For the majority of the last five years a bicycle has been my primary transportation. Over time I have set myself up in a way that this can work for me. Most everything I need is in a three mile radius. I work two miles door to door. Enough stores and services nearby to get by. It has became the norm.
As long as every peice in the puzzle remains intact this will work perpetually. Same appartment. Same job. Resonable health.. No new pursuits or obligations that take me out of my little three mile loop. In fact local road work will make my commute all the better. With a bike lane, a sidewalk and new street lighting the entire round trip. To be done soon I hope. This has been one of the liitle things I have been waiting for that most people could care very little about.
As far as being able to stay in a three mile area most of the time check out these older posts called What Else Do I Have To Do?, Nerds and not missing out. Kind of a European existance. Green too. That should make me feel good about it.
It is said that most things have a large mental component to them. As long as we do not create any new or unnecessary wants or obligations. This plan works. Seven months ago I got it into my mind the my old 24 year old truck was on it's last leg. Maybe it was. Might of still crawled around another ten years. Who knows? So one day without a great deal of long term thinking I decide that I should consider another car. Even when my budget was already near max. I only drove about 1500 miles a year. Plus the American fear that you can't be without a car. So I got one. $300 a month with insurance and gas. Now I just have to pay for it.
I usually work in the evenings. So when I get home, stay up a bit and go to bed. Get up around 7am. Gives me some time to kill in the morning and get things done. Most of the time I have time to take a little bike ride. That is my free time to run errands and get a little fresh air. I have came to enjoy it.
I have four bicycles. At this time I would say two too many. I think two is the right number. After that it becomes redundant and a lot of additional maintenance. But when I get on a kick, find good deals, fix old junk I end up with a lot of the same thing. Although all of them together aren't worth much money. But have utility all the same. Most people only see a bicycle and do not really seem to care about what brand or tires it has. Shame is for a while I actually thought people did. Also in reality you get this warm and fuzzy feeling that you are getting exercise, saving money, saving fuel, being green and iconoclastic. While again in reality I am just the old goof that fries chicken at the grocery store that probably doesn't have a license or car. That is most likely the popular thought.
So get your tires aired and chain lubed (although an old customer of mine who owned a Schwinn store said lubing the chain causes more problems then it fixes) and get out for a ride. I will be getting lonely. That is when I can get riding again.
