I’ve thought about biking or using transit more for a long time. This summer, I made a decision to explore non-car travel while the weather is nice. I’m into my second “full” week. The first couple weeks included holidays and being afraid my bike was unrideable, and being out of town so they’re being “dismissed”.
Pluses:
- Instant Community: Bike rack help on the bus-Biggest social contrast for one day: local homeless man in the morning. In the afternoon-business woman in full suit taking her bike off.
- Instant community II: hugen numbers of people offering parts, offering help, saying hi, etc
- Exercise without the gym
- Challenge–so, can I really make this work?-mental stimulation is good
- slowing down
- Spending more time outside: the weather’s been really nice so far.
- Being aware of community and my neighbors
- Canceling my insurance
- Experiencing the bike-part-cycling/trading ecosystem.
- Next Bus app shows bus arrivals in real time at any bus stop in the city.
- Orca pass lets me get anywhere on ferries, bus, train in the greater Puget sound area. Training to visit a friend in Tacoma or Olympia costs as much as taking the bus to work.
Negatives/challenges
- 85 degrees when out of shape and living at the top of a 300′ hill? Ugh.
- It still takes a long time to get places.
- I’ve had to adjust many activities.
- I’m much more dependant on others for “out of the way” activities.
- Learning about my environment in a new way–Oh, Seattle’s hills are more like mesa/plateau hills with 20% grade drops and you have to figure out where the edges are. They run north south and there’s no real way to avoid a series of 200′+ climbs and drops going more than a couple miles in any direction. Typical altitude in my last week: 50-400′ above sea level within a 5 mile ride to lunch.
Learning experiences:
- Bikes are great for covering the last 1/2 mile or 3/4 mile from the end of the line to home or a friend’s (expands the number of routes I can take getting somewhere)
- I can cover the last mile in 5 min or so instead of 15.
- Barrel adjusters–didn’t know they existed
- flips for quick release wheels go on the left.
- Downtown biking didn’t kill me
- One of the other major cross streets in my neighborhood is much scarier.
- The second number in 700×18-25 is something I need to pay attention to when buying bike inner tubes–Tubes with this measurement explode when put into a 700×35 tire and are inflated.
- 700×35 tires fit on my bike rims. This does not mean my bike will roll once I get it on the front fork.
- Helmets add several inches to head clearance. IT is harder to watch someone adjusting your bike when you both have helmets on.
- Google Maps bike directions work well in the city, not so well outside of Seattle, Same w/their transit directions. I still benefit from local knowledge and adjusting their suggested routes.
So, overall it’s been a great experience. The hills are getting easier. The weather’s cooling off, and the next step is to find 28s for my tires!
