Burning Man & Greenbelt - threatened!

I will assume you are familiar with the Burning Man phenomenon.  Every year in late August, in the Black Rock Desert northeast of Reno, thousands of people throw off the bonds of convention and gather for a week or 10 days of  "arts and culture."  Attendees are expected - encouraged - to push the boundaries of expression and excess.  It culminates with the "main event" - the burning of an immense wooden statue of a man, surrounded by the gyrating, howling - but peaceful - mob.

I've never been tempted to attend, any more than I've been tempted to attend the annual Sturgis "biker" rally.  Perhaps I suffer from what Yogi Berra explained as follows, when speaking of a popular restaurant: "NOBODY goes there any more - it's too crowded!"  (I tend to shy away from large, chaotic groups.  The Fair or a Bronco Stadium football game is pushing my boundaries; I tend to gravitate AWAY from big crowds.)

The population of the most recent "Burning Man" was in excess of 60,000.

The founders and organizers laid down these principles by which Burning Man will be governed:
    - Radical inclusion
    - Gifting
    - Decommodification
    - Radical self-reliance
    - Radical self-expression
    - Communal effort
    - Civic responsibility
    - Leaving no trace
    - Participation
    - Immediacy
… and they've done their best to stay true to those principles.  (I'm sure it's a challenge, when 60K people, with widely-varying levels of commitment, show up for a week and then go back to their day jobs, or whatever their pastimes.)

However, the spirit of Burning Man is under threat from "poseurs" - jet-setters and "social media influencers" who get limo'ed in for Instagram photos, who live in the turnkey, self-contained 2-bedroom "Moon Village" with "super powerful AC" while making the scene, and then get whisked away in the limo to the private jet that awaits at the nearest airport.

Interesting article about it all HERE.

This year, Marian Goodell, the CEO of the undertaking, expelled the worst offenders and warned others.  She wrote, "Black Rock City requires significant investments of time, energy, and resourcefulness.  Part of what makes Burning Man unique and powerful is that everyone has to work hard to be there..."

In thinking about it, that's a pretty good explanation of some of my recent "Greenbelt feelings."

As traditional self-powered Greenbelt users (pedestrians, cyclists, runners, skaters, etc.) are joined by people on electric-powered bicycles and now "e-scooters"...

There's rarely a traffic problem on the Greenbelt between, say, October and April.  But come those summer months, it gets mighty crowded on a perfect weekend afternoon or warm summer evening.  And apparently going forward, those traditional large crowds will be supplemented by people who "don't have to work hard to be there."  They just twist a throttle or push a button to become part of the mass of humanity.  And the quality of the experience deteriorates for everybody, just as surely as the quality of a nice drive from Eagle to downtown Boise deteriorates... if you're doing it at 7:30 on a weekday morning.

Surely the e-bikers and e-scooterers aren't going overboard on "decommodification," or "radical self-reliance," or "communal effort," or even "participation."  (I can't imagine I'd feel much sense of participation, if I was just rolling thru on a self-propelled vehicle.)

Time will tell.  2019 will be our first summer with full-blown, unlimited e-bikes and e-scooters.  It will also be the first summer with several new attractions (expanded water park in particular).  Our city overlords don't seem to have any reservations about trying to limit crowd sizes - growth is good!  I'm not feeling optimistic about the "Greenbelt experience" going forward, but maybe my worries are totally irrational... we'll see.

Am I toxic?

The Social Justice Activists have moved onto another defect that pervades our society - Toxic Masculinity.  I don't watch much TV, but apparently Gillette - the razor blade people - even have a commercial chastising the 50% of humanity who can grow a beard.  For being men.  (Admittedly I don't know the details, but the men who are confident about being men share some of the blame for the abusers and wife beaters?)  (Dang it, why didn't I take some psychology classes, so I'd understand all this stuff?!!)

Now I can't help but wonder... do I ride a bike (and with a beard, several months of the year) because I suffer from TMS?

