Posts Tagged ‘bike advocacy’

I get depressed about the automobile culture in which I live.  I’ve ridden my bike in Memphis for almost two years now and it seems I’ve had virtually no impact on the transportation choices people make.  A lot of people, mostly at work, have said they admire that I ride my bike.  Yet, I’ve had no one join me or even said, “I’m now carpooling with a friend because I agree cars have a negative impact on the environment.”  Even my friend who rode with me to work several times last fall hasn’t expressed any interest in bike commuting again (I’ll give him that he has been having some knee problems).

I wonder when we stopped thinking that undesirable vehicle exhaust was not pollution.  I wonder when we stopped caring about the clothes we wear and how much we weighed, because if we have enough money we’ll just wrap a nice car around us.  I wonder when we stopped caring about our communities.  I wonder when was the last time we could step outside and not hear the sound of an undesirable vehicle.  I wonder when was it we last looked at the stars without them being blurred or dimmed by air and light pollution.  I wonder if people really realize how violent an undesirable vehicle feels and sounds when passing only a few feet from you.  I wonder if we’ll ever go forward enough to allow us to go back.  I wonder if anyone thinks about anything at all.

I feel like I’m doing the right thing by riding my bike almost everywhere I go.  I wonder what Memphis and other cities would be like if even 20% of others rode their bike or took sustainable transportation.  I don’t think that will ever happen in my lifetime.  I guess change takes time.  All I can do is hope.  Besides, I can’t bear the thought of driving an undesirable vehicle everywhere.

I’m not your typical bike commuter, if there is actually such a thing. I unfortunately do not live close enough to work to make my commute door to door. Instead, I drive part way to a local mall and climb out of the valley it is in for a nice little 700 feet of climbing in just under 8 miles one way. Until this year, the same bike I raced in crits and road races was the same I used for my commutes. I don’t have fenders, nor any of the commuter-specific gear. I wear my team kits/gear, and take my hilly commutes as way to force training into an otherwise hectic and busy day, finding sprint points on the rolling hills of Raleigh, North Carolina.

But for me, bike commuting has a lot more value than simply the health and daily training benefits. Obviously, it’s a great way to burn less fuel and save some wear and tear on your vehicle. But even that is a secondary perk for me. The days I bike to and from work are just a little better than those in my car. Cycling into the office is a completely refreshing and almost cleansing way for me to start and end the day. It clears the mind a bit and washes the stresses and annoyances away for the day.

Every road and mountain biker alike will recognize how routes look different by bike versus by a four-wheeled vehicle. I bike some of the same roads I drive in on, but you get to see things from a different perspective – partially because you’re moving at a slower pace (usually, but not always) and are at a different height, but being in the open air of a pedal-powered transport also allows you to literally smell the roses, notice homes, landscapes and some really scenic sunrises and sunsets. You notice and experience things that you’re totally oblivious to enclosed in your car.

While bike commuting isn’t feasible for everyone, I really think everyone should at least try to give it a shot once. Granted, some are too far from home to do a complete route to and from work, but there are plenty of park and ride lots and safe public parking to leave a vehicle behind, like I do. Bike commuting is different than your group rides with its own unique goal — getting from here to there, and then back again. Everyone is different, but for me, the combination of sights, sounds and smells coupled with the physical aspects of starting and ending the work day spinning on my road bikes is a completely rewarding daily ritual.

This was only my second winter in Memphis but it seemed long. I rode through the cold, wind, cold and rain and a couple times, through the ice and snow on the sidewalks I ride next to a busy road. Today, I finally road both to and from work in shorts and T-shirt. Strangely, this week I both road in shorts and T-shirt and on snowed- and iced-sidewalks. Such is the weather in Memphis.

My lowest temperature ride this winter was 12^oF. Not exactly eye-brow raising for northern bike commuters, but very respectable for us southerners. Certainly, the undesirable vehicle commuters were somewhat shocked. They suffered on the way from their vehicle to the door. I told them I still worked up a sweat on my way to work.

Last fall, I converted my Schwinn Homegrown from a nine-speed to a single speed (no, it’s not a fixie, I’m not that cool). After six months on the uni-speed, my legs hurt. While I seemed to get tired riding a multi-speed, I didn’t have constant pain in my thighs. I do now. I don’t care really though. Sometimes, when I flex my thighs I get a really good buzz – from the pain and fatigue radiating from my thighs. Seems weird but I like it. I tried massages for a few days but I didn’t feel much difference. Now, on days when the thighs hurt bad, I use the hammies the entire way.

This winter I learned reasonably well how to do track stands at stoplights. It helps that I’m on a mountain bike with fatties but I’m still happy I can do it. It’s not easy to find an appropriate place at every stoplight that provides a little roll-back so I can shift the bike beneath me. At least I don’t almost fall over while trying it like I did before. I found that practicing without clipless peddles helps a lot.

I also learned this winter that I don’t have to shower just before I walk into work. A friend, who rode with me a few times in the fall, didn’t belong to the gym I belong to which is close to work. So, naturally he couldn’t shower before he dressed for work. I took the same approach the entire winter. I usually shower the night before or in the morning before I start. Then, I do a quick sponge bath in the work bathroom before I change in one of the stalls. Seems to work well and I don’t notice that I stink. At least no one has told me that I do.

