The new biking season

[pegkerr]

I told the HR people to cancel my parking contract starting May 1, so I guess I'm committing to starting biking again. I realize I haven't done nearly enough to get ready. I'd hoped to be able to buy new wheels for my bike, but I'm dead broke (maybe when the tax refund arrives). I have to see if there is air in the tires at least! And I have to clean a lot of all that crap that Rob's been piling into the garage out so that I can actually reach my bike in the morning without having to pull my car in and out of the garage.

I feel uneasy about starting. Rob is working now and so won't be able to rescue me if I get a flat. But the price of gas is absolutely killing me, I need the workout, and I know I'll enjoy it once I start again.

I also admit, I am going to deeply regret the extra half hour early I'll have to wake up each morning to show up on time to work. I'm short enough on sleep as it is.

Yeah, yeah, johnridley, I know, I'm a wuss, and my concerns and ditherings are no doubt a mere bagatelle to you.

At least I'm getting back up on the bike.

Comments

[johnridley.livejournal.com]

Any ride is better than not riding. Having something like no parking spot is certainly an incentive! Does that save you money? I know some people on bikeforums say it's not so much the gas; some of them are saving thousands of dollars a year by not parking. I've never worked anywhere that I needed to pay for parking.

I'm never concerned; I'm not smart enough to worry. It's just a paradigm shift; you just start treating cycling to work as normal, and driving a car as weird.

I'm possibly a bit far out on that limb now though; I've put off a car trip to a tool store for almost 2 months now because it's a 50 mile round trip, and I just can't bear the thought of going that far just to go to one place. I think this weekend I might take the kids to the natural science museum in Ann Arbor; the tool store is only a few miles past that.

Anyway, good for you, and let me know if you need any advice or you're looking to buy something; I've found that I've spent more money on things that DON'T work for me than things that do, and that knowledge of what doesn't work is pretty useful.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

The monthly parking pass is $115. Parking per day is $6. I usually buy the monthly parking pass.

I am going to continue putting some money in my pre-tax transportation account, enough to buy one light rail ride a day (if the transition is too tough, I can take the bike on the train in the morning, or if I have to rush home to get someone to a karate class right away after work) and one day pass for parking a week, because we have had a LOT of doctor's appointments lately for one of our children.

As I get more acclimated (and my sleep schedule hopefully adjusts) I'll eliminate more of the light rides and cut back on my pre-tax transportation fund. Then I'll save more money.

Then, too, there's the gas I'll be saving.

Thanks for being willing to offer advice. I'll yell when I need help. At least I have last year's experience under my belt, so I know it all can be done.