Cycling

I’ve been reading a few bike blogs recently, which got me thinking about cycling and why I do it/ why you should do it. My blog, despite referring to my bicycle in its name, is not a bike blog, nor was it ever conceived as one. (It’s dedicated purely to waffle) Today however, I shall masquerade as a bike blogger as I ponder the pros and cons of day-to-day life on two wheels.

Cons

Hazards – Plentiful. Includes cars, trucks, planes, rocks, tree roots, pedestrians, bees, birds, buses, motorbikes, other cyclists, dogs, shonky footpaths, glass, potholes, pensioners, non-existent bike lanes and so on ad infinitum

Rain – there is the potential you will arrive at your destination looking like soggy toast. This can be avoided by some kind of spectacular rain-wear, but luckily in Perth, rain is a fairly infrequent occurrence anyway.

40+ Degrees in the shade – Unfortunately, bikes don’t have a very efficient heating and cooling system. Some day’s, the sun wants to burn you to a cinder, melt your tyres to the path and permanently stick your clothes to your body. You arrive at your destination smelling like you just poured a bucket of deodorant over yourself, in need of a shower and an ice bath. On the other hand, on a frosty winter’s morning you can lose all feeling in your fingers and toes, and feel like you could snap your nose off. Joy.

Wind – One benefit of cars is that they operate at pretty much the same speed, regardless of wind conditions. Cycling does not have this benefit. A vicious wind can make your trip take double the amount of time

Exercise – Cycling is technically a sport. You are required to do more than ‘press go’ to move anywhere. Some days, you simply cannot be bothered.

Groceries¬ – more than once I have got a little over excited in the supermarket that I’ve had more than a little difficult cycling home

Pros

Green factor- Theme song “Let’s get political, political”.

Bike riding is a friggin political statement my friends. For exmaple, ever heard of Critical Mass? “Critical Mass is a monthly bicycle ride to celebrate cycling and to assert cyclists' right to the road.” http://critical-mass.info/  But it’s more than that, it represents an ideology which envisages a different world. Cycling on a day-to-day basis is an easier way to green up your world. Disowning your automotive says, “Fuck you oil barons and your wars, I am a non-carbon emitting, independent, carrot-fuelled prodigy. I reduce urban smog and stand up against peak hour traffic. I’m so ethical sometimes I surprise myself.” What can I say, I’m a fan.

(Here, an interesting article on Bicycles and social movements by Dave Horton (some random google lead me to) http://thinkingaboutcycling.wordpress.com/article-environmentalism-and-the-bicycle/ )

Economics – Cheaaaap. Which as a student, or underemployed bum, greatly appeals to me. Cycling means no petrol, rego, licence or parking costs. It means no parking fines, and limited running costs. Depending on your personal tastes, a bike could set you back between $50 for your 4th hand rust-bucket, and $10 000 for a fang-dangled carbon thing that floats like a bee and stings like a butterfly. After that, you’ve got the occasional spare tube to fix, brake pad to change, helmet to replace, water bottle to fill up...

En Vogue – Cycling, in my well sort after fashion opinion, is just a little bit ‘in’ at the moment. As with the surge in popularity of vintage clothing, an old school bike can be, if nothing else, a neat little accessory. For example http://www.copenhagencyclechic.com/

Exercise– the easiest way (and in fact the only way for me usually) to find 30, is to exercise whilst moving from A to B. Not only is it multitasking, it also means I arrive at work at 8.15 with a brain that has been properly oxygenated.

Slow the pace – you need to allow more time for pedal-power to get you around the place, but far from seeing this as a con, I enjoy the journey.

Picture from http://www.copenhagenize.com/