28 replies to this topic

[Green Thumb]

“There is a saying among serious cyclists that the bicycle is a "transport of delight."”
[The Manila Bulletin Newspaper, May 22, 2010]

Two of my uncles are members of a cycling club. But what’s impressive is they prefer using their mountain bikes going anywhere like to work or buying certain items even when they would have to travel considerably far. Fact is they are only using human energy where not only their body benefited but more so the environment.

In some other country (in some of their cities), bicycle cabs or pedi-cabs are the means of transportation if it’s just around town and there’s more than one member to ride and having bunch of items to lift. They call it the “Pedal power”.  This is also a wonderful means of engulfing yourself with what the nature has to offer.

Back in the old times, a Kalesa or Calesa is being used as a means of transportation. As I remember, it’s this good old horse ride with a cart attached from behind the horse using only horse power. Any baggage even the rider would have to sit on the cart and have the horse do the travelling. Now it is only used in the street for tourist spots and very few rural areas.

We would surely love a fast moving kind of life. But sometimes the faster we get, the more the environment got neglected. Maybe on simple travels with a bonus of having to enjoy our surroundings, let us favor the use of a bicycle (or even a horse ride like Calesa). They are also fast depending on human and animal strength. But how can you not be strong if your environment gratifies you with fresh clean air. And oh, a cow could also be a means of transportation and I’m not kidding.

I would like to share this article shared by a biker - on how bicycling is made for a marvelous travel.  

http://mcvarki.multi...Fjournal%2Fitem

[sammilynn]

I love riding my bike places... but I live a very far distance from everything... and that's by car, so if I were to ride my bike anywhere I would have to leave the house 4 or 5 hours before I needed to be somewhere... and that really is not practical at all.

And right now.. I have no bike...

If I was closer, I would definitely ride my bike (when I get one) where I could, but sometimes it just really isn't practical.

[artistry]

What a trip, what a great account of their adventure. I think riding by bike is a good way to exercise and to go places. If you can bike to work or to the store safely, that s a great way to save gas and money. Biking is surely good for the heart and probaby the entire body. It would be excellent if starting biking clubs would catch on here in the United States. Thanks so much for such an interesting story.

[mommymumbles]

That is inspiring. I used to ride a bike when I was younger, but alas, no more. My husband tried to get me on a bike a couple of years back, but I was terrible at it. I guess you can forget how to ride a bike after all!

But we do try and walk as much as we can instead of driving. We are lucky that we live within walking distance of some stores and even restaurants. So we take advantage and get some exercise while saving gas, fumes and money and walk to them.

[Eiza]

I would love to use biking as a primary means of transportation, but I confess that I'm absolutely terrified. In southern California, cars rule. We do have bike lanes, but that doesn't stop aggressive drivers from veering into those lanes. Many of the bikers I see are just as aggressive and fail to follow some of the rules of the road. My husband actually got hit by a car on his way to work. I think I may go the electric car route instead.

[sammilynn]

Eiza, on 09 October 2011 - 01:02 PM, said:

I would love to use biking as a primary means of transportation, but I confess that I'm absolutely terrified. In southern California, cars rule. We do have bike lanes, but that doesn't stop aggressive drivers from veering into those lanes. Many of the bikers I see are just as aggressive and fail to follow some of the rules of the road. My husband actually got hit by a car on his way to work. I think I may go the electric car route instead.

I know what you mean. It's the same way here.
We need to have more bike friendly places and roads for people to switch from cars to bikes as a primary mode of transportation.

Safety is the most important thing.

[Bababooey]

When I lived in Toronto, a fairly flat city, I used to bike everywhere. This was probably 25 years ago, and the world was far less bike-friendly than it is now. After moving to Vancouver - I kind of live on the side of a mountain - it became trickier, because I would either be pedalling straight up or straight down a hill. And of course, the constant rain in the winter isn't conducive either. But I miss urban biking. There is no more efficient way to get around. And parking was a breeze.

[Yoginitrish]

Someday, when my kids are older, I definitely want to bike more and drive less. As a kid, it was magical to ride my bike for miles. Now, with two little ones, I am not sure where I would put them, exactly. And I don't trust my bike skills to get us all safely somewhere.

[Bababooey]

Here in Vancouver, we've got bike lanes everywhere, it's become a very bike-friendly city. I'd like to bike more if not for all the rain we get here. Biking in the rain can be pretty miserable. But I don't understand why more people in L.A. don't ride bikes more.

