ok, so you saw gas for less than 4 bucks… August 9th, 2008
big deal.
what i’m saying is, as gas gets cheaper, people will probably start driving more and taking the bus/bike less. this is not good. those of you who have begun bicycling due to increased fuel costs will by now know the secrets of the bike. they don’t just save you money. no, no no.
riding a bicycle has these effects on everyone:
1. increased sexy-ness
2. makes your brain work better
3. fights depression
4. gives you more self confidence
5. gives you an edge in traffic
6. helps keep your punk-rock street cred
7. scares drivers. not a lot, just enough.
8. justifies more beer drinking
9. balances the chi
10. eliminates STDs (ben parsons is not a doctor)
if the above reasons and photo are not enough to convince you to stay in the saddle, then check this- today i had to replace a tire on our honda. mel sideswiped a curb, and it punctured the sidewall, making a repair impossible. i spent 3 hours and 80 dollars getting that piece replaced. compare that to when i got a flat on Nacho (my ‘cross bike) out on Bainbridge island with World War Z and Back Door Dave- i had a new tube in there in about 4 minutes, which i then accidentally punctured with a tire lever, meaning that i had to replace it with another tube. the whole thing probably took less than 10 minutes and cost about six bucks. two tubes in ten minutes for less than ten dollars. come on!
PS. Bainbridge Island was obviously designed by some masochistic freakshow of a road engineer. it has some of the steepest, most gigantic hills i have ever seen. good thing i grew up in Shelton!!!
practical bike tips June 13th, 2008
i see a LOT of people bike commuting lately, probably because we live close to the Burke-Gilman trail now, and crazy gas prices. i also see a LOT of these commuters on mountain bikes, which is fine, except that most of them have big ass knobby tires on their MTB still. i guess that’s ok too, i mean, i’ll take a biker over a driver any day, but often these knobby-tired warriors are really sweating just trying to go up a gentle hill. that’s what prompts me to write this post.
practical bike tips!
#1- unless you take that baby off-road GET RID OF THE OFF ROAD TIRES. those suckers are great for gaining traction on a gnarly single track, but all they do on pavement is make life difficult. this is a cheap and easy way to make your commute faster and easier. just go to a bike shop and ask for some road tires. those babies will not only be super smooth, which reduces rolling friction, but also will have a much higher air pressure rating, which makes a GIGANTIC difference.
#2- get a pump with a pressure gauge built in. keep those tires full. full tires=fast.
#3- lube your chain. get some actual chain lube though, no WD-40. that stuff is bad news for chains. i don’t know why, it just sucks for chains.
#4- wear a helmet. nobody wants to take care of your vegetative ass if you get hit by a car and have to drink out of a sippy cup for the next 50 years.
