Category Archives: Biking

One car update

It has now been almost three months since we became a one-car couple in a very automobile-oriented town.  Since we bike pretty much everywhere, and have the bus as a back-up, the transition was smooth, as I expected.  Usually, if we go somewhere in the car, it’s to visit family, and we go together.

However, I questioned our decision to keep the older car on several recent occasions.  One afternoon, after getting something out of the trunk, we noticed that the interior of the trunk was wet.  Our reaction?  Ignore it for a couple of weeks until it starts to smell funky, then ignore it for a few more days while the smell intensifies.  When we finally investigated, we found that some dry beans had made their way into the spare tire well, along with the mysterious water — yummy!  We cleaned it out, dried it out, aired it out, and waited until the next rainfall to see if the water was a fluke, or if we had a leak.

At about the same time, we noticed that the upholstery on the ceiling of the car, behind the sunroof, was having sagging issues, It felt like some kind of panel was out of place up there and resting on the upholstery.  Now, at this point, I have to say that I have always thought that sunroofs are a bad idea.  It’s just one more moving part that can break and create costly repairs, and it’s completely optional, so why would you have one?  Anyhow, the sagging upholstery trouble was indeed related to the sunroof (see, I told you they’re evil!), but wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, the company that had installed it provided a lifetime warranty that they made good on with very little effort on our part.  We hoped that the trunk leak may have been related to the sunroof as well, and therefore fixed at the same time, but that remains to be seen.

In summary, so far, so good with the one-car life, but we will test that with my upcoming career change and the onset of less-friendly biking weather.  If we commit to making it work, I think we can continue.  The annoyance of having to buy a 2nd car just a few months after selling one provides a STRONG disincentive, as do all of the costs that come with that car.

Pursued

Pop quiz*:

You’re cycling when an angry dog jumps a fence and gives chase.  You . . .

a.  Pedal like mad
b.  Stop and use your bike as a shield
c.  Squirt the beast with your water bottle as you flee
d.  Keep a steady pace but say, “Good dog, nice doggy”

I chose “d.”  According to Outside magazine, the correct answer is “c.”  They write, “Aim for the eyes. A splash of water will short-circuit most dogs’ prey instincts.”

Friday afternoon, I almost got to put their advice to the test.  I was biking down a residential street, when all of a sudden a dog starts barking and chasing me.  I thought to myself, “Self, remember the advice about the water in the eyes.”  All well and good, but I looked down and saw an empty water bottle cage — the one day this week that I biked without a water bottle!

Fortunately, the dog gave up the chase before I needed to resort to Plan B (whatever THAT was).  Even if you’re just going for a short ride and don’t think you’ll get thirsty, there may be other reasons to bring that water bottle along!

*From Outside magazine’s November 2009 issue.

UPDATE: As luck (?) would have it, another dog gave chase when I was on my way to church yesterday.  I did have my water bottle with me, but I was hesitant to use it.  I feared that in the process of reaching for the water bottle and trying to squirt it at the dog, I would end up running into a parked car or some such, and end up in a much worse situation.  Instead, I just kept pedaling, and once again, the dog lost interest after about half a block.

Cabbage, and broccoli, and turnips, oh my!

Dear Weather,

I biked in the rain both ways yesterday.  Tuesday I bussed because of the rain.  Today it was not supposed to be raining.  Yet I stepped outside with my bike this morning, only to experience drops of water falling from the sky.  I object.  This was not part of the deal.

Sincerely,

A Disgruntled Bike Commuter

Now that I got that off my chest, on to local goodness.  Our regular weekly farmer’s markets are on hiatus until spring, except for a market at my husband’s place of employ, which continues to offer fabulous produce.  Here is their list for this week: Tomatoes, Bell peppers, Cauliflower, Butternut squash, Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Acorn squash, Pie pumpkins, Sweet potatoes, Potatoes, Broccoli, Scallion, Swiss Chard, Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, Turnips (a white, Japanese turnip that is mild and sweet with beautiful greens) and Radishes.

I’m not really sure about tomatoes at this time of year, but everything else sounds great.  We already have bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower in the fridge from last week’s market.  Today’s list includes brussels sprouts, scallions, arugula, and sweet potatoes — yum!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Do you have more impact as a bike commuter or by taking a job that promotes biking and walking but will require driving? I suspect (and hope) that the answer is the second option, because I accepted a job that will put me in exactly that position. I am terrified excited about this opportunity, but the driving to work every day is a hard pill to swallow. Time to explore carpool and ride-share options . . . .

All around the town

The wheels on our bikes completed lots of rounds over the weekend.  After much debate (Will we get there in time?  Is it too windy?), we opted to bike to the veggie potluck on Friday night.  As soon as we set out, I knew we had made a great decision — gorgeous early November night, good route with relatively little traffic . . . . Our contribution was nestled snugly in the milk crate on my hubby’s bike.

We dined on delicious food with “A Very Veggie Thanksgiving” theme.  I tasted my first ever Tofurky (a couple of years ago,  I made my own version out of tofu) and a Quorn roast.  We usually avoid fake meats (AKA [at least in my head] “feat”) in favor of less-processed sources of protein, like beans and nuts, but they are fun on occasion.

Sunday, I visited Cafe Ventana for the first time.  The cafe gives every biker a free beignet, served hot out of the fryer.  They reminded me of funnel cake, which I haven’t had in forever.  I only had a few bites before I hit my quota of fried for the day, but it was tasty!