I gotta confess - riding a bike instills in me a sense of superiority over the weak-and-infirm people who choose a lesser form of transportation.  But I try REALLY HARD to contain that feeling in my brain, and not point out the feebleness of the others.  (I'm sure they're painfully aware of it - why point out the obvious?)

Maybe I should change my moniker to Bike Neanderthal.

Well... if I'm a carrier of TMS, at least I don't have it as bad as those poor slobs who spend $50,000 on an F350 Super Duty, and then add $15,000 worth of masculine bling to it!!

(nudge-nudge, wink-wink)

I love my commute!!

How's your commute?

Mine is about 3.5 miles each way. It involves a bit of downhill in the morning, and a bit of "payback" uphill in the afternoon. It takes about 15 minutes - by bicycle (of course). In any given year, there are a few wet days, a few cold days, and a few hot days... but the compromise in comfort is more than offset by the $ savings, emotional well-being, and FUN! (It's a rare day indeed, when my commute time isn't some of the best time of the day.)

I especially appreciate my commute, when forced to consider the alternatives.

A couple mornings ago I was listening to Public Radio while thinking about getting out of bed. They had a story about "Super Commuters" (transcript HERE).  "Super commuters are people who spend more than 90 minutes traveling to work every day. It's a rough way to live, but more and more people are doing it."

A woman named Jodie Collins works in San Francisco (as a makeup/hair stylist and Lyft driver). She lives in Sacramento... 90 miles away. If everything lines up perfectly, the commute takes her 1.5 hours. Often it takes 3 hours... because how often is urban interstate travel "perfect"? She rises at 4:45am ... and arrives back home at 2am the next day.

Oh my goodness! How much money would I have to earn, to put myself through such a regimen?!!

Closer to home... Jayson Hicks and his wife used to live in Seattle, but traffic was so bad, and housing so expensive, that they moved to Idaho. Twice a week, they drive 100 miles to Boise (so... maybe from McCall?), and fly to Seattle for work.

Sean Wright has what would see "on paper" to be a more sensible commute. He lives in Riverside and works in Los Angeles. (That's like Meridian and Boise, no? Not quite...) Sean says, "The worst part is knowing how many hours I'm spending commuting - four hours a workday, 20 hours a week, 80 hours a month all spent commuting."

I'm so fortunate! The farthest distance I've ever dealt with, from home to workplace, is probably five miles. I listen to the morning traffic reports and am convinced I wouldn't even be able to handle a drive in from Meridian or Eagle. Way too much that can go wrong, and I don't have enough faith in my fellow commuters. I'll stick with my 15-minute bike commute, where the worst-case scenario is less-than-ideal climatic conditions (and if treacherously slippery, surrendering and taking the bus instead).

Electric-powered bikes - are they really bikes?

I continue to have reservations about the gradual but steady increase in the number of people coasting around on electric-powered bikes.  Particularly, based on observation, I'm not convinced that they will ever mesh nicely with human-powered transportation.

It's always dangerous to stereotype, but (here goes...) riders of electric bikes seem to be generally inexperienced - it may be the first "bike" they've ridden in 20 or 30 or 40 years!  Their bicycling skills are rusty... they have grown unfamiliar with the bicycle rules of the road and common courtesy.  They tend to move at a considerably faster pace than their counterparts who are supplying their own forward propulsion.  (That's understandable, since e-bikes seem to zoom right along with the slightest rotation of the pedals or push of a handlebar-mounted lever.  And - I've never ridden one and don't intend to - but that's how it seems.)  Fast speeds and rusty skills tend to be a dangerous combination.

Many - perhaps most - seem uncomfortable riding anywhere but on corridors that have traditionally been reserved for "no motor vehicles" - and many are still posted as such.

