New Bike Lanes in Lubbock! (FFFriday Meets LoB)

[Nope, this one won't be all inauguration-day political. You can get that everywhere you look. This one is about choosing better where you are and how you live.]

I agree, Yehuda! Woo Hoo!!!!!!!

Lubbock is about to get a new bike lane, and this is not just a little white stripe painted on a road or a little green sign suggesting a not-so-obvious route. It's the real deal! WooHoo!!!!!!!

Lubbock gets a real deal bike lane and all car drivers will get a black 1946 Ford!

(Find this video and the KJTV 34 story here)

 

The first leg to be built will be Broadway from University to Martin Luther King. It's a nice stretch from the Fairgrounds through Downtown through (North and South) Overton to Tech. I love that it opens up an East-West bike passage. I love that it will serve a lot of bicyclists.

 

I am disappointed when I look at the other lanes to be developed and find that most (if not all) development will be focused in one part of town:

 

Where do we find the existing and proposed MPO routes?

(Are they on this page from May 2000?)

 

I am hoping that learning more about the "MPO routes" will alleviate the disappointment. I ride a lot. I commute to work and run lots of errands, but I don't think I've ever ridden a bike on Broadway or in the Depot District. I have ridden the Canyon Lakes quite a bit, but it's been a very long time since I have ridden to the Canyon Lakes. As I have written in the past, I sometimes ride the designated Bike Routes in town, but they offer very little real-world advantage to a cyclist. And our unprotected Bike Lanes are not a great deal better. I use the ones on Memphis and Flint Avenues more than any others and I see many other cyclists using those as well. (Utica would be a great street for a bike lane as well.)

 

Where I ride (and encounter several other cyclists daily)

 

Yes, I definitely know it's not all about me, but not all Lubbock cyclists are headed to Texas Tech. If we build real bike lanes throughout our city, we will see an increase in bike traffic and a corresponding alleviation of car traffic. More bike lanes will create a bicycle commuter Field of Dreams.

 

From the KJTV News spot, here is a quote from a local cyclist:

 

It's something I've heard a lot too, especially when I'm out in public talking about the advantages of bike commuting. People tell me they've been lifelong cyclists until they move to Lubbock and quickly realize that our streets don't welcome them. Then their bikes gather dust and they adopt the car.

 

Complete Streets Initiative

 

One thing that was mentioned in the news article above is that Lubbock is participating in the Complete Streets Initiative. In case you are wondering about that, here are a few places where you can learn more:

 

You can find a little info in the Lubbock Chamber's January 2017 Newsletter

 

And a whole lot at Smart Growth America

 

I hope to see you soon pedaling up and down Broadway!

 

May you be safer and healthier, and may your city help with that!

 

Thanks, SanFranCyclists!

 

Shrink your footprint and Fight Hunger in the LBK this week

[Mega-Minipost]

It's that time of year again - Citibus and the South Plains Food Bank are offering up free rides (for a tiny food donation) thru December 5:

Find Your Citibus Routes here

 

So you can help people to eat, have a low-carbon commute, and save some moolah! Could life be better?

 

May we continue to find ways to serve one another while working to make life better for all!

 

 A few more MH posts that feature Lubbock Citibus: 

 

Personal Carbon Reduction: Electric Car Very Basic Orientation

 

Low-Hanging Eco-Friendly Fruit 5: Getting Around (Plus Climate Change!)

 

Low-Hanging Eco-Friendly Fruit 4B: Meatless Monday in Lubbock (Recommendations)

Meatless Monday!

While I am sure many of you freaked out and shut your computer down a little way through the last Meatless Monday post, I am hoping that you had a little time to digest the idea and decided to come back.

