So after two nasty sleety icy days, dawn today was clear and much warmer than last week, and I shoveled a path to the bike shed and leaped on the chance to ride to work. After just two days I was really feeling the loss of my personal mobility. Since I do most of my shopping by bike, I tend to do it in small bursts, and run short pretty quickly if I don't have the bike for running errands.
Also the Scientist is still on Swiss time, and has been waking at 5 and conking out around 8, and I've been getting home later than he, so I can't steal his car for some errands. I'm afraid I've become spoiled and hate to run errands by T anymore.
Having the bike allows me to run my errands along my way home- varying my route depending on whether I need to hit the hardware store or the fish market. I'm not sure that I would run those errands on weeknights if I had a car- because it's so hard to park in Cambridge that it would be less convenient.
If I owned an urban local business I would do all I could to encourage bicycling, because it's easier to shop at a lot of those places by bike than by car- if you run your errands by car, you're tempted to go somewhere with a big parking lot, probably a big box, probably out in the suburbs.
Sorry, no pictures today- go enjoy the ones at Lovely Bicycle of the Roadster meeting last weekend!
I keep "5 to 8" hours too. I did not realize I was on Swiss time. Maybe my wife will be more understanding if there is a cultural explanation.
ReplyDeleteIt's true. There was a consignment shop near-ish me that I drove past and wanted to go in. but parking was a bitch and I was always in route to the supermarket and stopping seemed to take too much effort. Then when I rode by on my bike I was able to stop and walk around while on route.
ReplyDeleteSo do all of these shops realize about the bike angle?
ReplyDeleteSteve- I think a fair number do-
ReplyDeleteI know that several of the places I frequent have a program called bicycle access or something like that, where you buy a sticker for $10 to put on your helmet, and when you show it, you get a discount. I even tried to buy one once, but they were out, and I never got around to it.
Jefe- maybe your wife would be more understanding if you d cleaned the kitchen and hat hot breakfast waiting for her like the Scientist did for me this morning!
Great point about small businesses and shoppers. I think on-street parking should be replaced with separated bike lanes on lots of Chicago streets. Business owners would create a huge fuss about parking and customers at first, but I believe it would only help their bottom lines.
ReplyDeleteCycler, I have done the cooking through 24 years of marriage and two grown sons.
ReplyDeletewww.bicyclebenefits.org
ReplyDelete$5 sticker for helmet
free pint glass with every 6-pack in Davis Sq.