Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Bikes=Fun
You there... the one with the bike. You currently have in your possession a vehicle that will gain you access to adventures, new friends, exercise, and a healthier planet. If you don't believe me, then check out the pictures below that prove it.
Suicide King Alleycat
Trick Competition (longest skid, above).
Cycle Chic Ride
For those of you that did not make it out to these events... no worries! There are more to come. Tonight there will be a Midnight Mystery Ride starting at the Recovery Room (meet at 11pm, ride out at 12pm) and Sunday, July 5th is the Tour de Taco will leave from Hampton Park at 6:30 and make round to Santi's, Taco Boy, Juanita's and Yo Burrito in a random order.
Monday, June 8, 2009
This week brings a random assortment of products and videos to entertain you:
Here are some things made from recycled bike parts:
Creative clothing to help make the commute easier:
Here is a product that I want so I can bring Sadie with me on bike safely:
Here is a new type of bike that would make my life easier:
For those of you that couldn't make it to the screening of VEER, here is a peek at the documentary:
And finally, thanks to my friend Joel, a sweet link to tall bikes rocking out on ramps:
http://freecaster.tv/bmx/1007514/sheas-big-bike-session?page=2
Monday, June 1, 2009
New Heights.
Car-free.
This is a goal that I have been striving for over the last year and I have to admit, I have not being doing as well I could, especially recently. While I still do not own a car and I definitely ride my bike everyday, I am still heavily dependent on cars and other internal combustion engine powered transportation on a pretty regular basis. There is a good chance you will judge me, but I am going to admit my last month of travel so I can take an honest and critical look at my own choices.
Car Rides: 23 (All of these were carpooling situations and most of them were to work on John's Island)
Flights: 8 (I only flew two places, MS & FL, but I had connecting flights for each)
Boat: 1
Bus: 2
Keep in mind that this month is really an exception and is by no means the rule but it still makes me wonder how much of a difference I am making by not owning a car. There are definitely steps I could take to reduce the insane numbers above.
* Bike to work: I have considered trying to make the ride to Johns Island for work but I would definitely want someone to come with me and I am just really nervous about getting squished because there are no bike lanes and cars are going around 60 mph on rural roads. It is also 13 miles away with an estimated 30 minute driving time, meaning that it would take me at least an hour and half and most likely longer because I am not a distance rider. Also, there is no shower at the office, so it would make for one juicy day at the work.
This would be my route:
* Ride Shares: I could try and do ride shares for traveling instead of renting cars or taking flights but there is always that "am I going to end up in a trash bag in small bits on the edge of the highway?" fear lingering in the back of your mind.
* No more flying: Considering my mom lives in Florida and I love traveling abroad, this could be an issue. Also, there cost and time associated with driving instead and in the end I am still burning fuel. The key here I think is to just limit this types of trips.
It seems I am not the only one struggling with this issue. Below is a excerpt from my friend Cedric's traveling update:
"Increasingly, this question of flying is not so much about can as it is about should. I have realized that the year I spent commuting to work by bicycle (2,300 car-free miles) probably about equals the carbon emissions I became personally responsible for when I stepped onto the trusty Boeing that brought us from New York to Ireland in February. I can no longer accept that the challenge of mitigating the effects of global change (because there is no fix at this point, only contingency plans) is about fighting for someone or something to change. The fight is now with myself and my current lifestyle. So we will be attempting a return to the US via a lower-carbon mode of transportation."
The following images are from a 60x96" display created by Chris Jordan: www.chrisjordan.com. I strongly suggest visiting his site, his work is amazing he just posted new stuff. The images below depicts 11,000 jet trails, equal to the number of commercial flights in the US every eight hours. The first image is how the painting would appear at a distance and then second is what you would see when got close to it.
But before you find yourself slumped in your chair defeated by the challenges of travel and the imagines from above, consider the fact our declining economy and increase in fuel costs has resulted in the the increase in public transportation, bicycle ridership, and the reduction of unfilled planes in the air (I can attest to this, good-lord were the planes packed!). Yet what we really need is a shift in mindset, planning, and governance that creates a drastic and permanent change in our society. If not, I have a feeling we will be forced to reap what we have been sowing.
For now I am putting my faith in all of the people out there like myself, Cedric, and so many others that are hanging up there keys and hopping on their bikes because they know that the one thing we all have control over is our own lives and how we chose to live them. Perhaps if we clear the path, others will soon follow. At the end of the day I have to remind myself that I am not alone in this struggle...
This is a goal that I have been striving for over the last year and I have to admit, I have not being doing as well I could, especially recently. While I still do not own a car and I definitely ride my bike everyday, I am still heavily dependent on cars and other internal combustion engine powered transportation on a pretty regular basis. There is a good chance you will judge me, but I am going to admit my last month of travel so I can take an honest and critical look at my own choices.
Car Rides: 23 (All of these were carpooling situations and most of them were to work on John's Island)
Flights: 8 (I only flew two places, MS & FL, but I had connecting flights for each)
Boat: 1
Bus: 2
Keep in mind that this month is really an exception and is by no means the rule but it still makes me wonder how much of a difference I am making by not owning a car. There are definitely steps I could take to reduce the insane numbers above.