Earlier this week, I was riding on the Greenbelt.  Traveling at what I consider to be a fairly brisk pace for the Greenbelt - 13 to 15mph.  Traffic was almost non-existent.  (Most people put away their white pants and bicycles after Labor Day - haha!)  A seasoned couple came crusing up behind me on their e-bikes.  I observed in my rearview helmet mirror that they were barely pedaling, but overtook me with ease.  A lady followed by a man.  They didn't try passing, but were riding close enough behind me to catch a little slipstream - ha!  We reached a point where the pathway was closed, and a sign directed traffic across the (Veterans Parkway) bridge, to the other side of the river.  A block up the pathway on that side - it was closed (!!) and a sign directed traffic onto city streets (which were covered with gravel for a chip-seal - is there ANY road or path that's not being repaired right now??).  I was somewhat amused when I left the path for the streets... and left the e-bike couple in the distance.  They were obviously unwilling to venture out on city streets.

At least they had the common sense to not attempt a pass, unlike some e-bicyclists who keep the pedal to the metal regardless of limited sight distance, heavy multi-mode traffic, etc.  (They are the pickup truck drivers of the bike path!  haha)

Finally... I can't imagine there would be much emotional reward to riding an e-bike.  A large part of my incentive in bicycling comes from ability to do so, and the sense of independence.  It's very satisfying to arrive at destinations powered completely by myself; it's something that most people are not able or willing to do, and frankly I feel like I rise above the masses, at least in my transportation choice.  Would you feel any such satisfaction if it's just a different form of motorized transportation?  (As a regular motorcyclist, I speak from experience.  I don't derive that same emotional reward from going someplace on the motorcycle.)

HOWEVER... for those few e-bike riders who would otherwise be driving someplace in a single-occupant motor coach, I s'pose I can get behind that.

High schoolers pull a bike-share prank

Over in Rockford, IL, some high school seniors pulled an epic prank.  They collected a bunch of LimeBikes - it's a bike-share where bikes don't have to be locked into a station - and parked them in the high school parking lot - one bike to each parking space.

Not only is it a quality harmless prank... it also does a good job of illustrating how much space is required for automobile parking.  According to the story (HERE), "Everybody had a good laugh, and the students moved the bikes to a single spot on the lot later in the day."

(I've heard of these "LimeBikes" before.  Evidently it's a relatively new venture - and they have lots of startup capital.  Based on the way it operates, with bikes NOT being secured, I can't imagine it's financially feasible - if there's not some way to secure the bikes, seems to me they will need to be replaced too regularly.)

E-bikes soon to be a reality

E-bikes got the go-ahead from the City Council, at the December 5th meeting.  "Class 1" and "Class 2" will have the green light in bike lanes... on the Greenbelt... on many foothills paths, and on sidewalks (!) as soon as the ink dries.

I submitted a report to the Boise Guardian.  You can read it HERE.

At the Council meeting, the City experts had recommended against allowing the electric-assist bikes on the sidewalks.

There was considerable discussion about the different "classes" of E-bikes... apparently those that will be allowed can't provide more than 20mph of forward propulsion, and only when the rider is pedaling.  But I've observed E-bike riders cruising along, "smart phone" to ear, and barely turning the pedals even though the bike is going 20mph.  I guess we're about to find out how they will interact with other Greenbelt users.

Probably 25 members of the general public testified.  The pro-E-bike group was well-represented, including numerous E-bike riders who confessed to operating their bikes in violation of the current statutes.

I anticipate that many E-bike riders will be good Greenbelt citizens.  The lady who likes to take her kids to their soccer practices and music lessons.  The guy who has bad knees and can't ride a regular bike without pain.  The senior-citizen couple.  (Although if they rode REGULAR bikes, they would receive a lot more benefit in the form of cardio activity!)  But there will be some PROBLEM E-bikers... just as there are problem bicyclists, pedestrians, dog-walkers, smart-phone zombies.  And, I expect there to also be doofuses on Gas-powered bicycles... I've urged the Council to make it very clear that the hydrocarbon-burning bikers will eagerly take to the infrastructure, unless they are blocked by statute and enforcement.  (But I'm getting the impression that public comments are a mere formality... our Dear Leaders already know what's best and will proceed with their perfect plan.  Sigh...)

