April Fools Day

Back in August we thought it would be fantastic if we could make it without a car until April As April Fool's Day approaches, we realize we have been fooled --fooled by the idea that in this society it would be a struggle, or near impossible, to live our life without a car (or two). We thought making it to April would be some major accomplishment. We thought we would be heading toward that "April Fools Day" finish line --crawling and yearning for four wheels-- and, yet, here we are, biking with no current plans to get off of two wheels!

I love biking. Maybe because it's low tech? Maybe because it limits my options, so it urges me to think more carefully about the choices I make? Maybe its because it offers a release after an intense day at work (getting in a car while tired and frustrated is a liability)? Maybe it is because it is one less "thing" into which I have to worry about pouring time, money and energy? Maybe it is because I am making a smaller impact upon this earth? Maybe it is because I am10 years old again tooling around town, and proud of it? Maybe it's because the price of gas goes up and I barely notice (except for the occasional airline fare to go visit the family in Illinois)? Maybe it's because it has given my partner and I (currently childless) a joint project where we are able to learn and grow together (he is also much better about the mechanics...which I am working on!)? Maybe it's because it was something we only "talked" about years ago and had not quite believed until the universe conspired to show us how it could be done? Maybe it is because I want my actions to match my life philosophy as much as possible? I don't want to continue make excuses about "uncomfortable changes" simply because it is not the norm. So maybe I am ready to act on wisdom of those who came before me and be the change I want to see in the world?

Drive-Throughs Have Got to Go.

Why wouldn't you serve this guy in your Drive-through?

It's One in the morning, you're 4 miles from home and you're hungry.


Had this been a normal Saturday outing, you would've headed up to the Frontier or Pita Pit and got your grub on.  But, since you're biking, why not just go home and eat then; both places are just a little bit further east so getting to them is about the same as actually going home.

But you want food.  Now.   You're hungry now.


Hey.  Doesn't McDonald's drive through stay open until 2 AM?   Yes.

But being on a bike does not mean you will actually trip the sensor so that he'll take your order.  This takes a bit to figure out, so you roll around to the window.


He still doesn't notice you and continues to flush hot water through the shake machine.   Finally, he comes up and opens the window.

"Can I get some food?"

"We can't serve you.   McDonald's policy doesn't let us serve bikers in the drive-through."

"But your dining room isn't open..."

"I'm sorry.  McDonald's policy."

"Oh well.  It's your business you're losing."

He shrugs.

You pedal home and heat up a bowl of chile.

How many other businesses or services are designed with  drivers, just drivers, in mind?   Fast Food Restaurants?   Drive-up bank Windows?  Drive-up cigarette shops?  In the quest, to reorient society so that it favors bikers and pedestrians, drive-up windows either have to change or go.

Poetry & Beer

Wow! What an incredibly warm night to be stuck inside Blackbird Buvette, but we really didn't plan on it being this warm.  So I loaded up the music stand, a mike stand, my laptop, a binder, and various cords into my cart, attached it to my fixie and away I went.

But another Poetry & Beer is not the purpose of this post.   The purpose is to talk about the ride back.

My Route Home

What I didn't anticipate was in how much drag the cart, unloaded even, is on my ride.   So as I was making my way from the low point (the underpass right by the Convention Center) up MLK to finally rest at the underpass at the highway, I had to stand up and pound on the pedals.

Off comes the jacket.   I'm sweating and its 11:30 at night.

The lesson:  no matter how loaded the cart is, you need to use the mountain bike  when you're coming home from downtown.   There's a reason for a derailleur.   I know I talked about this before, but I was assuming that was because the cart was loaded.   Not in this case.

Spring is Here!

Weather Today

So it looks like we made it through winter.

I know. I know.  It's just now March and New Mexico springs can still pack a wollop. I know. I know.   The calendar still says it's winter for 20 more days.

But, at the risk of pissing off the weather gods (who would that be anyway?   Mother Nature?)

So what does spring mean?  

Well, it generally means that the nights are still cold and the days are warm.   So I'm planning on either banking on short rides without the warm gear or taking off layers.

It also generally means that I won't be riding in the dark as much.   But, I put down a chunk of change on this:
Bike Lights so taking off my lights and having to replace the batteries every two weeks is no longer necessary.

It still, means, however, having to wrestle with the Lead and Coal Improvement Project which still has about a year for completion, but looks like they are almost done with the area around my place of employment .  They've finally opened up some North/South roads through the construction. For the past few months I've been riding north/south on Yale or University and both roads suck for bikers.

Hoping to get out on this in the next couple of weeks, but have to look at what the possible trails look like.  I know the mountains will still be a mess.

So, see you on the road and hope you see me.
Don 

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.