* Bike to work: I have considered trying to make the ride to Johns Island for work but I would definitely want someone to come with me and I am just really nervous about getting squished because there are no bike lanes and cars are going around 60 mph on rural roads. It is also 13 miles away with an estimated 30 minute driving time, meaning that it would take me at least an hour and half and most likely longer because I am not a distance rider. Also, there is no shower at the office, so it would make for one juicy day at the work.
This would be my route:
* Ride Shares: I could try and do ride shares for traveling instead of renting cars or taking flights but there is always that "am I going to end up in a trash bag in small bits on the edge of the highway?" fear lingering in the back of your mind.
* No more flying: Considering my mom lives in Florida and I love traveling abroad, this could be an issue. Also, there cost and time associated with driving instead and in the end I am still burning fuel. The key here I think is to just limit this types of trips.
It seems I am not the only one struggling with this issue. Below is a excerpt from my friend Cedric's traveling update:
"Increasingly, this question of flying is not so much about can as it is about should. I have realized that the year I spent commuting to work by bicycle (2,300 car-free miles) probably about equals the carbon emissions I became personally responsible for when I stepped onto the trusty Boeing that brought us from New York to Ireland in February. I can no longer accept that the challenge of mitigating the effects of global change (because there is no fix at this point, only contingency plans) is about fighting for someone or something to change. The fight is now with myself and my current lifestyle. So we will be attempting a return to the US via a lower-carbon mode of transportation."
The following images are from a 60x96" display created by Chris Jordan: www.chrisjordan.com. I strongly suggest visiting his site, his work is amazing he just posted new stuff. The images below depicts 11,000 jet trails, equal to the number of commercial flights in the US every eight hours. The first image is how the painting would appear at a distance and then second is what you would see when got close to it.
But before you find yourself slumped in your chair defeated by the challenges of travel and the imagines from above, consider the fact our declining economy and increase in fuel costs has resulted in the the increase in public transportation, bicycle ridership, and the reduction of unfilled planes in the air (I can attest to this, good-lord were the planes packed!). Yet what we really need is a shift in mindset, planning, and governance that creates a drastic and permanent change in our society. If not, I have a feeling we will be forced to reap what we have been sowing.
For now I am putting my faith in all of the people out there like myself, Cedric, and so many others that are hanging up there keys and hopping on their bikes because they know that the one thing we all have control over is our own lives and how we chose to live them. Perhaps if we clear the path, others will soon follow. At the end of the day I have to remind myself that I am not alone in this struggle...
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
City Dweller
I've entered this new world
known to some as "downtown";
It is a place that never sleeps and
where opportunity is found.
This foreign land exists in distances
measured in city blocks,
Where ferns grow in between bricks
and roots twist the sidewalks.
At night the crushed glass on blacktop
mimics the night sky,
the rough beauty abound often
missed by the untrained eye.
In this place, porches are made
for sitting and neighbors talk;
Gardens overflow with flowers,
tomatoes and beanstalks.
The buildings form a patchwork quilt
sewn by decades of history,
Its residents recalling the changes
through stories told from memory.
Streets were planned at angles that
catch the ocean breeze;
The paths shaded by the graceful
limbs of ancient live oak trees.
Church bells and car radios
provide the soundtrack,
while horse carriage tours
dispense disputable facts.
Gullah men make palm roses
while the women weave baskets,
the tourists struggling to
understand their thick geechee accents.
Yet the best part of this place
is that everything is close;
Making it easier to live with
the car-free life I've chosen.
It is safe to say that I am
very happy living here.
Now that I am in this place
I hope to stay for years.
known to some as "downtown";
It is a place that never sleeps and
where opportunity is found.
This foreign land exists in distances
measured in city blocks,
Where ferns grow in between bricks
and roots twist the sidewalks.
At night the crushed glass on blacktop
mimics the night sky,
the rough beauty abound often
missed by the untrained eye.
In this place, porches are made
for sitting and neighbors talk;
Gardens overflow with flowers,
tomatoes and beanstalks.
The buildings form a patchwork quilt
sewn by decades of history,
Its residents recalling the changes
through stories told from memory.
Streets were planned at angles that
catch the ocean breeze;
The paths shaded by the graceful
limbs of ancient live oak trees.
Church bells and car radios
provide the soundtrack,
while horse carriage tours
dispense disputable facts.
Gullah men make palm roses
while the women weave baskets,
the tourists struggling to
understand their thick geechee accents.
Yet the best part of this place
is that everything is close;
Making it easier to live with
the car-free life I've chosen.
It is safe to say that I am
very happy living here.
Now that I am in this place
I hope to stay for years.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Living Downtown
I have now been living in downtown for almost two months and loving every minute. Being able to bike to class in under 5 minutes without breaking a sweat is amazing and now I have the farmers market, grocery store, central bus station, bank, post office, doctor, restaurants, bars and hardware store all with-in a mile radius of my place. I have even started hoarding bikes so that when friends come to visit we don't have to drive anywhere! (You can see them all hanging out on my porch in the picture to the left.)Now that I am out of West Ashley, living car-free is a lot easier, but sticking to my strict helmet and closed toed shoe policy is getting harder. When most of my rides are less than a mile down side-streets, it hard not to just hop straight on my bike with my flip-flops and let my hair blow in the wind. Since this month is National Bike Month It is a good time to remember the importance of bike safety and setting a good example for other bikers. Here is a short video to reinforce my point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ibDFCncmDM
I will posting an article in the next day or two about how to get involved in bicycling here in Charleston on the digitel.com, so keep a look out!
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