Invasion of the E-bikes

So... what's your feeling about electric-assist bicycles using dedicated bicycle facilities, and non-motorized pathways, etc.?

I've got mixed feelings.

One the one hand... if people are getting out of their single-occupant cars as a result of riding an E-bike, it's hard to find fault with that.  But on the other hand... if you have a motor pushing you along so you don't have to pedal, you're missing out on the health benefits that riding a bicycle can provide.  (I keep hearing that we have an obesity epidemic going on in this country.  Could it be that too many folks don't do anything more strenuous than pushing buttons or turning a steering wheel?)

The Boise City Council is planning on taking testimony on how to deal with the E-bike issue this next Tuesday, December 5th.  I hope I can attend the meeting and testify... but in the meantime I composed a message to various city leaders, part of which is below:

... I probably use the Greenbelt, bike lanes, bike routes, etc., as much as anybody in town... so, I'm quite interested in the news that the City will consider how to deal with "E-bikes" and bicycle-specific infrastructure. ...

Apparently there is a proposal to drop various types of E-bikes into classifications based on their performance - Class 1, 2, and 3, with 3 being the "high performance" E-bikes.  And then SOME E-bikes will be allowed and others won't.

To me, that sounds like a mass of confusion, and an enforcement nightmare.

I would strongly recommend an alternative...

If I understand correctly, in order to be an "E-bike," it has to be a bicycle that can be pedaled by the rider, in addition to a motor that can provide optional "pedal power."

Wouldn't it be much easier to just declare that "human pedal power" is the only acceptable energy, for bicycles of all stripes, when using bicycle and non-motorized facilities?  In other words, you need to keep your E-bike motor turned off, if you're using bike lanes, Greenbelt, etc.  (An exception could be made for people with a disability.  And "Pedaling is HARD!" should not be considered a disability!)

Based on my casual observation, I'd say it's fairly obvious if somebody is cruising down a bicycle facility at 15 or 20mph, and barely pedaling.  I'm already seeing it... and apparently I'm not the only one.  To me, it seems like it would be much more difficult to determine whether that cruising is being done on a "class 1, 2, or 3" E-bike.

As anybody who regularly uses the Greenbelt can attest to, the wide variety of users already poses challenges when you get the mix of pedestrians, cyclists, pedestrians with dogs on 20-foot leashes, skaters, cross-country-ski-rollers, smart-phone zombies, clumps of chatty Cathys, etc.  I see nothing but trouble if you have a new group of people zooming along nonchalantly on their MOTORIZED bicycles.

No matter what you decide, I hope you can also make a strong declaration, backed up with vigorous enforcement, that those stinky/raucous/annoying GAS-powered bicycles have no place on ANY bicycle infrastructure!  PLEASE!  (I've encountered people riding them on the Greenbelt... in bike lanes... on sidewalks!)

Thanks for your attention.

Imagine - working out while you commute!

Just when you think you've seen everything... some genius comes along and thinks of something new and revolutionary!

In this case... it's a bus that, instead of being equipped with seats for the passengers, is equipped with exercise bikes for the passengers!

This is going to be a huge hit with people who like riding exercise bikes, and riding on the bus!

Story HERE.

From the article: "Why commute to work on a bike, fighting traffic and dodging potholes, when you could ride a stationary bike mounted inside a bus while you commute?"  And, "Safety concerns could be the biggest obstacle for 1Rebel's novel commuting plan.  The bikes mounted in the buses are not currently slated to include seatbelts, and Balfour made no mention of helmets."

Stationary bikes on a bus, with seatbelts!  Hahahahaha!  Hilarious!

The wizards behind this scheme are anticipating charging $17-21 for a 45-minute "class."  It's called "Ride2Rebel."  Edgy!!  I assume the cost of the commute will be included. If they could rig the bikes up so that they provided the forward propulsion, instead of that big diesel engine, they might be on to something! (Kinda like those "bar bikes" where everybody sitting around the bar is pedaling, while the bar lumbers down the road at 4mph.)

