Report: January 14-27

They say it’s too dangerous to do it in the winter. Or it’s too cold! They ask, aren’t you afraid of falling?

It happened today. A nice dusting of snow last night covered up all the icy spots. I barely touched the first icy patch…

…and down I went.

I fell right off my feet.

I was walking.

No injuries.

There’s no way I could do that without thinking of this - “That is an S.U.V; Humans ride in then because they are slowly losing their ability to walk.” – from Over the Hedge: The Movie.

Trips -

MinusCar: 9
Multi-occupant Auto: 14
Single occupant Auto: 9
Destinations: 58

This is two weeks worth of reporting. I took advantage of the extremely cold weather…and I suppose the need to have a reason to not bike…and scheduled The Wife’s car for some maintenance. Four days in two different shops meant The Black Beast became The Family’s primary auto.

That means lots of car miles, and lots of picking up and dropping off.

My Car Miles: 119
My Bike Miles: 31



Here's what I missed out on. 7 miles, -30 windchill. This guy's a Lunatic.

Feeding the Beast

A commenter suggested I include bike related expenses in the context of analyzing my savings from minimizing my car use.

No.

Here’s why.

The MinusCar Project is not about saving money on transportation costs. This, isn’t about that.

I think car use is a waste. A waste of energy. A waste of money. Additionally, I think it’s probably a waste in more ways than I can imagine.

It’s easy for me to show that I’ve diverted between $4,000 and $6,000 over the last three years from the big gaping maw that is the black beast sitting in my driveway.

What if I spent $6,000 more on bicycle related expenses? Does that negate my argument that car use is a waste?

No.

If I spent $6,000 on bicycling I:

Gave $6,000 to a local business owned by my friend The Owner.

Gave $6,000 to the staff (and my friends) at The LBS.

Gave $6,000 to my health.

Gave $6,000 to a hobby.

If I give that to the beast – not so much.

Bag It

Today's commute was 20 minutes into a -12 headwind. Some people at work are having a hard time adjusting to my bike commuting.

I noticed Cycling Sasquatch has some nice Home Depot re-usable bags.

For New Year’s The Family again participated in this city’s First Night celebration. The first thing we did was head to the LEEDS certified Museum of Visual Materials to decorate re-usable canvas bags in our own unique style.

The Wife now keeps four bags in the back of her car for her trips to the grocery store. (I use my messenger bag.) The other day the checker, apparently inspired by something she saw on Oprah, asked if we’re going to change our lightbulbs to CFL’s. Done. The checker also told The Wife that they say we’re also supposed to unplug appliances when not in use. Uhh…yeah, we plug that sort of thing into a power strip and turn them off there. I think my biking to work came up too.

It was fun to have already adjusted to all that.

My brother-in-law made the bag I wish I had.

Report: January 7 – 13

Today The Boy 5 began to tell me how to grow a beanstalk. Start with beans. Get mom & dad’s permission and toss them out the window. Then it grows. Thinking I knew a thing or two about beanstalks I asked him about climbing it. He said yes, climb it to get to Canada.

I blame the liberals!

Not a particularly good MinusCar week, but hey…I’m trying. Besides, I made up for it by not going a whole lot of places. Let’s not forget, it’s very January.

Trips -

MinusCar: 3
Multi-occupant Auto: 3
Single occupant Auto: 3
Destinations: 24

One of those multi-occupant trips was KT and DDD and I playing the occasional annual DDD birthday round of disc golf. We uncovered two discs buried in the snow and nearly lost one ourselves. Stomping through the snow at lower Tuthill got pretty tiring. Maybe snowshoes are in order.

We all drove together.

My Car Miles: 34
My Bike Miles: 25

This week I crossed the 5,000 mile mark since the beginning of The MinusCar Project. 5,025 in 31 months = 162 average.

I filled up my car with gas 7 times in 2007.

Drove 1,977 miles compared to 1,917 the year before.

Rode 2,580 miles compared to 3,378 the year before.

Auto service three years prior to MinusCar inception = $210/month.

Auto service since = $86/month.

Fuel three years prior to the MinusCar inception = $135/month.

Fuel since = $143/month.

An increase of 6%.

Average fuel price three years prior to MinusCar inception = $1.54.

Average fuel prices since = $2.49.

An increase of 61%.

It's clear that my lack of demand for fuel is causing quite an increase in prices.

Sorry about that.

Update: after a couple hours of sleep I recognize that I may have a faulty understanding of the law of supply and demand. I'm not a rocket economist. The numbers though - those are correct.

