Yikes, I might change my mind

I recently purchased a bike. I decided that I was no longer going to drive my car for short trips. For the past three weeks, I have gotten groceries on my bike using a back-pack. I wear a helmet and my bike is street legal with lights. Yes, I look weird. Last night, I was able to get $45 worth of groceries, including a 10-pound container of cat litter. A small bag of apples and a container of butter were all that did not fit in my back-pack. I made it home fine, and even felt a minor work out from it.

However, Saturday’s fatalility of a cyclist, and this letter  are certainly giving me pause.  Doctors have told me I cannot run for awhile until my muscles and tendons heal. Biking only aggrivates the injuries if I push it. 

It’s not easy making a lifestyle change that involves driving less. Even with all of the precautions–helmet, lights, bright clothing–I am putting myself at huge risk it seems. 

Despite this worry I have now over the recent events, It looks like I can go without filling my gas tank for a month at a time. However, that’s still $55 a month!

When I went to the boonies in Florida last year, on the side of the roads were bike paths, which appeared to replace the traditional sidewalks. Some spots had sidewalks, too. I just thought I’d throw that out there. More expensive alternatives I have seen were in San Fran where the streets were wider to allow for a bike lane on the road. At both places, I saw a lot of bike riders.

Permalink: http://news.fredericksburg.com/spotsygovt/2008/06/24/yikes-i-might-change-my-mind/