Full disclosure:  They have a gym at my place of work.  The first winter of my employment, I signed up and rode a stationary bicycle maybe half-a-dozen times on icy winter days.  I could NOT stand it!  I sorely missed the breeze (or wind and sleet) in my face... and the potholes and traffic, too, I s'pose.  I'd rather walk to and from work... or ride a bike fighting traffic and dodging potholes... than ride an exercise bike in a moving bus!  But... different enthusiasms make the world an interesting place.

Americans spend 3.4 million years commuting

It was a startling headline at the Deseret News (SLC Utah) website.  But I checked the math - it's correct.

In 2014, the average American spent 26 minutes commuting each way, to and from work.  (And there are around 139 million workers.)

That compares with an average commute time of 21.7 minutes, back in 1980, and is trending upward.

Approximately 1/4 of American workers commute less than 14 minutes one way.  But the number of Americans with "really, really long commutes" (defined as 45 minutes or more, each way) has gone up significantly since records started being kept (1980).

Observer Christopher Ingram: "Imagine spending the entire month of August — 24 hours of every day — stuck in your car or riding the bus. That's what it's like for 3.6 million American workers."  (Wow!!)

The experts say the morning commute is the worst, psychology-wise.  It can mess you up.  (It's slightly more pleasant if you're commuting with somebody else.  Maybe company helps.  Maybe if you're sharing misery, it doesn't seem quite so bad.  Maybe you're less likely to slowly slip into insanity, if you're not alone.)

For me, after 30 years of bicycle transportation, my in-town behind-the-wheel time is just about my least-favorite time!!  I get totally stressed, sitting in traffic with the motor running!  I can't imagine spending an hour or more doing that, five days a week, fifty weeks a year!

This statement seems odd to me:

"Less time commuting might be put to work in other ways, though no one seems quite sure how to make commutes shorter."

Well, Duh!!  If you live closer to where you work... your commute will be shorter.

People choose to live farther from work for various reasons.

Perhaps the neighborhoods near the workplace are unsavory, or too expensive.  Or maybe they have such a charming residential situation, they can't bear the thought of living someplace else, no matter the downside.

Now and then, we will go for a drive in the country and see a lovely charming rural house for sale.  You know, surrounded by big weeping willows and a creek or pond.  Acres for playing.  I can totally understand the appeal.  But... will I want to get up an hour earlier 5 days a week, and spend 45 minutes sitting in traffic, to get to work?  And get home an hour after quitting time?  The prospect isn't pleasant!  But it MUST be considered!

Here's an example of some flawed logic.

A good friend's brother was moving to the area - he had gotten a job in Boise.  He looked around at rental properties in Boise, and ended up renting a house in Nampa.  His explanation: "It's so expensive in Boise!  I was able to get a place in Nampa for $40 per month less!"  So - he was going to spend an hour or more extra per day commuting... and buy probably 2 extra gallons of gas... in order to save $40 per month on rent.  Sheesh!

But I digress.

I usually leave home on the bicycle at 7:40am, in order to be sitting at my desk at 8am.  If I drove the car, it might take 5 minutes less if I could find a parking spot immediately.  But 5 minutes of parking-spot search would even things out.  (And... I'm as far from work right now as I've ever been.  For a couple glorious years I lived across the parking lot from my job... I was renting a house that belonged to my employer.)

Parade participant!

I was a reluctant participant in a parade this morning...

Due to external circumstances, it was my job to drive the granddaughter to school today.  It happens every school day... but most often it's her grandma behind the wheel of the float.

The granddaughter is 9 years old, responsible enough for her age, and has an uncanny sense of direction - better than most adults!  If the need arose, she could probably find her way to school blindfolded.

The school is about 3/4 mile away.  One somewhat-busy road to cross, but there's a nice crosswalk with warning lights that can be pedestrian-activated.  Totally-flat terrain - there's probably not 2 feet of elevation change from Point A to Point B... or anywhere in between.

