Yesterday, I rode my bike to pay the bills. Not because I was out of gas, or had a broke down car, but because I simply wanted to. I've done alot of bicycling lately, either on the trails around a park near my house, on my hopelessly outdated mountain bike, or on the streets riding my "cruiser". I bought my cruiser a few years ago, before cruisers were back in style. I wanted something with solid construction that I didn't have to spend all my time scrunched down like you have to on a mountain bike, and that had a large enough seat to accomodate my (then) quite large posterior.
Now I'm in style.... Folks ask me "What kind of bike do you have"... I honestly don't remember most of the time which brand and/or model it is... (It's a Huffy Cranbrook)...
One thing I've noticed is that one's view of their town/neighborhood changes when one rides a bike. It's obviously different from riding in a car, but also different than walking... It's possible to notice more scenery, see people, generally take it a bit slower. Most of the time I don't have time to walk to do errands and miscellaneous chores, so I don't walk except for recreation. But... a bicycle makes small errands "doable", if you're time constrained. With more opportunities to experience a slower pace, there's more opportunity to look around and enjoy the things that simply whiz by too fast when one is driving a car. It's also quieter, giving one the opportunity to experience the smells (not all pleasant), and sounds of life...
I also get a bit of a perverse pleasure out of using less fuel. I shook my imaginary fist at the oil companies while pedaling down the main drag in smalltown USA... I'm not sure why I felt this way - probably too much ancillary exposure to my "green" friends, and I don't mean the Martians who live onder the pool table in my basement.
Now I'm in style.... Folks ask me "What kind of bike do you have"... I honestly don't remember most of the time which brand and/or model it is... (It's a Huffy Cranbrook)...
One thing I've noticed is that one's view of their town/neighborhood changes when one rides a bike. It's obviously different from riding in a car, but also different than walking... It's possible to notice more scenery, see people, generally take it a bit slower. Most of the time I don't have time to walk to do errands and miscellaneous chores, so I don't walk except for recreation. But... a bicycle makes small errands "doable", if you're time constrained. With more opportunities to experience a slower pace, there's more opportunity to look around and enjoy the things that simply whiz by too fast when one is driving a car. It's also quieter, giving one the opportunity to experience the smells (not all pleasant), and sounds of life...
I also get a bit of a perverse pleasure out of using less fuel. I shook my imaginary fist at the oil companies while pedaling down the main drag in smalltown USA... I'm not sure why I felt this way - probably too much ancillary exposure to my "green" friends, and I don't mean the Martians who live onder the pool table in my basement.
