who chooses car-freedom.
GeneralStan - I can't do an adequate reply now, but I recommend you check out Ivan Illich's books. Relating specifically to transportation and freedom is the book "Energy and Equity." He explains how cars actually reduce freedom for most people. This book can be found online for free.
I am not against the transport of goods. I'm mostly against automobiles for individuals and families. I think we could reap the benefits of vehicles without every family/person having one.
I'm glad you added in some critical words of progress/science. It shows you aren't blindly accepting of science. I am rather critical of science and technological development, but don't have a black and white view either. Obviously I do tend towards a more neo-luddite position, without quite being a neo-luddite.
I'll aim to type more tomorrow when I'm less fatigued. Thanks all for the wonderful comments, critical, praising, and in between.
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Woo, power to the bicycle. I love cycling.
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how does cycling contribute to waste at all? maybe from the tires? or are you talking about the disposal and removal of old bikes?
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I'm a big fan of bicycling, too: certainly for something within a five-mile radius, I'd prefer to take a bike than a car. I bike about 6.5 miles back and forth to college twice a week for the summer class I'm taking. Oddly, I hate jogging, but a bicycle is different: when I'm sitting on one, I feel like I can go anywhere I like with minimal effort--on foot, I'm stuck. And yes, I realize that in a car I can go a lot further with a lot less effort than a bike, but somehow it's not the same feeling when your burning gasoline to do it.
My bike is a Univega Rover--good bike; I don't think they make them anymore. It's a mountain bike (I believe that when I got the bike, mountain bikes were in fashion for some reason): the thick tires are pretty much wasted for the street riding that I do, and the bent-over position you need to take for the handlebars can get annoying, but it does have quite good balance, so if it's not uphill, I often ride without hands so that I can sit upright. I've had this bicycle for a long time now, and I like it very well, although I can't quite see myself naming it.
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I've been car free for the entire summer... it's been an interesting experience getting around with only a bike. Simple things like going to the grocery store, mailing a package, and getting to and from work now take planning and thinking.
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whenever i ride my bike now i sing the bike theme from pokemon red
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what do you guys think about fixed-gear bicycles :D
On August 15 2008 17:28 JohnColtrane wrote:
whenever i ride my bike now i sing the bike theme from pokemon red
hahahah
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Awesome posts, dudes.
Coltrane - bicycling is perhaps more wasteful than walking/running because it takes resources to produce a bicycle, and there is probably some pollution generated in the process. Bicycles require lubricant, which is oil based, and some of the chemicals involved are pretty toxic. The tires wear out and need to be replaced, and they are rubber. Compared to a car, we might as well say a bicycle doesn't pollute at all (even compared to hybrid cars and such). But if we are truly honest, we must admit that they aren't as environmentally friendly as walking or jogging. The one thing I will say, though, is that cycling uses far fewer calories than walking, and WAY fewer than jogging. This means you need more fuel to jog. If your diet incorporates meat, then it may work out that your jogging is more wasteful than cycling. I won't attempt to calculate this here, but merely point out that it is something to consider. Good question!
QRS - good post. It's good to hear about your bike, too! I think mountain bikes are more popular in general (also more targeted by thieves). One thing you could do if you cycle much is to switch out your tires with some slicks. It will make a difference! I'd also like to point out that while it SEEMS more effortless to move places in a car, this is an illusion, since you also have to factor in all the time you work to earn money to keep a car. Cars are, as I said, false economy.
Across Five July's - Good post. Keep on being car free! You are right, it does take a little more thought if you get around with just a bicycle, but it is very doable, and I find that having to be more aware of what I am doing is kind of nice. But the main thing I'll say is that the best thing you can do for a bike is get a rear rack and some good pannier bags. This makes shopping easy. I virtually never ride without at least one pannier bag - what if I find something cool and want to take it home? Also, if you use panniers to replace a backpack, your back won't get so sweaty. Perhaps you already know and do this! Anyhow, more power to ya!
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Paper - I think fixed gears are a silly trendy kind of bicycle. I find them to be dangerous and not nearly as useful as even a free-wheeling single speed. I'll never ride anything other than a good gearing bicycle if I have any choice. However, I do know people who ride fixed gear bikes, and they love it and get around quite well. They are surprisingly fast in certain conditions.
The main thing I'll say is that if a fixed gear bicycle gets you into bicycling as a way to get around, it's a good thing. But it ain't for me!
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that was a fun read. i don't own a bike, but i do own a longboard. i love it. every time i have a chance to ride it instead of driving my car i do. i love the wind in my face when i ride, i love the speed and the smoothness of the ride. just thinking about it makes me want to go and just ride somewhere.
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
great blog.
I definitely want to be able to bike to work, we'll see if situations allow for it.
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Driving a car is expensive and doesn't make you stronger. I bike everywhere except class in the morning sometimes, because I always feel nauseous for about my first waking hour.