It was indeed a parade.  There were a couple school buses - they get preferred parking near the front door.  The cars - most carrying one child and his/her book bag - queued up for a block-and-a-half.  For a guy who rarely runs a motorcar at all, it's pretty stressful to sit there, foot on the brake, engine idling, staring at the back end of another parade participant.

I've argued unsuccessfully that Mackie would benefit if she were allowed to walk, or bike, to school every now and then - at least on nice days.  (The neighbor girl goes with her - and the neighbor girl's dad picks them up and brings them home in the afternoon.  At least they've got a low-key car pool.)

Times have sure changed.  When I was an elementary-school child, the norm was to walk to school, or ride your bike, unless you lived a long distance.  But 50-odd years later, it's pretty much understood that kids will get smashed by inattentive or impaired motorists.  And the ones who don't get smashed will be abducted by predators in big black sedans.

I'm grateful for the people who are involved in the Safe Routes to School program.  Maybe at some point, Mackie will be trusted to make that perilous jaunt.  (There's another little girl down the street who's in first grade - she rides her bike on nice days, and so far she's somehow been able to survive the many perils.  I'm sure some folks regard her parents as being totally irresponsible!)

Suicide Knob

I sing in the choir at church. (Well - I emit noise, anyway. It's not a choir that requires an audition, and my daughter is the director, so I'm in!)

And last Sunday, our excellent accompanist commented on the long stretch between the bass note and the tenor note... it was well over an octave, and she told us, "You tenors, I might have to sacrifice your note if I can't play both." A notorious smart-alek, Mark, piped up, "Can't you play one of the notes with your nose??"

I've been thinking about that.

Some of you old-timers might remember "suicide knobs" from the good old days. Back before power steering and automatic transmissions were widespread, a popular after-market accessory was a small rotating knob, which you could bolt to your car's steering wheel. It allowed easier one-handed steering, leaving the other hand free for alternate duties. They were sometimes called a "necker knob," or a "Brodie knob" after an actor/daredevil from yesteryear.

According to the Wikipedia, they were particularly popular among hot rodders on the West Coast, because they facilitated doing stunts, spinouts, etc.

My dad had one on his car - I remember it well, because it was beautiful two-tone white and translucent emerald green. And back in those days, kids could sit in the front seat.

They're still available - just do a web search for "suicide knob."

And to my way of thinking, they'd be more useful now than ever!

In fact - thinking back on choir practice, I'd suggest a modified design, with a cup shape and a soft, padded surface - perhaps Naugahyde, or fine Corinthian leather. My design would be particularly handy for folks with a manual transmission, or with a bench seat and your honey sitting close.

You could mount it at the twelve-o'clock position on your steering wheel.

Then, when you have your cell phone in your left hand, your coffee cradled between your knees (thus making it hard to steer with your legs), and need to operate the gearshift with your right hand (or have it wrapped around your babe), or you need both hands for your texting responsibilities, you could lean forward, inserting your nose in the suicide knob, and engage in rhinosteerage.

Why hasn't somebody thought of this before?!! It should be standard equipment on any car with a manual transmission, in these attention-deficit times. Frequently I see people who just have to trust the direction of their vehicle to luck, because they are out of appendages.

"Driving in America has stalled."

According to this article by AP writer Joan Lowy, total [motor] vehicle use peaked in America in August, 2007. It dropped off sharply, no doubt due to the recession and the ever-escalating cost of fuel. It has rebounded somewhat since, but has now leveled off.

Why?

The experts cite several contributors:
- The percentage of young people who get driver's licenses has dropped off, suggesting that driving isn't as important as it has been in the past
- Ongoing uncertainty about the economy
- Gas prices
- Traffic, lack of parking spaces, etc., has soured people. "Getting into a car no longer correlates with fun."
- Cars are no longer a "fetish of masculinity" for many in our society
- Changing lifestyles - more shopping online, public transit is more popular in many areas, as are walking and cycling
- The population is aging, and the huge "baby boom bubble" drives less as they retire, etc.
- Unemployment - Young people in particular are having a hard time getting and holding a job that will support a car

Bike transportation vs. Car transportation

Peter Drew of Adelaide, Australia, prepared this enlightening stencil.