[Green Thumb]

It's clear that we can't use the bike at all times. We can't definitely risk our own safety. But we surely can use it on good weather. And it would really be nice to bike around on good weather. I believe that could still contribute to the environment. Joining a cycling club could add to your biking skill. More so, you could learn about the safety procedures because it's the same as driving any type of vehicles where if you don't know how to drive the thing and the rules that go with driving it, there's the risk of getting into accident. I'm not a member of any cycling club yet but I'm planning to join one. They also hold fun runs in protecting and leaving the environment untouch. And what better way to promote clean and green energy than using no energy at all but human concern. I think if your municipality is aware that there are lots of bikers out there who use the streets or highways, they may put a lane for bikers and may also recommend safe routes. It's a matter of having them see what they are missing.

[godarna]

Born in Holland I can say I grew up with a bike. My first bicycle I got when I was 10 years old. Since then I used to cycle for 37 years. To school, work, visit family and friends, and just special long tours for fun. At last I had a real touring bike with 16 gears. And Holland is a wonderful country for cycling. Very flat country and bicycle friendly, cycle lanes everywhere. Really miss this living in Mauritius, here it is dangerous to cycle, as there are no cycle lanes and bad illumination during the night.

[sammilynn]

It's not just the weather that can make it unsafe, or miserable. A lot of people don't ride them, because their city is not bike friendly... I know that if I want to ride my bike, I have to ride on the road, and the people speeding and passing too fast and when they shouldn't be  , is not a safe environment for someone riding a bike.

If we had a place other than the road to go on, then I would gladly ride my bike.

I used to go out on my bike all the time with friends after school... we would ride around wherever we wanted to go, but where I lie now is not safe.

[kathie_san]

I love bikes! I used to be fond of riding bicycles when I was in my teenage years back in the country. Oh I miss those days. Now that I live in the city riding bicycles as means of transportation is not so safe as there are no bike lanes in my country and also you'll end up having respiratory illness due to air pollution coming from other vehicles. I wish I live in China where people's main mode of transportation are bicycles.

[zararina]

Yes, traveling just using bike is an adventure aside from it is friendly for the environment and good as form of exercise.
I had experienced traveling a quite far place using a bike with my nephews and it was a good bonding and happy travel. it will be really nice if a lot will appreciate and will use bikes to travel and hope that there will be bike lane to ensure safety of bikers and to encourage more bikers.

[kat74]

Bike do more than transporting people from one place to another, they don't pollute the environment and also they reduce jams in the cities. I think when countries are constructing roads, they should consider leaving a lane for bike riders to be able to use it without creating confusion for the motor vehicles. One also does a lot of exercise every day while riding to work or the shops, so its like killing 2 birds with one stone.

[Mon-Jes]

Eiza, I hope your husband is okay.

Bikes can work to an extent, but not if you have to haul a lot of stuff, say equipment for a job. Baskets hold only so much.

[mariaandrea]

I'm currently looking for a good used bike just to get around my own neighborhood. Everything I need is in walking distance but it would be LOT faster to make that 3 mile round trip to the library by bicycle rather than walking like I do now. With walking and bicycling you don't need a gym membership either. Seattle is a fairly bike friendly city, with lots of bike lanes, but it's also a big city with a lot of bad drivers who end up killing bicyclists on a fairly regular basis, sadly. It's also full of steep hills and rain, making the idea of commuting any really long distance unappealing to the average person. There are plenty of people who do, but it's not mainstream at all despite efforts by officials to make it so.

[Green Thumb]

Mon-Jes, on 16 October 2011 - 04:15 AM, said:

Eiza, on 09 October 2011 - 01:02 PM, said:

I would love to use biking as a primary means of transportation, but I confess that I'm absolutely terrified. In southern California, cars rule. We do have bike lanes, but that doesn't stop aggressive drivers from veering into those lanes. Many of the bikers I see are just as aggressive and fail to follow some of the rules of the road. My husband actually got hit by a car on his way to work. I think I may go the electric car route instead.

Eiza, I hope your husband is okay.

Bikes can work to an extent, but not if you have to haul a lot of stuff, say equipment for a job. Baskets hold only so much.

Let us be responsible motorist. Self-discipline is of utmost importance. The bigger our vehicle, the more responsible we should be as it can lead to more destruction. Kindly stick to safe lane. To go with driving carefully, make sure your car is not one of those smoke belchers. Be sure that it pass the national emission standard and does not emit air pollutants.

Mon-jes, pedicab or a bicycle sidecar is a means of transpo that can hold a lot of stuffs. It can also be detachable if you just want to ride your bike.

[Mon-Jes]

Green Thumb, the city I live in treats pedicabs as a licensed form of transportation--I mean, I would need licensure from the city to ride one, even if no one else was with me. (Pedicabs are usually a tourist form of transport around downtown.) Sidecars aren't feasible here, either, because of the amount of room in the lane they'd take up.

[Tom Servo]

I've done it on and off before. Bicycle transportation is okay. Sometimes it's a lot of fun and other times it really sucks. It depends a lot on the weather, the traffic and how far you're going.