My bike is some steel Bianchi with a top tube that's a little too long so my back hurts when I ride it. But I usually man up and deal with it.
There's this tour in my city called TOSRV, and my brother does it every year (though he lives 700 miles away).
In April I said "I'll go with you" (the tour was in May). So I did. He raped me ruthlessly, I didn't expect it to be so hard. But ever since, I've been into cycling. Of course, I rode the tour on some POS 25 year old Raleigh, but then he got me this new bike, since one of his cycling friends also likes motorcycles, but he's a hippie. My brother is a Ducati mechanic, and so fixed his motorcycle, but being a hippie he couldn't afford the bill so he gave my brother that Bianchi. Now I ride it and can go slightly faster.
Interesting how all sorts of chance things come together, just like in your case.
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But op, why do you think running contributes less to pollution than cycling? Sure you need to physically make the bike, but cycling requires far fewer calories. Try running 10 miles, and see how hungry you get afterward. Probably very, but cycling 10 miles is nothing.
After 2 or 3 thousand years it probably ends up more efficient than running.
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@ Inky - I think you and I are really on the same page. Advances in production in technology and productivity are not equivalent to advances in human well-being. I do however think that we are better off living with the benefits of modern medicine, free time, and adequate access to foodstuffs (though I would argue that our modern society has failed to provide adequate access to *healthy* foodstuffs). I'm not sure though that humanity is really capable of happiness as it were, and I would argue that humanity's tendency to never be satisfied is an evolutionary advantage that has lead to the marvels of our century (we truly are the only animal that has a sense of being better off tomorrow than we are today). Given that animal inability to find happiness, I would argue that scientific progress and material advancement are adequate benchmarks to measure our success as a species, and as such, the automobile is a plus to human society.
On the other hand, I agree that for many, a car is a luxury rather than a necessity, and a luxury that binds us into a way of living that we may not be comfortable with. Where I live in Arizona, a car really isn't a luxury, given the scale of things (I'm somewhat of an oddity, having chosen to live within easy biking distance of groceries and work (which - truly - many more could make the decision to live closer to those requirements)). However, it is the initial luxury of fast travel that allows those great distances skewing what was once a method of faster travel into merely a device of greater travel (that is to say, without cars, things would be within biking distance and instead of spending 30 minutes to go 10 miles in our cars, we would be doing the same 30 minutes to go 2 miles on a bike, and be happier for it). For transporting goods across the country (the very lifeblood of this modern economy), cars are completely necessary. In day to day living a good argument can be made that they bind us to a life of traveling more than we really need to, along with contributing to global warming, resource wars, and a sedentary lifestyle.
I'm probably getting to cerebral about this, but I'm curious to hear your thoughts
@ JeeJee. Give me a break. My analogy has some pretty solid backing while that guy was just pulling shit from his ass. Simply listing things that happened after an event is useless, I agree, but I can make a pretty solid case that the Interstate highway system really did contribute to the marvels of the modern era.
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4492 Posts
One more happy biker here to share the excitement.
My bike; a Magellan touring frame with (mostly) Shimano accessories.
+ Show Spoiler +
Unfortunately, living in Budapest does not always make it easy to bike, and having to commute 56km one-way to work in a nearby town doesn't help me either. The distance would be OK, especially considering that it takes 1.5 hrs with tube-bus anyway, so biking 2hrs wouldn't bother me, but the traffic on the roads leading to the town and the roads from the city are a real drag, so I take the bus instead (I have a driver's license, but am 100% car-free).
I usually do make frequent trips to my parent's place tho, which is ~20km away from where I live, and the road is very nice and pretty hilly, which is fun, as I love hitting the hills with the bike. Going there takes me around 45 minutes (by public transport this is a 1hr+ trip), and getting back home is 37 minutes, and even at night, when there is a night shift bus that goes directly from my parent's place to my place, beating that bus by a good 10mins with a 32km/h+ average just makes me feel like I won life every time I get there. Awesome feeling.
Biking is great. Accidents suck of course, but that's part of the adrenaline rush.
Good blog.
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Many very good comments! I appreciate you guys keeping the thread alive and also the nice words.
Ancestral - I have considered the point you bring up here. The bottom line is I don't know the answer. You may be right that ultimately cycling is even more efficient than walking/running. I do agree that in terms of calories, biking is far more efficient. Biking does often depend on roads and paths, though, and so I am also interested in factoring that into the equation.
Mynock - I dig your bike! And mad kudos to you for being car-free and enjoying it! I am very surprised to see how many of you love cycling and are also car-free. I am inspired.
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General Stan, I appreciate your post. First, I think you are right, there is a lot we would seem to agree on. But in your post there are some things that stand out to me that I don't agree on, or would at least want to question.
