Hopefully so. Every time there’s a spike in gas prices, more of those riders who have considered bike commuting but haven’t taken the plunge, try it out. Especially with the rise in popularity of e-bikes, those who worry about getting too sweaty, or the commute being too long, or it being too tiring are thinking more seriously about bicycle commuting and utility cycling. It’s true this past weekend and Monday may not have been a great time to start up, with the high winds and low temperatures, though experienced cyclists were still out there riding. The temperatures really weren’t the barrier, but the wind…
I remember years ago with a much earlier spike in gas prices, Cycle Works had a large advertisement in their window saying how many tanks of gas would equal the price of a new commuter bike. It was shocking how few tanks it took to equal the price. To see a past blog about the subject from pandemic times click here
Of course most of us don’t ride just to save money, we ride because we like it. It may be the best part of the day. If you look at the faces of motorists, they’re probably not smiling, but when I’m on a bike, I likely am. Exercising in the fresh air makes for a better start to the day. Students who bike to school are said to have better focus than those who don’t. (parents, it’s time to start planning for the bike bus to school) For those working in offices, I’d say it relaxes the mind, especially if you have a secure lock-up and don’t have to worry about your bike. I find it mainly comes down to habit, and organizing your day to make time for it. Also figuring out the little things, like wardrobe and clean-up can make a big difference, if that’s an issue. There’s virtually always a way to make it work at least some of the week. You can start with a few days, experiment with routes, even use the bus/bike combination if that’s convenient.
On to the latest news on the MoPac gap. “LPSNRD staff have completed tree clearing along the western mile of the 2.25-mile MoPac East Trail Extension corridor. Nebraska Digging Services, from Alvo, NE, continues to clear the eastern mile of the project. This work prepares the corridor for upcoming construction activities and represents the first visible step in developing the trail extension.”
