Cycling like your life depends on it

In 2009, middle-aged attorney Elizabeth MacGregor's life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She endured a regimen of chemotherapy, but like anybody who has been stricken with cancer, was worried about its recurrence, and asked her oncologist how to improve her odds.

His immediate reply: "If you want to prevent a recurrence, you need to get your weight into a healthy range and get an hour of vigorous exercise every day."

She has an active background, and had bicycle commuted before, somewhat casually. "My return to the bicycle was accompanied by an urgency and seriousness of purpose that I’d lacked before. At the beginning, I felt as if I were starting from scratch. I rode slowly and got tired quickly. But I was patient, telling myself I was in it for the long haul."

Her twice-a-week regimen increased to three, and then four. She discovered some of the hard-to-describe side-effects of bicycle commuting, and became a true believer. Read her words HERE.

Greenbelt to Eagle Road - another update

In February, I wrote about having successfully navigated the Greenbelt downstream to Eagle Island. It was exciting to see that it might soon be a transportation corridor. A few weeks later, I wrote that perhaps I was premature - a gate and "private property" signs were blocking the way a mile or so east of Eagle Road. I was quite disappointed; any path that you ride to a dead end, and then turn around and return on, is of little value except for recreation. And it looked like maybe it was another power-grab by the "NIMBY" property owners who didn't want bike riders, with their crimes and disease and whatnot, in their neighborhood.

Since then, I've ridden to that same gate a couple times, including once with granddaughter Mackie. A bike-riding friend, Paul, suggested I take a close look... 50 yards or so before you get to the gate, there's an obscure "nature trail" that continues off the right side of the pavement.  (He hadn't traversed the trail, at least on bike, but he had noticed it.)

Last Saturday (4/20), I decided I better check out that "nature trail." And Paul was right.

I took to the trail. There are no signs, indicating "private property" or "no bicycles" or any other such restrictions. I anticipated that I might get hollered at, but I've survived hollerin's-at in the past. (But just in case, I was glad Mackie wasn't along; she doesn't take well to getting hollered at.)

Lo and behold, the "nature trail" was pretty easy to ride, even on skinny tires, and 50 yards or so behind the gate it joined up once again with the main (gravel) path. I proceeded on, quietly and cautiously, so as to minimize potential conflicts with other pathway users or difficulty in the dirt... but other than a couple folks fishing and some people off in the distance, I didn't see a soul. And, the path, although gravel and dirt, was no problem. I figure just about anybody on fat tires could do it... and 'most anybody with skinny tires and practice wouldn't have a problem, either.

MORE good news - along the way, there were 20-inch-high wooden stakes, marked with survey flags and bright orange paint and the word "EASEMENT" on them. So, I once again feel some optimism that in time it will "officially" be a path available to the public. In the meantime, I can't see any reason to NOT use it, if one is cautious and courteous. (And realizing that if you continue on Eagle Road, you'll be sharing the pavement with heavy, 55mph traffic.)

(I wrote to the City of Eagle more than a month ago, to get their take. So far, no reply.)

Happy Earth Day!

Today would be the 44th celebration of Earth Day, since the first was in 1970. Back when I was an enlightened student... now I can barely keep up!

Granddaughter Mackenzie reminded me yesterday, when we were bike riding together.  They talked about Earth Day in Kindergarten; she said it's our planet's birthday, and we should do something nice for our environment, like pick up some litter.  (She's very conscientious about throwing away her own litter, as well as picking up debris left behind by others.  Good for her!)

I've commented several times about Earth Day - links can be found at last year's posting. Do something good for our planet today. I'd suggest riding your bike.

Celebrity awseomeness on a bike

The other day, I commented about Alec Baldwin's irresponsible riding style, and how he sets a bad example for his legions of adoring fans.

In stark contrast... I believe this fella was once a celebrity, too.

Check it out... he's not yappin' on his cellphone or riding down the wrong side of the street. In fact, he's obviously safety-conscious, since it looks like he's wearing Levis 501s tucked into his dapper Wellington boots. And I assume he's in the process of signing an autograph for one of his fans.

Thank ya. Thank ya verruh much.

(One has to wonder... does the kid in the photo keep a copy to show his friends his "brush with greatness"? Or better yet... maybe he had his head bronzed while the ballpoint-pen impression still lingered in his scalp.)

Driving to work costs $9100/year

The American Automobile Association (a pro-car group if ever there was one!) released its annual estimates on what it costs to own and operate a car. That's up from $8900 last year. The estimate includes the cost of the car itself, plus fuel, tires, insurance, and repairs.

And that's for a sedan. SUV drivers pay a premium - instead of 61 cents/mile, their transportation is 77 cents/mile. Boy howdy! Imagine what those rednecks in their $45,000 F350 Super-Duties pay for the privilege!

I figure my transportation costs at least $8000 per year less. The problem is... how do I convince the Missus that all the savings should put more foldin' money in MY pocket, from the family budget?!!

Story HERE. (It's the UK Daily Mail, so it has the "bonus" tabloid story headlines - hundreds of 'em! - along the right-hand column!)

NYC bike share - a winner!

NYC is in the process of introducing the world's largest bike share - according to this news story, registration/memberships went on sale Monday, and by 3:30pm Tuesday, 5000 people had purchased annual memberships ($103).

Membership allows riders to use a bike for 45 minutes at a stretch, without any additional charge.

Bike sharing programs are launching all over the country, and all over the world. In huge places like NYC and London, and in small places - like Aspen, Colorado.

Some movers-and-shakers want to launch a program in Boise. Their vision is relatively modest - 140 bikes at 10 or so stations. But in contrast to NYC's program, which is 100% sponsored by users and local corporations, the $650K startup cost of Boise's proposed system would be paid by the deep-pockets taxpayers in the form of government grants. I've commented HERE. (Executive summary: the startup cost of $4600 per bike seems inordinately high, and the taxpayers are already bankrupt, and Boise's demographics are far different from NYC's ... or even Aspen's.)

Carnage

The civilized world is outraged and horrified when something like the "Boston Marathon bombing" takes place. Hearing of three innocent people killed and hundreds injured takes us out of our Comfort Zone. Terrorism is a horrible thing, because it makes peaceful people uncomfortable and brings war-zone strife into neighborhoods.

(As a matter of perspective and reality, such incidents are much more common in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, even Israel and India. How blessed we are if we live where such incidents are rare occurrances. But the world would be a better place without any such horror.)

Also as a matter of perspective and reality, consider:

Yesterday across the Fruited Plain, probably 15 people were killed, and 1227 people injured in motor vehicle crashes that involved distracted driving. It's likely more people were killed and maimed yesterday by cell phone yakkers, than were killed and maimed in Boston by terrorists with bombs. And far more by people who were distracted in other ways, while driving.

Just as many people will be killed and injured today.  And tomorrow.  And the day after that, and the day after that, etc. ...

(That's based on 2009 statistics. In that year, 5474 people were killed and an estimated 448,000 people were injured in distracted-driving accidents. 995 of those fatalities - 2.7 per day - involved reportss of a cell phone as a distraction. Those NHTSA statistics can be found HERE (PDF file).)

Where's the outrage?!?

Yeah - I admittedly obsess about distracted drivers.  It's probably because I see so many of them every day.  Cyclists are extremely vulnerable - the only way for us to avoid being injured or killed is to avoid accidents, and distracted drivers are out there causing accidents!