I have been commuting by bike and train for the past 3-4 years, couldn't be happier, and have even inspired a couple of my students to do the same. No fighting the increasing Bay Area traffic anymore. It is a pretty solo venture as I've actually noticed a bit of a decline of cyclists on the train (much to my surprise and dismay). The first and last part of my commute is on a dirt path that runs along the Alameda water channel in the east bay. I start the day riding as the sun rises on the lakes and channel. There is always a wide array of wild birds looking for breakfast. Even saw a bald eagle perched in a tree one day. I stopped to watch it and then it swooped down across one of the lakes and snagged a fish out of the water. Amazing way to start the day. The ride home is almost pitch black with few lights beyond my bike light. Initially stressed me out but now I find the dark, quiet ride a delightful way to wind down after a long workday. My wife has even taken to walking our dogs to meet me at the edge of the park where I come out of the woods. Great way to end the workday and start the evening at home.
My truck is a 2003 and, after two <2500 mile years, I expect/hope to get at least 20 years out of it. Since it sits in the driveway most days, I've received 4 different notes under my wiper blade asking if I want to sell it. I'm usually amused except for the one who wrote, "I don't care if it doesn't run." I thought I should be a tad offended that a complete stranger would assume that I'd let my truck sit dead in our driveway. I guess they noticed the elaborate spider webs that had accumulated on both side mirrors! As for the bike lane, I tend to subscribe to one of Grant's suggestions on page 38-40 of Just Ride. He called it the Safety Swerve. The idea is to appear slightly unsteady when a car is approaching so they give you a little more room. Although I don't feel the need to use it much, when I do, it seems to work very well. John On Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at 9:38:33 PM UTC-8, J Imler wrote: > > I do my best to ride my bike vs drive, mostly because riding is a lot of > fun along with personal and enviro benefits. In the last six months I've > put 2,000 miles on my car. I'm shooting for a sub 5k year. We'll see. > The thing that strikes me more and more is how few people ride in my town > and how enclosed everyone appears in their cars. I feel like I'm sticking > out like a sore thumb. There's a quote I like, the one that says be the > change you wish to see in the world. I feel I'm living that out when I > decide to ride vs drive. > Today there was some enjoyment and connection between myself and the > drivers though. Several waved and smiled, like they wanted to be riding > too. That made me feel good. > I'm sure every place has a different cycling culture but can anyone relate > to what I'm talking about? > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
