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My Miles (estimate):

1. To Work: 17mi/day*260days= 4420mi
2. Farmer’s Market: 13mi*20 = 260

3. Misc. rides to store:  52*10= 520

4. Critical Mass:  10*13= 130

Total Mileage:  5330

My Bikes:

1.  Circa 1997 Schwinn Homegrown converted to single speed with knobby street tires (work commuter)

2. 2005 Breezer Citizen 3-speed with trailer bike and child-car attachments (grocery getter)

Things I Bought for Biking (that I can remember)*:

2 pairs of shorts (baggies), Two poly shirts, 3 pairs of socks, 2 chains, 2 pairs of pedals, numerous tubes and patch kits, 1 pair cranks, 1 bottom bracket, one rigid fork (the suspension was warn out), 2 rear tires (my front tire is about 5 years old and has about 8000 miles), 1 saddle, 2 rear lights, 2 front lights, two boxes gauze pads, 2 boxes band aids, two rolls medical tape, 1 tube of triple antibiotic goo, 1 pump, 1 rear hub rebuild kit, 1 single speed conversion kit, 1 brake cable kit, 2 sets of brake pads, 1 set of brake levers, repair of internal hub (I messed it up trying to adjust it), one rear fender, reflective tape, 1 pair shoes (my others were 6 years old)

Keep in mind that this was not my first year of commuting.  Most of these purchases were required just to maintain the bikes.

* Does not include cash purchases

Total Cost:  $1358.49

A friend of mine who used to ride BMX in his younger years enlightened me about this trick. I ride a mountain bike about town most of the time. In the course of normal use, the ends of the handle bars eventually work their way through the end of the grips. Now this doesn’t bother me much — I’m more about function than style — but if you are style conscious this may lead you to run out and buy a new pair of grips every few months. No need. I recently bought a new pair of Oury grips as my last pair was about 10 years old and had turned into something like those rubber animals that stick to the wall they used to put in your cereal box. Needless to say they were nasty. Anyway, prior to installing your new grips jam a nickel in the end of the grip. Once the grip is installed this nickel will spread the load from any impact to the end of your grip and lessen the likelihood of your bar ends ruining an otherwise lovely grip.

Also, quick tip on installing your grips. Use a compressor to shoot air under the grip when sliding it on. This makes it soooooo much easier.

If you bike commute, you’re likely a familiar friend of fear. Undesirable vehicle (UDV) drivers feel fear too. They fear the drunken driver. They fear following the close call they experience once every couple of years. They fear looking bad. They drive the nicest UDV they can’t afford so they feel respected. They fear non-conformance. I don’t like fearing those things. I don’t like fear.

That is one thing I really like about western religion. For the most part, the only thing they teach you to fear is god. The rest is “Ye, though I walk through the valley of death, I shall fear no evil.”

I think about the people who fear the most in this world. I feel like they’re the ones who own the most, have the most power, are the coolest, the richest, the most beautiful. They have so much they always fear that they’re going to lose something. Kim Jong Il and the Iranian government are perfect examples. They fear and thus create fear to control their own fear. Voodoo priest are similar. They control by fear — creating more fear, combated by fear, combated by rituals originating from fear, etc.

The best quote I’ve heard regarding fear is extremely cheesy but is useful in a certain context…Yoda: “Fear leads to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads suffering” — suffering like the people in Darfur, Korea and Iran. I think that that quote could start with, “Possession leads to fear…” The Dark Side here is obviously evil and evil is bad.

Most of the people I know drive UDVs. As a bike commuter, there’s not much else I fear other than UDVs. Take UDVs out of traffic and I have almost complete freedom to operate. Although I fear these people in their UDVs, I do not fear for myself. I fear that my children and future generations will not enjoy, even modestly, the privileges that I’ve enjoyed in this life — opportunities to eat, be reasonably comfortable, and to travel modestly and learn new cultures.

Does UDV use lead me to fear? Yes. Does UDV use lead me to anger? Yes. Does it lead me to hate? I don’t think so. There is where I break from Yoda. I do not possess the future of my children and future generations. While I fear for their future, it is a fear born of caring and love. My fear leads me to conserve, to return the privilege, to sacrifice, to return the love I’ve been shown. I am determined to continue to fear…to continue to conserve…and more importantly, love. I love for my son, daughter, others.

I hope you will find the joy I’ve experienced from sacrificing my convenience for the future of others.

I hope you continue to fear. May your fear lead to love.