(Thanks, Ellen, for pointing this out to me on the Flickr.)

Traffic Jams

According to this KBOI2 article, Boise commuters spend 16 hours a year stuck in traffic.

It's probably safe to assume that about 15 minutes per week is the time directly attributable to traffic delays - you know, sitting there and looking at somebody's bumper.  On top of the amount of time it would take to drive from Point A to Point B, assuming a free flow of traffic.

And Boise's traffic is merciful, compared with Los Angeles (61 hours) or Washington, DC (67 hours). The national average is 38 hours.

On those rare occasions when I have to drive a car in town, I find that sitting in traffic is one of the most stress-inducing things about driving. I just sit there and stew about the time and gas I'm wasting, and find myself longing to be on my trusty velocipede. In fact, if I can tell I'm going to be sitting for awhile, I'll turn the motor off. At least I'm not wasting gas for those seconds.

Infographic: The Cost of Traffic Jams

Nationwide Insurance says traffic jams cost the average motorist $716 per year.  According to their interesting chart, the worst city is Washington, DC, where people spend 72 hours per year sitting in traffic jams.  Frankly, that seems low to me... as somebody who occasionally sits in big-city traffic, I'd think the accumulation would be more than 10 or 15 minutes per day.

The most prevalent causes of traffic jams?  Bottlenecks (40%), traffic incidents (25%), bad weather (15%), work zones (10%), poor traffic signal timing (5%).

I'd say cyclists are pretty much immune from all of those but bad weather.  And I've been slowed by bad weather on my bike, but never "traffic jammed."

435 million bicycles in China

In 1995, there were 670 million bicycles in China - most used regularly as transportation. The average Chinese family aspired to having "sanshengyixiang" - cleverly translated "three rounds and sound." Or in other words, the symbols of success were a wristwatch, a bicycle, a sewing machine, and a radio.

Since then, as Chinese manufacturing and prosperity have ramped up, and western greed and decadence crept in, Chinese folks were no longer content to ride their bikes. They found themselves wanting to drive a car, and live in the Big City. "To get rich is glorious." (Such a notion has to be troubling to the Communist Party fat cats, huh?) Car ownership doubled, from 4.2 million to 8.9 million, while the bike fleet dropped 35 percent, from 670 million to 435 million.

Which introduced the unwanted byproducts of motor transportation - terrible air pollution and traffic jams of epic proportion. (The article mentions "62 mile, nine-day" traffic jams!)

Now, China seems to be having a minor bike renaissance, fueled mostly by Chinese "hipsters" wanting to be like the hipsters of the West - who ride bikes because it's trendy and fashionable. (Reasons which are so much more valid than the reasons they used to ride bikes - because it's efficient and economical.)

Article HERE.

Road Trip Retrospective

Last week - specifically June 9 thru June 17 - the missus and I drove 4282 miles in 11 states. She drove a couple days; I did most of the driving. (I enjoy driving, but don't do it much.)

It's probably safe to say that in that one 9-day stretch, I drove more miles than in the past 3 years combined, and bought more gas (169 gallons) than I've bought in a single year in many many more years. We passed through the outskirts of Omaha, but that's the only place where we dealt with any traffic to speak of. Just mile after scenic mile, mostly rolling down the same 2-lane highways that I prefer when I'm bicycling or motorcycling.

Our vehicle - a 2000 Honda Odyssey minivan - got surprisingly good gas mileage, ranging from about 21mpg to over 30mpg on one eastbound tankful (65-75mph, but with a strong tailwind all day).

As much as I enjoyed the trip, it was a genuine relief to wake up Monday morning and not slide behind the wheel and spend the day lookin' at the world thru a windshield. Bike transportation is so much less complicated and so much more free.

(We leave Friday morning again for a drive to the family reunion at Bear Lake. Sigh...)

