tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2514589635991570772.post4995810268711973986..comments2024-03-16T04:19:22.484-04:00Comments on Urban Simplicity: I'm Gonna Be Honest HereJoe Georgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04896010205120222575noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2514589635991570772.post-68368778398694076392010-06-14T09:23:48.444-04:002010-06-14T09:23:48.444-04:00Good call on the post Joe. I have arrived at the ...Good call on the post Joe. I have arrived at the ethical aspects of cycling in a similar manner. I returned to cycling after a 5 year break because I had to get to my crappy supermarket job as an undergraduate. At the time I was spending £35 a month for a city bus pass and I decided that if I spent £100 on a bike, and that bike didn't get stolen for at least 3 months I would make a profit by ditching the bus pass. Speaking to other people about this at the time it seemed that I was some kind of maverick for buying a bicycle to use <i>as transport</i> to cover all of 8 km (about 5 miles). What I got for that £100 was a lot more. At first the journey seemed long, but after 5 hours of manual shop work I came to love the cool ride home in the dark (around 11 pm). I started to use the bike for almost all of my transport needs; the bike had given me total freedom, more than bus reliance or even car reliance could, the only limit was my own ability to propel myself. Eventually I became interested in the maintenance of my bike, wanting to become even more self reliant. It started to occur to me that there was little need for most people to drive almost all of the journeys they did, and that by doing so they were contributing to the sort of problems we have now in the Gulf of Mexico. Eventually I realised that riding a bike helped me to reduce my share of the responsibility for disasters like this one, and for the longer term effects of oil dependence.<br /><br />What puzzles me is how so few people here have come to the same conclusion.Dr C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10234078254243840589noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2514589635991570772.post-87093019835029150062010-06-14T01:47:52.680-04:002010-06-14T01:47:52.680-04:00Yes indeed, a great post. I am just starting to ...Yes indeed, a great post. I am just starting to read "Why your world is about to get a whole lot smaller: Oil and the end of globalization" by Jeff Rubin. Interesting stuff. Hopefully we see a lot more bikes in the near future- we will be a healthier society in many ways.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13170584735778978104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2514589635991570772.post-84955680300313785702010-06-13T15:33:51.799-04:002010-06-13T15:33:51.799-04:00Joe, I couldn't agree more. I am in the unique...Joe, I couldn't agree more. I am in the unique position where I could sell my SUV (which I did last summer): I live super close to grocery stores (big chains and small neighborhood), farmer's markets, within 3 miles of work, etc. Between my Xtracycle (which I ride almost every day) and my other bikes, I get most places I need to be. And I take public transportation when necessary. I also live in an appropriately sized house, in the city, garden in my back yard, recycle, reuse, etc. I don't do any of these things because "they're good for the environment", I do them because I enjoy them. Especially the bicycling :)David Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01378560624198399642noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2514589635991570772.post-88588494591970038662010-06-13T01:08:30.233-04:002010-06-13T01:08:30.233-04:00Great post Joe. I feel that if the government can ...Great post Joe. I feel that if the government can provide safe cycling routes for the average "Joe", then thousands and millions of more people will choose to take a bike for personal/selfish reasons. <br /><br />No matter the reason a person chooses to take a bike, the benefit is a positive one for themselves and for society in general. If we consume less oil, then we can prevent (disturbing) disasters like the current one.<br /><br />Mikael on Copenhagenize recently wrote an article that the number one reason people choose a bike is because it gets them to their destination faster. Here in Toronto, a bike is definitely the fastest way to get around the city - as long as you don't need to travel out to the 'burbs.<br /><br />Unfortunately, with all of the sprawl we have in North America, the car is usually the fastest way to get around, so the challenge will be to win over the average suburban dweller.<br /><br />I think we have our work cut out for us in winning over people in the suburbs. It will take really high gas prices, and great infrastructure to get people on two wheels. <br /><br />"Doing the right thing" is never enough to change people's lifestyle.James D. Schwartzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04454437680686627778noreply@blogger.com