do i pay or do i go?

I want some input from any reader of this blog.

I am stuck with making a decision in the near future. I currently own and (reluctantly) drive a 1997 Nissan Maxima with about 135k miles on it. This car has served me well: got me through the second half of college, ferried me across the country last year when I moved from Alabama to Arizona and put up with a 45 mile daily commute to work for about 7 months. But it is getting to the point where I am sinking lots of money into repairing it. In the past 3 months alone I have: replaced the brake calipers, rotors, and pads ($500); replaced the CV axles ($400); and put a new starter in - for the 3rd time in the 4 years I have owned the car ($250).

Aside from the pain of knowing I could have built an AWESOME commuter bike with that money, it stings to keep putting money into something I don't really use that much anymore.

The truth is, I cannot completely give up owning a car (yet...). If I could, I would have tried to win New Belgium Brewery's "Follow Your Folly" contest and been given a brand new, custom built Surly commuter. So, I am looking at buying a new (to me) car.

Should I buy a newer car with plans of keeping it for 10 years? Or do I just buy something a few years old knowing I will have to sink money into it occasionally, but won't pay much up front?

I would be interested to know what suggestions or comments anyone who reads this blog would have. Feel free to leave a comment telling me your situation, or what you recommend, or what your friends do...whatever.

back on the saddle again

It was back to the bike for my daily commute today. I took last week off from biking to work in order to give my legs some rest and to see if I missed driving to work - in case you are wondering, I didn't miss it.

I also re-converted my "commuter" bike back to it's original status as a mountain bike so I could get out and ride some trails last week (see left - that is essentially my backyard). I never got around to swapping my knobbies out for the street tires, so I decided to take my road bike today. Aside from having to quietly sneak past a "domestically challenged" fella sleeping inside the Hwy 51 pedestrian overpass, my morning commute was quite standard. It felt great to get back to riding down Oak St. on my bike, the cool only 85 degrees at 6 a.m.) morning air streaming past me.

But it was the ride home that saw quite a bit of action (compared to what I've experienced so far). I got my very first chance to smoke a car off the line at a red light. I was sitting at a red light, two cars back, on a 4-lane road - so I had cars next to me. A Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup was in the lane to my left, and actually a car ahead of me. About five seconds into my track stand, the light turned green and the cars bolt off in front of me. The Ford truck and I cross the intersection at the same time. I could tell by the unnecessary roar of his engine that he wasn't accelerating like a grandma, and was actually putting his gas pedal down pretty hard. I dropped into a harder gear and did a little sprint - and much to my surprise, flew away from the truck. I looked back and he was coming along, but I still out sprinted him for about 150 yards.

It just goes to show that you don't have to drive an automobile to be a speed junky.

Secondly, I got yelled at for the first time in my brief bike commuting life. At an area where I make a left turn, there is a traffic circle in the middle of a 4-way intersection. Each direction only has a yield sign (which seems odd to me) - but also states "Yield to your left." I have gone through this intersection at least 47 times without a problem. As I pull into the circle and stop, with clear intentions of making a left turn AFTER all oncoming cars have passed, a early 30-something guy in a white civic comes to a screeching stop. His windows were down, but I look up and see the guy with his hands in the air, screaming - and the poor wife and kid in the back seat just sitting there, looking a tad embarrassed. I still don't understand what his problem was, because I was clearly out of his way, and had been stopped for the 4 cars before him. I'm sure he made his family very proud. I just watched him as he accelerated away.

Oh - I did forget to bring an undershirt with me today. This was the first time I have forgotten a piece of clothing, and thankfully it was nothing more.

All in all, it was great to get back to biking to work. A handful of people in my office commented when they saw my bike in it's spot this morning. "Hey, the bike's back!" They all seemed as excited as I did. It makes me think that I will soon, hopefully, be known as "the Bike Guy" at work.

The Velorution lives on.

gratitude and i'm ready for my interview

The guys over at bikecommuters.com posted an e-interview that I did with them this week. I have yet to stop feeling amazed at all the response I have been getting from my venture into blogging since the beginning of August. I am definitely not entirely up to speed with all the gadgets available for the blogosphere that allow you to track who is linking to your blog and things like that, but I feel like everyday I come across another site that has referenced this blog.

