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Commuting by Car vs. Bike |
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Written by Felix Wong - View Profile
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Wednesday, 11 October 2006 |
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The last couple of months I've been attending Spanish Language Meetups on Tuesdays and Thursdays to practice español with a few others. About half of the days I drove my car the 6.5 miles from home to the CSU campus where the meetings were held; the rest of the time I pedaled my road bike.
Predictably, the car is the faster of the two. But not by much! It has taken 15-20 minutes to motor over to a parking spot near campus and 5 minutes to walk over to the designated picnic table we meet at, for a total of 20-25 minutes. In comparison, the bicycle has almost always taken 30 minutes.
If I went into Lance Armstrong mode and didn't mind arriving sweating like a pig and panting like a dog, I could probably ride over in 25 minutes. A dead heat, which is not bad considering my body's meager 1/4-horsepower vs. the car's 120.
Actually, one can say I actually save time by biking, since by doing so I've already done one hour of exercise. On the days I drove, I've usually spent additional time getting the heart rate up and muscles pumping to keep the country's cardiologists (and my own body) happy.
I won't go into the monetary and environmental benefits of cycling either as those are obvious!
If commuting by bike is so great, then, why do I even bother to drive at all?
It usually is because I have other errands to run which I chain together in one trip. Grocery shopping is the major culprit. The car can fetch a week's worth of groceries vs. a 2-4 days' volume with the bike. Hauling, say, a power tool the size and weight of a small TV is also much easier with an automobile, though admittedly, while in Vietnam for a few weeks in the summer, I witnessed many people accomplishing the same deed with two wheels, a rack, and lots or rope or bungee cords.
Another reason is the weather. The weather in Northern Colorado has generally been great the last couple of months, but some days the threat of rain or the howl of the wind help me gravitate towards the car a little more. As the days turn more frigid, I may be choosing the car A LOT more.
 A final reason is I enjoy driving my car. I love shifting through the gears and listening to the rhapsody of the engine and exhaust note. A smile erupts on my face whenever the top is down and the wind ruffles my hair as my favorite tunes are playing in the in-dash CD player.
The great thing is I enjoy riding my bike as well. It is a wonderful that in Fort Collins -- where roads are still not too congested and bike lanes are plentiful -- both the car and bike are viable commuting options. | Only registered users can write comments.
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A Breath of Fresh Air (60)
writen by: felix
Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. |
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| | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
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