Disclaimers:

1. This post is aimed at people in the Lubbock area
2. These are vegetarian, not vegan recommendations
3. I apologize to all the real vegetarians out there!
4. This list is woefully incomplete, but it's a place for you to get started on Meatless Monday

So, let me be pretty honest. I am not a vegetarian, but I play one on the Internet. (Just kidding) I am not a full-time vegetarian, but I am married to one. So, I have a daily glimpse of what it takes to eat meat-free in Lubbock. Also, my research into man-made climate change has given me a glimpse into the damage we do in the name of eating meat. I generally go meat free about three days per week and eat very little red meat.

The first lesson you learn when looking for meat-free meals is to look at foods from other countries. Asian, Mexican, European, Middle Eastern...it's much easier to skip the meat in these places. [I especially love Thai food -  Bangkok Thai (34th St) Thai Pepper (20th St), and Uncle Chein's (34th St) all make me very happy! Just make sure your destination is open on Monday.]

Restaurants:

My wife's favorite veggie meal in town is Vegetables in Brown sauce at Uncle Chein's
My favorite veggie meal in town is the Hibachi Vegetables at Hayashi. (It's vastly cheaper during the lunch hour.)

Fast Food:

Taco Villa and Rosa's - Bean burritos, Chalupas, Cheese Enchiladas, Nachos
Freddy's - I love their veggie burgers
Freebirds - try the calabacitas - Yum!

Pizza:

West Crust - Veggiepotumus, Margherita, Cheese
Capitol Pizza - The Rabbit, Margherita, Cheese
One Guy - Veggie Calzone!
Domino's - The Pacific Veggie (Pizza or Sandwich)

Other places where it's pretty easy to skip the meat:

McAllisters - Potatoes, Soups, and Sandwiches
Potbelly - Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich and the Elvis (hold the bacon)
Fuddruckers - Veggie Burgers
Red Robin - Garden Burger
Subway - Veggie DeLite Sandwich
The Gastropub - the menu varies, but they always offer some great vegetarian dishes

May your Monday meal make a difference!

Fossil Free Friday: A few new(ish) Electric Bikes

It's a fun time to follow electric bikes. There is something new all of the time. Here is what I am excited about in the last few weeks:

Rad Power Bikes: the RadCity

Our buddies in Seattle announced a new model this week - the RadCity. I watched the Electric Bike Review video of the RadCity yesterday, and it's had the temptation levels up for me. It's not a radical new concept or big game changer. It is a solid bike with a lot of thought put into useful details for someone who wants to use their bike for daily urban transportation. It has a built-in rack, high-powered (but not overstressed) running gear,  fenders, and a lot of durable components. Rad Power calls this a commuter bike. To me it's a commuter bike infused with a lot of mountain bike DNA to make it more rugged and useful. At 48 volts, 750 watts, and 60lbs, this thing is built to be a workhorse. And that appeals to me a great deal when I think of a do-it-all bike to live with everyday. So check it out!

28mph, $995, (temporary) free shipping (Wow!)

Next up are two new-ish offerings from Juiced Bikes.

Juiced has so far offered us two different bikes to choose from -  a cargo bike and a speed pedelec. While both bikes are appealing and not outrageously priced, Juiced just put out two new less-expensive variations of those bikes in the last few weeks. Woohoo! I like it when things get more affordable! So, if you've always wanted a Juiced but you were $500 short of the base price, you are now in luck!

A Juiced ODK for those on a budget!

 

 In the New to Us in the US and Canada department: The Italjets have landed.

 

When I was a kid, I lived near the Moto Guzzi motorcycle dealer. We'd ride our bicycles over and drool through the window at the shiny little Italjet dirt bikes - the stuff ten-year-old dreams were made of! When I was a young adult I went to the Ducati motorcycle shop and drooled over the Italjet scooters - the Dragster and the Velocifero. Well, now I can drool over Italjets again! And this time they are eco-friendly (but not in any way budget friendly.)

 

I like it!

 

As per usual, I'll have to green!

 

You can learn more about Italjets in North America at Electric Bike Report.

 

See what I mean? Lots of cool developments!

 

May you find the one that helps you to go green so that we can all breathe easier! Happy Friday!

