My first trip to the Blogosphere

So, it has been about 6 months without a car. Although I have had much to say during this time, translating that into our Blog has taken me some time. I will begin by saying how grateful I am that I could even "make" this kind of decision. I/we do not have much disposable income, so the money would have come from what we would hope to be some future savings or we would do like many Americans and make payments to add to our monthly bills...or, most likely, we would do both. But, we do have options...when I ride the bus to work, I am riding with many who do not have this option, this is not an "interesting" experiment, it is their life. So, I want to begin by recognizing that I am not doing anything remarkable.

Bike Teamster

AOSOM Bike Trailer

Bike Teamster

Listen.   When you give up your car, it's not so you can depend on other people to cart you and your junk around.  You either figure out a way to do what you want to do by not needing a car, borrow a car occasionally, or even rent one.

But the pile of recyclables next to the house, the variety of things I can now cook with mustard as well as the number of PB&J sandwiches I've made with bread heels, and the fact that my public address (PA) system wallowed in some friend's house because I couldn't get it to my standing monthly gig all testify to the fact that I still have some things to "work out." 

I shopped around locally.  I did.  But all the local bike shops got their bike trailers from Burley or BOB and they weren't cheap.   So after resigning myself spending upwards of $200, I just had to narrow it down to what brand.

Strangely if you shop long enough, something usually gives, and something did.  What it was a bike trailer company out of Oregon and what it cost was $100.   I was in.   Even if wasn't as well built as Burley or BOB, it was half the price and it held up to 180lbs.    

After we got it, we assured ourselves that it would work fine for groceries, then bought a couple of trailer hitches so we could outfit the other bikes.  And then the day came when I'd have to really test it, by carting the PA system.

Yesterday was that day.   And I loaded it down with a mike stand, a bag of cords, the small head, and a speaker.  The trailer handled it with aplomb.   After carting it up to the college, I realized I grabbed the wrong type of cord and came back for that and the other speaker.   Two trips and a complete PA setup later and I've made a few simple observations:

1)   Be strategic about how you pack it.   If you're going to have the mike stands stick out the side, know how wide you are. You are already wider than normal just because of the trailer.   Still thinking I won't use more than one speaker most of the time.

2) Save your knees and use a bike with more than one gear.   I wasn't going very far, but I already know that my mountain bike, its disc brakes and 24 gears is way more of a teamster rig than my single speed fixie.   

and 3) Park close to where you are unloading the trailer.   I was, frankly, more tired as a result of carting the PA from the bike rack to the space than I was from riding it there.

So if you see me carting a PA on my bike, give me a honk.  I'm just a teamster on a bike.

Baby...It's Cold Outside.

So after blasting through a pretty mild fall and landing squarely into winter on New Year's Eve, I thought we'd made it.   We'd crossed the hump.   New Years was just getting us ready for last week.

Last week as a record storm plowed across much of the country from Texas up to the northeast, New Mexico got its own storm.   Temperature's plummeted.   Suddenly, even though the roads were dry, crawling on the bike to get across town didn't seem like a good idea.

So on Wednesday afternoon, I strapped on my gear and headed out for a short jaunt, about a mile and a half, to do a radio spot for a show that weekend.   School had been canceled; work had been canceled, and the high was forecast for a balmy 9 degrees.   The wind was coming from the east and I was riding due east.

I'd tightened down my head sock, pulled my sunglasses on and marveled at how easily the wind seemed to find every possible uncovered skin.   By the time I made it to the radio station, though generally warm, my face was indeed frozen.

I did my spot, rode home and didn't leave the house.