Sunday, July 20, 2008

1 day, 17 miles, $0 gas used

So I've gotten interested in the two mile challenge. Basically, according to this site, 40 percent of all urban driving is done within two miles of your home.

Think about it: 40 percent. Nearly half of your gas is burned up within a two-mile radius of your own house. I used the site. The house we're moving into has almost everything you need within two miles: Grocery store, liquor store, um... what else do you need?

The house I live in now isn't quite so lucky (for example, I'm about 18 miles from my job at the moment). But I am about 1.1 miles from Wal-Mart. Although I'm not a fan of Wal-Mart, having groceries and supplies so close is convenient for someone who doesn't want to burn gas.

This morning I took the bike out for a 15-mile ride. I didn't start out early enough -- it was brutally hot, but fortunately I took my Camelbak Mule, so I didn't get dehydrated or run any sort of overheating risk. Also, there was plenty of shade along the trail, and the breeze was going pretty good.

This afternoon I went to Wal-Mart for some lunch stuff. That made 17 miles today, most for exercise, but some for utilities.

I like the idea of human-powered transportation. It's free (once you buy the bike), and good exercise. The more you use it, the easier it gets.

Next up: I want to swap out my knobbies for some road tires, and finish my mt bike conversion to a touring/hybrid/street monster. I have some good panniers, but would really like some grocery bag panniers. Those you can take right into the store in lieu of shopping bags: save sme plastic and hook the entire thing right onto your bike when you're done. My panniers nw only fit one bag at a time, and aren't easy to take inside.

-- Dustin

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