The hidden costs of commuting

Reader Jen emailed me a link to a piece provocatively named "The Killer Commute." See it below.

Thought provoking tidbits:
- We spend an average 38 minutes/day, 165 hours/year, getting to and from work.
- 1 in 6 of us commutes more than 45 minutes each way.
- 34% of drivers honk their horn every day, 27% yell, 19% give the finger, 17% flash their headlights... 2% try to run somebody off the road!
- Couples in which one partner commutes for >45 minutes are 40% likelier to divorce.
- When you're driving, your risk of heart attack triples.

I didn't take the time to fact-check all of those assertions, but there are links on the website. This is undeniable - your commute takes a toll that's above and beyond the dollars-and-cents cost of your transportation. In any case, I'm a strong proponent of living close to where you work, so as to minimize your commute time and maximize your choice of transportation modes. I feel very blessed to substitute a nice bike ride every morning and afternoon, in place of a motor-vehicle commute with its expenses, both monetary and otherwise.


Created by: CollegeAtHome.com

Pain at the Pump '11

According to a CNBC Story, "the typical American household will have spent $4,155 filling up this year, a record. That is 8.4 percent of what a median family takes in, the highest since 1981."

The Missus fills up the Family Truckster every 3 weeks or so... she probably poured $2000 worth of gas into the tank in '11.

I spent maybe $500 on gas this year, and 90-plus percent of that was for two motorcycle adventures - to the California Redwoods, and to eastern Washington.

That's bad! A story last spring said the Energy Department estimated the cost would be $3235 for the year - up 28 percent from the previous year. Turns out that estimate was way low. Mamma mia!

$4155 - that's a big hit on the budget of us "99 percenters," no? I think of the stuff we would've gone without, if we'd spent that much on gas. That thought helps motivate me to get pedalin' on some of these cold winter mornings.

And speaking of cold winter mornings... like everybody else, I'm growing a bit concerned that I'm not seeing any snow up on those nearby mountains. December has been as dry as dust! But on the bright side, I sure love riding my bicycle on dry, traction-sand-free roads. That is a luxury this time of year.

From the story: "Next year isn't likely to bring relief." But taking up bicycle transportation could bring a huge amount of relief! Plus, if a few million people did it, it would modify the supply/demand equation in a meaningful way... maybe gas would drop by $1/gallon. (Of course, if that put everybody back in their cars, the price would go back up. Like most businesses, the oil companies will charge for their product what the market will bear.)

Car free? Not quite.

I've stated before that it would be difficult to function without at least occasional access to a motor vehicle. Most of us have the need to haul big stuff occasionally, and/or travel with passengers or as a passenger, and/or go on longer out-of-town trips.

When the Tour de Fat comes to town once a year, they challenge a participant to abandon the car and ride a bike exclusively (or at least mostly exclusively) for a year... and that participant gets the bike! This year there was a bit of a dust-up when Josh Gross of the Boise Weekly accused last year's cyclist convert - Lisa Brady - of breaking the rules. She defended herself quite well, and pointed out that car transportation isn't expressly prohibited. Hmmmm... various interpretations. The whole cantankerous debate can be seen HERE.

I decided to keep track of my own car-transportation ways for 12 months.

Over the course of a year - September 2010 thru August 2011 - I kept a journal of my car trips, both as a driver and as a passenger. And in that time I traveled by motor vehicle 50 times. (I may have omitted a trip or two from the journal, but that's my best effort to keep an accurate record.)
- Three of those were out-of-town family excursions - to the Oregon Coast, McCall, and Sumpter, Oregon.
- 20 were local trips, and I was a passenger.
- 23 were local trips when I drove and had passengers.
- One trip was to take the car for an emissions inspection. (Why me?!!?)
- Ten or so trips were to procure and transport large and/or heavy stuff. Three trips were to get Craigslist bicycles! One for the granddaughter, one for my son, and one for myself.
- I only went car-trippin' 2 times in April, and again in July.