So, to all of you who have read OR wrote about my life here in Phoenix: Thank You! I have had only positive feedback and people rooting for me since day 1 - and that is a really great feeling. At a time when you see only news of death, trouble, terror, hatred, greed and lies, it is important that a community of strangers can unite under a common cause - and in this case, that cause is riding a Bicycle.

To the loyal readers who were here every day - or close to it - know that I will continue biking and writing about it. Who knows what shape this blog will take in the days to come. But it will still be here. I know I said I would post some reflections this past week - my bad. I DID finish writing parts 2 and 3 of the series of bike commuting beginner's guides this week, and will let you know when they are published on CICLE and CoolPeopleCare.

Experiences like "the Velorution" give me hope that not all people will shun the bike as a "19th century solution to a 21st century problem." It gives me hope that I don't, at age 24, stand facing a life of traffic jams and Jiffy Lubes - and that there are many others who feel the same way.

Most importantly, it gives me hope that change IS possible, and does not rely on government mandate or cultural acceptance. Change is in the voice of the individual - the individual willing to step up and say, "I don't HAVE to live this way." Change is in the hands (or legs) of the individual - the individual who hears others say, "It can't be done," and does it. Change is in the heart of the individual - the individual who cares enough to try, and who is open enough to the transformation waiting to happen.

Long live the Velorution.

bike commuting 101: car if you don't, don't car if you do

Back in the days of childhood, a bicycle was more than a bicycle - it was an instrument of freedom. It was all we needed to get us from point A to point B. Yet somewhere down the metaphorical road of life, we trade that bicycle in for traffic jams and soaring gas prices, thinking we are better off. The time has come to dust off the Schwinn and hit the ground pedaling.

If you have ever thought about becoming a bike commuter, there is no better time than the present. And you don't have to bike to work to become part of the respectable network of bike commuters; a bike commuter is simply someone who uses a bicycle for the purpose of personal transport - whether that be transport to work, school, the park, the grocery store, or even a friend's house or coffee shop.

A bicycle is something most people have lying around the house, and contrary to popular belief, commuting by bike does not require you to have a top of the line touring/commuter bike; nearly any bike can be good enough to get you started. This means you don't have to sink a thousand dollars (or more) into what the guy at the bike shop will tell you is the appropriate bike for commuting. The important thing is that you enjoy the ride and are comfortable.

Statistics - the Bad

About 9 out of 10 (87.7%) American workers drive to work, and it's not because they simply love the thrill of gripping that steering wheel and hitting the pavement. A Pew Research Poll (Aug. 2006) shows that Americans enjoy driving less than they did in 1991, with only 69% of drivers saying they actually enjoy it as compared to 79% in 1991. That means that, on average, 3 out of every 10 cars you pass has a disgruntled driver controlling a 1-2 ton piece of metal at speeds in excess of 60 mph.

As noted by the Pew Research Report:

A National Household Travel Survey (April 2006) found that in 2001, for the first time since such studies have been conducted, there were more personal vehicles (204 million) than licensed drivers (191 million) in America. With all those cars, trucks, minivans and SUVs at their disposal, Americans have been making more trips and traveling more miles, thereby generating more of the very thing that has made them enjoy driving less: traffic jams. From 1991 to 2003, the amount of time per year that the typical American spent stuck in traffic grew by 56%, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Statistics - the Good

It is estimated that 40% of daily trips made by Americans are less than two miles long. Additionally, one in three Americans owns a bicycle.

There are many great reasons to use a bicycle as a means of everyday transportation:

• You can remember what it's like to be happy since you won't sit in traffic all day.
• You will get more exercise and fresh air.
• You save money on gas and car repairs.
• You pollute less.

But there are also a lot of barriers that people think are common problems with bike commuting:

• I'll be all sweaty when I get to work/my destination.
• I don't have a safe route to travel.
• I live too far from where I need to go.
• I am not a very good cyclist.

And the list could go on. We can always find excuses NOT to do something. But if there is anything I have learned it's that making the world a better place is not an event that will just happen on its own. If you need a refresher:

CoolPeopleCare exists to motivate and educate people in order to mobilize them to change their worlds.

