When gas hit $3.00+ a gallon the first time around, I decided that I was going to use my bicycles as much as possible for my short-trip transportation needs. One of them is a Giant Rincon, circa 2004, and it has well over 2,000 miles on it by now—that's 2,000+ miles' worth of gasoline I haven't had to burn making short trips from my home to just about anywhere else I need to go to that's not too far away - say no longer than a 10-mile round-trip.

The other is a Trek 4500; like the Rincon, it's a mountain bike with a nice wide range of gear ratios enabling me to climb those long, steep upgrades that are everywhere in my home town.

The potential energy-crisis situation is real. However, alternative-energy vehicles such as the hybrid gasoline-engine/electric-motor vehicles, while they are a nice option, but cost so much, that I simply can't afford one. Nor am I the only person in this particular bind.

The need for kits allowing one to retrofit new technologies to existing motor vehicles is there, but so far, to the best of my knowledge, nobody has come up with anything practical - and low-cost - yet.

The only immediately-available alternative to gasoline/diesel-fueled motor vehicles that is within the price range of just about everybody is the common bicycle.

Yes, I know the bike has several deficiencies—such as not being able to carry very much. However, there are trailers available. The Fresh Aire trailer shown attached to my Rincon is made by the Fresh Aire bicycle-trailer manufacturing company in Ames, Iowa, which I acquired in 1995.

The one hitched to my Trek 4500 is the B.O.B YAK, available from any good local bicycle shop. The single-wheel configuration is different than anything else I have seen, but the weatherproof bag it comes with makes carrying moderate loads—35 to 45 pounds or so—quite easy.

The weatherproof bag—unique in that it has no zipper—you just press the edges together and roll up tightly to form a seal and snap the retaining strap to the D-rings at the bottom of the bag on each side to form a good weatherproof seal—makes carrying your load of groceries, books, or anything else rain-sensitive quite simple—the twin carrying handles makes it comfortable.

When I've done my shopping, I just load the bag into the shopping cart and use it at the checkout line to replace everything in after the clerk rings it up and I've paid for my purchases (ouch!).


As for the Fresh Aire trailer, you can easily acquire the big plastic chests like the one attached to mine, and an insulated ice chest for carrying home perishables like chicken, butter, meat, pork, and ice cream (yeah, Doc, I know, I know. . .).


On an average month of riding my bicycles instead of driving, I rack up between 60 and 125 miles. That's 60 to 125 miles of gasoline I haven't had to burn.


The advantages of riding bikes as opposed to using cars and other motor vehicles is several-fold; besides reducing our per capita gasoline/diesel fuel consumption, it would also reduce traffic congestion and air pollution. It would also increase our individual levels of physical fitness, which is nothing to laugh about, either.


Yes, I know—there are some occasions when the bike isn't feasible—like when it's below freezing and we've just have two or three inches of snow fall. Or when the mercury is heading for the century mark on those sunny days (but that's why they make sunblock with a PF of 50, isn't it?), or the wind is so strong the weather service is issuing high-wind warnings.


But much of the time, for short-range trips, the bicycle is a very handy, convenient and fun-to-ride alternative to motor vehicles. What is urgently needed everywhere are are bikes-only lanes on the city streets.


With safe lanes for bikes-only travel, we then could begin using bicycles not just for recreational riding, but for serious travel as well.





When I first saw this, I couldn't help laughing. But I'm not laughing anymore—it might get to be almost that bad!


And speaking of bad, I wore a respirator similar to this one when I was residing in Phoenix, AZ—the air pollution levels down there were so bad I had to; breathing deeply and rapidly and inhaling all of that crap into my lungs was something I could do without.


With the way traffic congestion is rapidly increasing in my somewhat more rural locale, I might have to start wearing it again—up here this time!


Oh, and the thing on the front of my helmet is a little white light powered by two AAA batteries—all it's good for is letting oncoming cars know I'm there, but the headlight on top of my helmet is a super-bright LED lamp powered by four C batteries—it has the brightness of a 10-watt halogen bulb, and with it, I can actually see where I'm going after dark. The pouch hanging from my neck holds the C batteries for the light.

Good for you Marc. Can't beat 0% gas consuption at all! Welcome to the boards.

Cool.

Unlike Europe, however, bike riding in the United States isn't always that accessible an option. The way transportation is set up in the United States; you basically need a car. This is especially so in the suburbs. There are rarely sidewalks outside the neighborhoods. Nor are there bike lanes/paths. And of course everything is spread out.

I seriously think transportation (and public transportation) in the United States needs a serious overhaul; at least to catch up to Europe's standards. In many German cities for example, you have bicycle paths lining the cities as if they were their own road system. Not to mention public transportation to die for. I just think that is so cool, and we Americans could use something like that; because not only is gas rising in price, but too many people are getting a little round if you know what I mean!

Good for you, though. I try to ride my bike or walk when I can (in terms of getting around the neighborhood or to the local market). But I think it's about time we at least had some sidewalks on some of the major roads!

Excellent initiative on ur part Marc.

My family in denmark don't even OWN a car. Everybody gets around on bicycles. My lovely mum cycles 25 - 30 kms a day to work and home. And whenever the weather gets bad, she just jumps on the train ( even though she's tough and takes on all but the very worst type of weather.)

That is the way to be Marc!