High Gas Prices? Long Live my bicycle - Democratic Underground

AlphaCentauri

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Fri May-02-08 09:31 PM
Original message

High Gas Prices? Long Live my bicycle

I'm tired of giving out my money to greedy corporation and polluting the planet, for my local trips I'll be using my bicycle from now on.

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Robb

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Fri May-02-08 09:32 PM
Response to Original message

1. Sure, if you support heap leach mining

...Molybdenum alloy frame. :D

I kid. Good for you!

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IDemo

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Fri May-02-08 10:49 PM
Response to Reply #1

7. The bike of the future -->

http://www.calfeedesign.com/bamboo.htm

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AlphaCentauri

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Sat May-03-08 08:46 PM
Response to Reply #7

15. I'm very happy with my German bicycle but that bamboo looks nice

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Obamanaut

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Fri May-02-08 09:37 PM
Response to Original message

2. 17 mile round trip today on recumbent to look for rose bush at

nursery. Also picked out a new fountain - they'll deliver, can't carry it on bike, and will bring the rose at the same time.

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Warpy

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Fri May-02-08 10:59 PM
Response to Reply #2

9. Arthritis won't let me bike

so I use an electric moped. I've managed to carry 2 big canvas bags full of groceries plus 2 cases of soda at a time.

Nobody's laughing at it any more.

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Fovea

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Fri May-02-08 11:52 PM
Response to Reply #9

10. hey, it pedals.

and that counts in my book.

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Warpy

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Sat May-03-08 11:44 AM
Response to Reply #10

12. Well, it's a moped without the "ped"

http://www.egovehicles.com

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Eurobabe

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Fri May-02-08 09:38 PM
Response to Original message

3. I'm going to use my tax rebate to buy me a new Trek

Fuck that noise!

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Fovea

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Fri May-02-08 09:39 PM
Response to Original message

4. Got a cheap bike trailer

Edited on Fri May-02-08 09:41 PM by realpolitik

and it holds 100 lbs.

I feel a lot less guilty eating something tasty
after I have carted it up the river bluff.

I shop a lot differently on the bike.
I buy fewer stupid items, more ingredients, fewer mealz.

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depakid

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Fri May-02-08 10:27 PM
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5. Been doing that for years!

Between the bike and light rail- with the occasional bus (both of which carry bikes) I can get to most places around Portland easily (and in some cases nearly as fast) as by car.

Not to mention the health benefits....

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AlphaCentauri

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Sat May-03-08 09:08 PM
Response to Reply #5

16. It would be nice to have a National Bike Day

to keep the autos off of the streets for a day and everybody taking the streets to ride their bikes.

:think:

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unkachuck

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Fri May-02-08 10:35 PM
Response to Original message

6. I'm with ya....

....sometimes I get out early and hit the rail-trail and spend most of the day riding to stores or just plain riding....

....yesterday, I did 38 miles, prepared/ate breakfast and lunch on the trail, relaxed, walked and made it back home by mid-afternoon....

....I ride with 4 panniers, half full most of the time....I don't go fast, but I do go steady....

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IDemo

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Fri May-02-08 10:53 PM
Response to Original message

8. I'm back on the bike Monday for the commute

Only 4-½ miles, but at 45 miles per week, I'll be saving over $10 weekly on gas (not to mention giving my 50 year old legs some badly needed exercise).

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yewberry

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Sat May-03-08 12:02 AM
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11. Yup. I bus, the husband bikes.

I'm the lucky one--my bus commute only takes me about half and hour, about the same as it would take to drive in to work.

My husband bikes 12 1/2 miles each way, every day. Makes for some long days for him.

But if we drove? The gas costs, paying to park, the sitting in traffic...nah. Sure, it'd be easier in some ways, but it's really not a good option for us.

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obamaguy2

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Sat May-03-08 12:58 PM
Response to Original message

13. interesting but...

Not a real alternative for those of us in NY

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kineneb

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Sat May-03-08 03:16 PM
Response to Original message

14. I have mine customized for grocery shopping and errands

...bought a set of European school-book panniers when I was in Belgium in 2002... I don't like the fancy nylon ones available here...got fenders for the "comfort bicycle" (21 speed?), changed handlebars and now have the rural-road commute bike of my dreams: fat tires, fenders against the mud and dirt, nicely padded seat with springs, saddlebags for groceries and enough gears to actually get up some of our hills.

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Fumesucker

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Sat May-03-08 09:39 PM
Response to Original message

17. One way to make a bicycle considerably more practical

An electric booster motor..

Or even a full electric bicycle..

http://www.atob.org.uk/electricbikeadvantages.htm

Motor kits are available starting at about $500, level the hills out and increase cruising speed by close to 100% while cutting effort by at least half.. The more out of shape you are or the older you are the more sense an electric bike makes for short errands and commuting..

http://www.evdeals.com/Go-Hub.htm

http://www.ecomoto.net/Electric-Bike-Hub-Motor-Kits.html

You can get an extremely nice electric assisted bicycle for around $800..

http://abc.eznettools.net/D300013/X300109/ChargerModels.html

http://abc.eznettools.net/D300013/X300109/Chrgr-MB.html

Be aware that there is a great deal of crap on the market, particularly from China (doh!). Do your research and you should be able to come out with a decent deal.

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Pastiche423

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Sat May-03-08 09:50 PM
Response to Original message

18. I used to cycle about 30mi/weekend

Now I wheel most everywhere. And as long as my arms work, I'll keep on wheeling.

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