All and all it was a good winter of riding. At least I’m not taking the bus like I did last year. I didn’t feel much on those trips. I’ll take another long winter anytime. It’s definitely biking with a feel.

When I first came to Memphis one and a half years ago, I was determined to continue biking to work or, since this was the big city, take the bus to work. I was told by people at work, and I quote, “You ain’t ridin’ your bike around here,” and, “You don’t want to ride the bus.” After last year’s experience riding the bus in the winter, I found they were right. You don’t want to ride the bus.

I think it’s funny that people said I couldn’t do either. I along with a long-time Memphian friend of mine have long ago proven them wrong. It’s not because they said it, it’s more because who said it. The quotes I gave above didn’t actually come from only two people, they’re an amalgam of quotes from numerous people. What I find funny about both quotes is that none of the people who said them have actually tried to do either, ride the bus or ride their bike to work. I guess people just like to give an opinion whether they know anything or not.

I have expressed my views on the biking environment of Memphis previously on my website. I don’t paint the doom and gloom picture that most cycling advocates around Memphis do. Memphis is a pretty good place to ride. My kids (ages 2 and 4) and I bike all over Memphis and we’ve never had a problem. My view on the Memphis buses is not so flattering.

I started taking the bus last winter when it became too dark in the morning and night to ride my bike to work. I was excited. I’m just a small-town kid and although I had taken buses in places around the country and in several other countries, I had never taken a city bus on my own. After much internet research I was able to find my route. The morning route started a half block from my house and dropped me off in front of my work. The evening route started 10 minutes walk from work and dropped me off a half block from my home. A one-way trip took an hour and ten minutes to cover the 8 miles. Yes, it only takes 35 minutes by bike and 15 by car but hey, I’m doing it for the environment and the future of my kids.

My long-time-Memphian friend joined me on the bus rides. We soon found out how difficult it is to ride the bus in Memphis. Often the buses didn’t come on time or came early which was worse. Since the next bus didn’t come for another 35 or 40 minutes, good luck getting to work on time. The MATA help line wasn’t much help either. The twenty or so times I tried to call, only once did someone answer. My friend complained profusely both to MATA and the Commercial Appeal (see his letter to the editor entitled “Don’t Count on MATA”) to no avail. The bus arrivals continued to be erratic. The day daylight savings came, I was back on the bike.

My buddy and I are professionals and being late to work now and then probably wouldn’t do either or our careers much damage. I really feel for the people who have hourly jobs and no other way to get to work. They can’t show up 30 minutes late, even if infrequently. And I can’t imagine relying on the bus entirely without a car or bicycle. I often sat on the bus and wondered how these people got along using the bus. Maybe they had been riding it so long they didn’t know any better. I lived in Haiti for over two years and the public transportation in most of the major cities was abundant and efficient, although not always comfortable. MATA is neither abundant, efficient nor comfortable.

I don’t know how to fix MATA but as long as gas, cars and insurance are cheap and MATA’s service stinks, they aren’t going to see an increase in ridership. I still have a MATA punch card in my wallet…forget it, I’m going by bike.

The Farmer’s Market Ride crew and I are always looking for excuses to make a ride in the off season. Even though we’re anchored by three pretty intelligent guys, we sometimes can’t come up with anything. This weekend was different.

I had long ago seen the Frank’s Deli tricycles cruising downtown delivering deli sandwiches or groceries. It wasn’t until this week that I made the suggestion to patronize the business. My co-anchors agreed.

Despite not knowing us, we were greeted outside the deli by the owner, Lance Lester, and his wife and daughter. They, like a lot of people in Memphis were intrigued by my bike train (see About page). Seeing we had children they also directed us toward the 1951 pickup they also use for deliveries in more inclimate weather. I got a few photos of the kids in the pickup.

On the surface, Frank’s is a convenience store with a deli. The footprint of the store is pretty small. However, after a conversation with Lance, I realized it’s much more. Lance and his crew smoke their own meat in the basement. This includes chicken, beef and pork, including bacon. The meats they smoke go into the gourmet deli sandwiches that they serve in the back. My crew, except for my children, mostly opted for vegetarian sandwiches. I had the portobello and goat cheese panini. It was well constructed. My crew liked their’s as well. Since, the kids are meat eaters and don’t typically finish all of their food, I also sampled the toasted club sandwich. Again, well constructed and definitely something special to the meat.

In keeping with the theme of this website, I asked Lance about why he chose to use tricycles to deliver food. He responded that it was good publicity for the deli and that Main Street, in the center of Memphis, is off-limit to cars. While I had hoped that Lance would go into a long rant about the evils of automobiles and how he was wanting to run a more eco-friendly business, I found a gentlemen just working hard to make a small, family-owned business work. Nonetheless, we will support the business because they do use human-powered vehicles.

Kudos to you, Lance. We’ll be back to Frank’s Main Street Deli.

PS: Almost everyone who came into the deli was known by the family. Those who were not known were greeted and made to feel welcome. What a refreshing change. See if you get that at your local 7 Eleven.