the real reason to get on a bike...and sick leave

Ramble On

I haven't been posting much of late with life and priority changes.  Good changes to be sure but I've missed this forum a bit and as I'm stuck at home on a sick day it seems a good time to revisit my Reno Rambler blog and reflect on a few things.

First, the RR has become a skier!  Ok, I've only done it less than 10 times but I'm somewhat competently navigating down intermediate runs at Mount Rose and eagerly looking at snow accumulations to see when more runs will open up this year.  As a season pass holder it's hard not to constantly eye the weather forecasts.  Skiing is a whole different animal than cycling and a nice change of pace...though I still consider myself a cyclist first.  The interesting thing is that my attitude about why I do these activities is the same...they're fun!  I'm past the point of pushing myself on a bike because of some sort of make believe aspirations about racing or being the fastest.  Likewise with skiing I'm content to just enjoy the views and the feel of gliding down a mountain.

This reminds me of a recent article by the Eben Weiss on the subject of biking as environmental statement that my dad sent me.  It was published in Outside Magazine and is a good reminder that while cyclist can talk a good game about how biking is better for the environment, the real reason to do it is because it's fun

Excerpt:

"...as environmentally friendly as cycling is, you’re not going to reap the benefits of that anytime soon, and the sad fact is that the planet is going to be just as fucked at the end of your bike ride as it was when you set out on it. Therefore, if your goal is to get people excited about cycling, it makes much more sense to emphasize all the great stuff it will do for them right now. Telling them to try it merely because it’s good for the environment is about as sexy as telling them to eat their greens.

The bicycle, on the other hand, is low impact, doesn’t take much space, puts money in your pocket, and, when used regularly, naturally inclines you toward doing all that other stuff you should be doing for the environment anyway. You don’t bother with plastic bags at the grocery store when you have panniers. You don’t eat those earth-destroying Big Macs because eating Big Macs makes you feel like ass. You don’t vote for politicians with earth-ravaging agendas because riding a bike makes you healthier and happier. The planet looks very different from behind the handlebars than it does from behind the windshield.

In recent years, some people have attempted to debunk the notion that cycling is better for the environment than driving. Some have even claimed it’s outright bad. I say: Let ‘em. Spend five minutes in a shopping mall parking garage and tell me that cars make the world a better place; spend some time cycling and tell me that bikes don’t. Oh sure, there’s a certain visceral pleasure that comes from car ownership, but if you want something you can polish once a week that makes a nice throaty sound when you start it up, then I recommend investing in a new toilet."