(From Part 1 of “Why Cycle?”
“Since 1994 Ive continued to cycle.
Cycling serves as a gym, transportation, mental therapy
and enables great moments of mobile meditation”.

Part 2.
GET OUT! (of your car).

Living in this small city (Concord, NH) getting around by car is the norm.
But why?

In this city, like most-everything you need is within 1-2 miles (easily) of the center of town.
Heres some ststs to chew on.
-A 1 mile walk is 20 minutes.
-A 1 mile bike ride is easily under 5 minutes.
-A 5 mile ride is 20-30 minutes. (and serves double duty as daily excersize).

 Urban driving realities:

-Parking a car sucks. (finding an open space).
-PAYING for parking a car sucks. (or paying the ticket)
-Gas prices suck.
-Traffic and sitting at endless red lights sucks.
-Threading your car through tight, narrow streets is stressful.
-The congestion, crosswalks and cars backing from street parking slows us
to a crawl, and traffic soul is simply soul sucking.

(Can’t say we didnt see the no parking sign(s)

Urban Biking realities:

-Parking a bike is super easy- park anywhere!
-Bike parking is FREE.
-Bikes burn fat, not gas. (free)
-Red lights are useful, quick break and water bottle time!
-Threading your bike through tight, narrow streets is fun and easy!
-The congestion, crosswalks and cars backing from street parking slows us to a crawl, and relentless traffic soul is simply soul sucking.
UNLESS your on a bike where you stay to the right of the cars
dying a slow death in traffic and cruise on through!

No Gym.

Take a moment and think about the typicial American thought process.
We are literally insane!
Automate as much as possible, to the point where we do barely any physcial activity. Then inevidibly, feel tired, gain weight and lose energy.
To combat this – join a gym to get some “excersize” in a stuffy building to get “back” in shape.
We DRIVE (in traffic) to spend one hour every other day at the gym
to “get in shape”?
Or, maybe we could cycle commute, checking all the above boxes of
fitness, gain the one hour back from each GYM visit, all while saving hundreds of dollars a month on gas, repairs, gym membership etc!

Summary

I have had people say cycling in the city is dangerous – they wont do it.
I say depression, stress and inactivity is more dangerous and I wont do it!
—————–
Welcome to the R3volution
You are NOT alone!
-Scott