Well, It's Not YouTube...

I keep going back and watching this. I think it's very funny. I think the mysterious zapping death is cheap and easy, but the rest I think is golden. There are echos here about American's and their automobiles that make it relevant to this this blog.

It also relates to BikingBrady and his housecleaning staff.


In The Know: Are We Giving The Robots That Run Our Society Too Much Power?

Report: December 17 – January 6

Nothing here for commentary, but hey, at least my reports are caught up.

Trips -

MinusCar: 14
Multi-occupant Auto: 14
Single occupant Auto: 5
Destinations: 69

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My Car Miles: 66
My Bike Miles: 95

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This period’s low temperatures:
1/1 | 4 degrees, 21mph wind, -17 windchill
1/2 | -3 degrees, 4mph wind, -12 windchill

Why So Much You Tube?

Headlines

My momma always said then bicycles will only lead to trouble: Girl's new bicycle leads to fatal accident.

And then there's the kids. They can be a frustrating lot, eh? Mother accused of bumping son off bicycle. Perhaps she was thinking this sort of thing happens all the time. It's part of the risk of riding a bicycle.

Report: December 3 – December 16

Like the butcher who backed into his meat grinder…I’m getting a little behind in my work. I’m going to combine two weeks in this report.

Trips -
MinusCar: 9
Multi-occupant Auto: 17
Single occupant Auto: 4
Destinations: 57

Not much for MinusCar trips, but at least they’re still twice the single occupant trips. I remained in a pretty un-motivated state these two weeks.

My Car Miles: 86
My Bike Miles: 45

This week’s low temperatures: 12/5 | 9 degrees, 6mph wind, -1 windchill

Merry Christmas

"A lighter lifestyle is the smart, cool, intelligent and healthy way to live. Don’t be tied to outdated and dangerous 20th century ways of living. Live light because it will make you feel complete and free.

When you choose to live light you are setting the pace for the 21st century. You will see the people all around you trying to catch up. And when they do we can all work together to build a world that is cleaner, fairer and happier and that you will be proud to leave to your children."

-- George Marshall, Don't Save The Planet

or...as No Impact Man says: "Don't Waste"

There's Still Time For You

Fatty's broken but you still have a chance. Forsake your car. Ride to the ride.

Happiness is...

a dry base layer.

Don't forget to dry your fundies under your desk during work today.

Peaking Influence

Welcome dear reader. It’s been a pretty special week in Minuscarlandia. Two things occurred that prove the multifaceted and remarkable influence this blog has had both on world politics and corporate progress.

First, there’s this widely reported piece regarding the UN climate change conference.

“But the road was extremely rocky. Talks stalled as Paula Dobriansky, head of the US delegation, signaled that America opposed calls from poorer countries for technological and financial help to combat climate change. It seemed any agreement was doomed. Then Papua New Guinea took to the floor and, in a highly charged speech, its delegate challenged the US: 'If you're not willing to lead, get out of the way.'

Minutes later, in an astonishing reversal, Dobriansky returned to announce, to cheers from the hall: 'We will go forward and join the consensus.'”

The Papua New Guinea delegate is Kevin Conrad, who is…as they say, Harvard educated.

What I wouldn’t do for a transcript of that speech - and the rest of the session for that matter.

---

Second, last March I wondered aloud, “Why aren’t DayQuil and NyQuil packaged together?” This week my dream was realized...and my cold ended.

Lots Of Little Things In A Longish Post

As I approached a locked door at work today I dropped my badge. As it fell I kicked it and watched helplessly as it slid across the floor and under the door, leaving me pathetically looking through the window at my only means for unlocking the door.

I have a friend. He's Irish. He wanted to be sure I knew that "Ireland yesterday became the first country in the world to ban the traditional lightbulb. Householders will be forced to switch to new long-life low-energy bulbs in 12 months' time."

My other friend. He likes bikes. He wanted to be sure I knew this...



It's a bike ride. On January 1. I bet The Dad is more tempted this year than any other before.

I took the bike to The LBS. I had them shift it up a couple gears and put on the studs. I was lacking the partially false confidence the studs provide. After reacquainting myself with the bus, I'm happier on two wheels.

The Boy 5 checked the following book out from his school library.



Yes, a picture book about a bike messenger.

The Triplettes de Belleville have been on my mind lately. I found a good chunk of YouTubular.