I would be curious, given the way you insightfully critique technology, why you hold scientific and material advancement to be adequate benchmarks by which to measure "success as a species." It is striking to me that you can speak of the "marvels" of modern societies, and simultaneously speak of the fact that they don't necessarily contribute to happiness or wellbeing. I say this in the most friendly way I can: you seem very ambivalent.
On medicine, I would direct you to Illich's book "Medical Nemisis," in which he treats medicine in the same way he treats modern transportation in "Energy and Equity" and education in "Deschooling Society." Agree or disagree, I think he offers interesting and formiddable arguments. For my small part here, I'll say that we modern folks may live longer, but we don't necessarily live MORE. And I say this by way of transitioning to the point that we actually DO NOT work less than our anscestors. So called primitives often work(ed) 2 - 4 hours a day. And the nature of that work is very different than work in modern societies. American work hours have been going up, and we work much more relative to many societies, and, as you point out, we aren't necessarily any happier for the effort. We have skyrocketing rates of depression, alienation, dissatisfaction, etc.
I don't share most people's view of progress or success. It's said that humans are responsible for many of the 27000 estimated extinctions per year. Our luxuries today are highly toxic. Even our drinking water is cleaned with poisons. Our food is unhealthy. Our luxury entails defense which consists of enough firepower to destroy the Earth many times over, and many brutal and unjust wars besides. I do not worship science or see it as a savior, or even a particularly beneficial approach to life (I'm not anti-science either, necessarily, but there is much in science that I am highly critical of). TO me, a better measuring stick would be how harmoniously we live with the rest of reality, how peaceful we are towards each other, and so on...
I basically agree with the rest of what you said (particularly paragraph 2).
Thank you for your post! Happy to hear from you.
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Zurich15328 Posts
Proud owner of a Steppenwolf Taiga, complete Shimano XT accessories, HS33 brakes. Total weight 10.8kg. <3 <3
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I used to go around exclusively by bike. Unfortunately that changed when my job required me to get a car and do business trips. Now I only go biking in the evening and over the weekend. I still use every hour available.
Last summer I was at 300km a week (with a racing bike admittedly). This year I am at 140km a week but most of it is mountain biking / single trailing.
Biking is totally awesome. Too bad I don't live in the mountains anymore though, now I have to drive 200km by car to get to some real, challenging mountains.
Edit: sorry that I didn't contribute to the environment discussion that seems to go on here as I am really indifferent towards it. I just love my bike for sports and, living in the city, for convenience.
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Since I'd rather not bump my own blog which doesn't have much to offer, I'm bumping this.
Anyone have any advice on road-bikes? My friend is absolutely against me buying a road-bike because, as he says, I'm not as experienced as I should be. So a few questions:
How easy is it to break a road-bike? And what is the learning curve for fixing various complications?
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Banzu, the main advice when it comes to buying a bicycle is to get something that fits you very well. A very sweet bike with poor fit is shitty compared to a low end bike with excellent fit.
Beyond that, there are lots of options. What do you want to do with your bike? My personal feeling is that bicycling is a practical form of transport, and should be built around practicality, not sports. What makes a bike practical? A practical bike takes fenders, racks (at least a rear rack), and has gearing that is suitable for your everyday person, not just Lance Armstrong.
The ideal road bike, given MY preferences, is a touring bike, but touring bikes usually start in the 700+ (but any good road bike will probably cost around that much at least anyway - road bikes are typically more costly than other kinds of bikes) range, and the really well regarded ones (including the Surly Long Haul Trucker, and Trek 520) are usually closer to 1200, or more. Touring bikes are built to be capable of hauling all the shit you need to survive for thousands of miles, 8 hours a day. The ideal such bike would be made of steel (more comfy, yet very tough), have a long wheelbase (wheels aren't close together), and have bar end or down tube shifers (instead of STI).
If you want more of a light commuting road bike, or just a sports bike (racing, etc), think about a cyclocross bike or just a straight up racer. These get VERY pricey. I'd spend at least 600 for something new.
If you shop old, get something made of steel.
The interesting thing is this: they are now making "cross" bikes that are essentially road bikes, with thin tires and bigger wheels (700c vs 26 inch mountain bike tires), but with the flat bar of a mountain bike, and often with a wider, more sensible gearing than a racing bike. I think this is a great way to go for someone who wants to commute or cycle, but doesn't plan to do off roading much (or at all). My recommendation in this category of bike is the Trek FX 7.3 - you can get it new for around 560. It's a great bike, and can be accessorized like mad (with fenders, bigger or smaller tires, racks - front and back racks!, and so on). It is really a very sensible bike. Good gearing on it too. My girlfriend just got one and loves it. This is easier to get used to than drop bars, but you'll still be faster than a mtb, by far. It's a good choice.
Other such bikes are the Specialized Sirrus, the Jamis Coda (made of steel, but I hear these bikes are often of less than stellar quality despite good components), and others made by Giant, etc. I'd go with the Trek.
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