Sunday, June 04, 2006

Ironic?

the other day I had the pleasure of driving my bike to the powder coaters, such irony in driving to do bike related stuff, but to ride the frame there would have taken more time than I had. I always find it a little akward to put a bike in a car and drive it someplace close by. I can't really even justify putting my road bike on my car burning some petro to get to another place to ride my road bike on roads. There is just something about it that seems so counter productive, so just not the thing to do. Of course to sample somesweet singletrack I just about have to put my bike on a car and drive, this I have come to terms with, I would really love to live someplace again where this was possible. In Reno I could leave my house and be on trails in 5 mins or less, same in tahoe. Here in seattel I have to drive a minimum of an hour to get to some worthy trails, and longer a lot of times. So there is irony that I have to use gas to enjoy my bike, if only cities where designed with bikes and offroad use in city. Think about it systems of trials in greenbelts, less roads and more dirt, it could have been possible, and there is probably some way to have more trials in city, it just takes shifting towards allowing bikes in parks, and making bike specific trails. I know I am dreaming but with out dreams where are you really. Back to my above point, there is irony in the fact that we as cyclist think that we are doing much more than the average citizen and are somehow better, that our riding of bikes somehow cuts down on our gas consumption, when in fact at times we burn more gas to get to those places that we want to ride our bikes. The only trips that conserve or cut down on our gas consumption are those that replace a trip that we would have taken in a car. Think about it. I am in no way advocating that we dont go riding or that we are bad for this, it is just there is inherently some irony in the whole equation. My current riding partners and I always car pool, as two of are for the most part carless ourselves, that leaves one or two others to do all the driving. but it eases my mind to know that we are not all driving to the trailhead individually. That is what I thought about as I drove my girlfriends car to the powdercoater on Friday, and I will have to drive back to get it when it is done.
So the rain is still here, will it ever stop for a good stretch of time I hope. I have a few pics of wade building my bike that I may put up later, I may just wait until it is powdercoated and built and then share all stages of pic that I have. there you have it.

1 comment:

FixieDave said...

What color?

Isn't also ironic that all of out parts, tires, ect usely come from 1/2 way around the world and just a little gas is burned with that....

anyhow I think as long as you really are thinking about what your doing and doing the best to limt that use then your doing all right. Too many people don't even think about driving 3 blocks.