I took Friday off. Ernante was taking her certification exam and I didn’t want to put the kids in daycare two days before g-ma and g-pa came to visit on Sunday (colds usually set in two days following exposure).

Although we only have one car, I’m not one to stay home. After doing several loads of laundry (all line-dried, of course) and the dishes, I set out for the bike shop with the kids. Me on the green city bike, Forest on the trailer bike and Yeahyeah in the trailer. I had to get some supplies for my latest ‘Mason’ idea — bumming a ride home with my parents to Indiana and riding (my bike) back to Memphis. I also had to get the crank fixed for the unicycle ($12 at a garage sale) I’m trying to learn how to ride — what a blast once you get going enough to get a ‘feel’ for it. Since it was close to noon by then, we headed for a favorite Vietnamese restaurant. Forest was tired so he took to the trailer and Yeahyeah to the trailer bike. At the restaurant, the kids devoured the spring rolls and we more frugally managed the veggie fried rice. Then it was off to Walgreen’s. Forest specifically requested a self-contained (DC), remote-controlled car that he could buy for him and Zabe (Forest’s cousin) to play with in Haiti. We struck out, except for the 500 pack of water balloons with hose-connecting fillers. We then headed home to take a much needed rest, and spray each other with luke-warm water from the hose. Later, Forest asked me about trying to find the remote cars at another Walgreen’s. I said, okay but we need to run all of this paper to the recycling bin. We mounted the bike again and set off. After 30 minutes and a stop at the not-on-the-way recycling center, we arrived at Walgreen’s. We first picked up Mommy’s hair stuff (to keep in good graces) and then on to the toy isle. Bingo. Not only did the have the long sought-after remote cars but they had 5 of them. Forest picked the two he liked the most. Before we left, I reminded Forest that he could not play with the cars before he arrived in Haiti. “Okay, Daddy. But I’m tired and I want to ride in the trailer with the cars.” At about 6:30pm, we arrived home. Perfectly intact. Adequately exercised. A little tanner.

So why do I ride a bike almost every where I go? Because I experience things. Because, I’ve forgotten what it’s like to take a car everywhere. Because I don’t like pollution. Because my kids don’t complain in the backseat. Because we can pick up tools, an umbrella, golf balls and aluminum cans on the road. Because it gets my kids outdoors, where they belong. Because I like to feel good. Because I like to look good. Because people say hello and like today say, “Happy Father’s Day.” Because I do not have to deal with traffic. Because I like the road less traveled. Because I like to do what people say I can’t. Because I like to feel.

A really cool event, the BFF was started by an guy in New York, Brent, who wanted to do something positive for bicycling following an unpleasant encounter with a bus while riding. He created the Bicycle Film Fest. The Bicycle Film Fest is a compilation of independently produced films having something to do with bicycles or cycling.

The first two hours of films featured a number of films that were artsy or humorous. While not an art lover, I enjoyed the first half of the BFF more than the second due to the artistic nature of the films. The second hour featured more fixed-gear, big-city dare devil riding. While interesting, this wasn’t as enjoyable as the first half. My favorite film was made by the Skiboys which was filmed sometime in the 70s from my understanding. Nice work Skiboys. I’d like a copy for my children to see.

One of the two guys I ride with regularly seemed quite upset about the content of the fixed-gear, big-city dare devil riding. He felt like the riders were acting extremely irresponsible and putting others in danger — they were riding through red lights at full speed causing cross traffic to come to a screeching halt. I can certainly understand his sentiments and I don’t feel this behavior is particularly helpful to the bicycle movement. However, I certainly can identify with the riders. I feel like they are expressing their discontent with having virtually no rights in a sea of undesirable vehicles. The undesirable vehicles enjoy all of the privileges the law affords while congesting the city, disregarding the rights of pedestrians and creating all types of noise and air pollution and subjecting non-undesirable vehicle users to all sorts of hazards. While I wouldn’t ride like the dare devils, I certainly can identify with their frustration at the current state of our transportation systems.

The second day of the BFF featured more film screenings and also a block party. I took my family to the block party the second day. It was very lightly attended. Partly because it was hot but mostly because this is the south. If you’re a southern male, if you drive anything other than a pickup truck, somethin’ just ain’t right.

My recommedation: If you have any interest in bikes whatsoever, go to this festival. It’s definitely worthwhile.

Here are some pictures a friend took of the activities:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2016064&id=56401088&l=e95329dacb