Be on the lookout for a recurring series of "Bike Commuting 101's" that will address the gear required to commute by bike, common misconceptions about bike commuting and, ideally, will help get you on the saddle (that's cyclo-speak for "seat") and start riding - whether it's to the coffee shop around the corner, or to your office 12 miles away.

day 23: it's friday...and the end of august. i made it!

It's Friday and I am getting ready to head out of town for the weekend. After a hot month of bike commuting, I will spend some much needed time in the forest just north of Flagstaff, Arizona. The forecast shows a high of 80 throughout the weekend, a low of 50, and a 30-40% chance of rain. This will be just what I need.

My new and encouraging friends at CoolPeopleCare and C.I.C.L.E. have been so kind as to offer to publish a 4-part intro to bike commuting that I have been putting together. The links to part 1 are below - with parts 2, 3 and 4 to come in due time. Whether or not you read what I wrote is inconsequential, but I highly recommend browsing their websites. Sam (CPC) and Shay (C.I.C.L.E.) are good people on good missions to do their part in making the world a nicer place for everyone.

• Bike Commuting 101: Car if You Don't, Don't Car if You Do - CoolPeopleCare C.I.C.L.E.

Other news this week:

• There's nothing like a little competition to get people to think of creative solutions to problems. The Treehugger.com/PopularScience/Instructables Go Green challenge awarded 2nd prize to the Cart Bike. Now you have no excuse for not riding a bike to the grocery store!
• Yes, not riding a bike will make you fat. Ok, it's maybe not THAT extreme, but a recent report completed by the Thunderhead Alliance has linked American's decrease in walking/biking to an increase in waist sizes.
• This is not "new" news, but in July it was announced that a 35-year-old set a new record for the 2,490-mile Great Divide Mountain Bike trail with a time of 15 days, 4 hours and 18 minutes.

Enjoy your holiday weekend and I will be back in the middle of next week. Cheers and here's to the Velorution!

day 22: the 'experiment' is almost over...

The past two days have seen a spike in heat. I attribute much of my fatigue and tiredness yesterday to the heat of my ride home. It was so hot that the sun would sting the back of my legs as I headed westward in the afternoon. After standing up to pedal for a few seconds, my saddle would heat up, making it uncomfortable to sit back down. But it is Arizona, and it is August.

As I face the final day of my commitment of biking every day for the month of August, I am pleased. The heat was certainly the harshest factor - but I am glad I did it this month, because it only makes me more excited to continue commuting by bike into the cooler, more moderate months ahead.

This morning, when I was changing in the facilities at work, I could not resist the temptation to do a little "muscle-check" in the full length mirrors in the fitness room. Much to my pleasure (and surprise), the past month of biking 16 miles a day for 5 days a week has done wonders for the muscle tone in my legs, especially my calf muscles. There is a certain feeling of tightness that comes along with muscle growth, which I have felt in my legs for some time now. But it wasn't until today that I really was able to quantify that by looking in a mirror. I'm ok with that.

After tomorrow's post, I am heading to Flagstaff for the weekend to do some camping with my girlfriend and my best guy friend. It will be nice to escape the heat for the weekend and just get away in general. My plan is to take the first few days next week off from biking, allowing my legs to get some much needed rest. I also won't be blogging for the beginning of next week. But rest assured, I fully intend to continue bike commuting and writing about the experience. Even more, spending some time in the woods this weekend will hopefully provide me with some "introspection" time in which I can absorb the events of the past month. The result will be - hopefully - some organized thought on what I have done this month, and what I have left to do.

Tomorrow will be my usual "it's Friday" post with some news from the week. One thing that I am really excited about is that a piece I wrote about bike commuting is being published on two friends' websites, CoolPeopleCare and C.I.C.L.E. I will of course include links to those tomorrow.

I could not have done it without the Velorution to keep me going.

day 21: is it friday yet?

We had a spike in air temperature today that made for a very hot and long ride home. Honestly, I am just a tad worn out and have much more writing to do for the 4 part series I am working on. So, I leave you with some pictures and best wishes on your rides. I cannot wait for cooler weather!