Roger Ebert said - "To call it weird would be a cowardly evasion. It is creepy, eccentric, eerie, flaky, freaky, funky, grotesque, inscrutable, kinky, kooky, magical, oddball, spooky, uncanny, uncouth and unearthly. Especially uncouth...and none of [those words] do the trick, either...the Marquis de Sade meets Lance Armstrong."

All that and it still lost the Oscar to Finding Nemo.

Last, and perhaps even least, Steve would like to remind me to learn from his mistake and check the lid on the salsa jar before shaking.

Traffic Control Innovations

Did you see the innovative bicycle traffic control device in Portland? CycleSD posted the You Tubular on his site. Sure, I could stream it here for your convenience but I already thefted SnakebiteTV. One theft a week is a great plenty, no?

Check it out here.

BTW - did you notice an increase of blog posts lately? If you did it's because I've stopped reading your blog and resumed writing mine.

I'm kidding. I didn't stop reading your blog. I stopped reading everybody else's blog.

Nap Time

Sometimes when I drive to work I start to get sleepy. I stop at a red light and put my head back on the headrest, close my eyes and think about how I could just fall asleep right there.

Today I hitched a ride downtown with The Wife, then caught the bus to work. I put my head back, closed my eyes, and did fall asleep. I slept good too. I woke up to that really strange feeling of not really knowing where I was.

Thankfully I hadn't missed my building.

I Remain An Idiot

As I exited work today the CEO’s wife asked me if I was riding my bike home. I responded no, I dress like this because it’s comfortable. I’m headed straight to the top with answers like that, don’t ‘cha think? I think my last evaluation I got dinged in the works and plays well with leadership category.

My accountability partners are killing me. I’ve got Snakebite selling his car and getting his own reality TV show. The Dad, who sold his car this summer, works on the same block as I; he knows when I’m being bad or good, and I’m not so good right now. Then CycleSD wants to know how my not so studded tires are working out.

You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth. I don’t know how the tires are working out because I haven’t ridden them yet. Not Monday. Not Tuesday. I don’t know, yet.

So I went long today. 17 miles. The sun set 15 minutes into my ride. The wind stayed at 0. Temps stayed at 13. I was a bit chilly by the time I got home but not overly.

All went well.

I think I want my studded tires back.

Snakebite TV

Report: November 26 – December 2

Winter has arrived. Be prepared for less MinusCar performance.

Trips -
MinusCar: 5
Multi-occupant Auto: 4
Single occupant Auto: 4
Destinations: 21

While we were taking pictures of the ocean the temperatures here dropped from the 40’s to the 20’s. I find it lots easier to keep riding in the cold if I keep riding in the cold. Visiting the tropics is not generally hepful. So Monday and Tuesday, after returning home from a seven day vacation, I couldn’t find proper motivation ride to work. Nevermind proper motivation to even work. I drove.

Wednesday I managed to ride, but still decided to allow The Boys the luxury of an automobile ride home from school.

Saturday, ironically, as the snowstorm hit, I drove to a bike related meeting. Could it be, the first ever South Dakota Bike Summit? Perhaps.

As you can see almost as many single occupant auto rides as MinusCar trips.

Even with all that I still rode the bike more than I drove my car.
My Car Miles: 20
My Bike Miles: 34

This week’s low temperatures: 11/30 7 degrees, 7mph wind, -5 windchill

If I can keep my car under 92 miles this month I'll have driven my car less than last year. Probably won't happen but I'll be close enough.

This Is How It’s Going To Be?

Winter has arrived. I rode home in light snow Thursday and then headed downtown with The Family for our second annual Brule’ Red Nativity concert. As we began to look for parking outside Mama’s Ladas we discovered Snakepants stopped at an intersection on his way home from work.

Sioux Falls police responded to 54 collisions that night.

The temperatures stayed low so the light dusting stayed light and dusty. Friday morning’s 7-degree commute included the beautiful sound of bike wheels squeaking through crisp unmolested snow.

According to the old man pushing carts through the parking lot at my Friday fritter and latte stop it was too cold for bike riding. I displayed my disagreement by mounting up and finishing the route to work. The latte seemed extra tasty on the way.

Saturday the real storm arrived. While CycleSD was realizing (and then overcoming) the futility of riding bike in deep snow I was sitting inside trying to justify putting off shoveling to Sunday. Sunday I shoveled.

Tomorrow’s commute could be interesting. I’ll switch to my snow route…hopefully I’ll remember how that goes. I’m going without studded tires this year, opting for lower pressure in my very wide Maxxis Hookworm tires.