 

PS. I still want a RadWagon!

Low-Hanging Eco-Friendly Fruit: Cheating with the Before the Flood Followup

Shameless. Absolutely Shameless. When a lazy blogger just steals someone else's material for his blog content and puts it out there in a blatant attempt to make life better for the entire world. Yes, I am that scumbag! (Sometimes it feels good to be a scumbag and definitely furthers my rep as a bad mofo - I occasionally need that to counteract the reflective vest I wear while commuting on a bicycle.)

By the way, Before the Flood is available streaming (for free) this week only in multiple formats. Here it is on youtube.

I posted earlier this week about watching Before the Flood. And it was a shot in the arm for me as an eco-dork. (Even bad mofo eco-dorks need a little encouragement.) After watching the film, I went to the Before the Flood website so I could see what actions I could take. I found a list of 14 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Own Carbon Footprint.

Some of the fourteen we've already touched on in the Low-Hanging Eco-Fruit Series and others are on the list for future parts of that series. In the list you can find links to useful things like a carbon calculator and an electric car calculator and places to pledge and vote and good stuff like that. Those NatGeo people have their stuff together! They even have a link to eco-tip cards like this:

You know how excited I get about infographics!

 

So, please check out the list and see where you are what you can do next to help. We all need to be taking little steps, medium steps, AND big steps if we are going to make a difference, and snagit, we desperately need to make a difference.

 

May you find ways and inspiration to make very necessary changes.

 

PS. For those of you who need a little more drama in your Before the Flood coverage, here is Katherine Martinko's article where she explains that Leonardo, Fisher, and Scorsese wussed out: Leo DiCaprio plays it safe with his new film, 'Before the Flood'. (I like her!)

 

 

PPS. Check out the Citizens Climate Lobby - one of my favorite groups to help you take bigger steps.

Pre-Heat: An Unsung Electric Car Luxury

It's really cool sharing an office with two electric car owners.

Matt has the Leaf and JG has the Fusion Energi. So I get to hear some of their comparison stories. As winter gets near, one simple difference between electric-powered and gas-powered gets more and more appealing.

[Sidebar - quick auto heater lesson: gasoline-powered cars depend on heat from their motors to warm up the passenger compartment. The motor has to warm itself up which heats up the antifreeze which flows through a little radiator under the dash. That's why you see so many people who start their cars in the morning and let them idle for quite a while before they jump in and drive them. If you are trying to cut back on fossil fuels and make life better for all earthlings, this is VERY counterproductive. Electric-powered cars, on the other hand, have electric heaters which heat up almost instantly.]

On Matt's Leaf, there is a heater timer button down by the driver's knee. So, If you jump in your Leaf at 7:30 every morning, you can set the timer to heat the car up at 7:25 every morning while the car is still sitting on the charger. You get to your car at 7:30 and find that it is 100% charged and already warm and toasty inside. That's the option for the organized people.  But that's not the only option. There are several.

For you less organized and more impromptu people, JG just logs into her Ford Electric App and turns the heater on in her car. So, let's say it's a cold day and she's working late. A few minutes before she shuts down her computer, she can heat up her car and defrost the windows. (This is all hypothetical since JG's husband loves the car and won't ever let her drive it.)

Would you like to learn more about this absolutely rocking feature? Check out this hot article from Transport Evolved:

How To: Preheat Your EV This Winter

 

May your tootsies be toasty as you drive past your ice-scraping neighbors this winter!

The Huff-E-Rat Lives: My Latest E-Bike Incarnation

Where we are now

You're probably tired of hearing about it by now, but I had the opportunity to talk to people about electric vehicles at the Texas Tech Museum last week. Two friends were generous enough to bring electric cars to display, but I wanted an electric bike I could display too. So, last Saturday I gathered up pieces I had lying around and came up with the Huff-E-Rat. (Electric Huffy Rat Bike). And it was a big hit at the museum. So, I thought I'd do a quick post and show it off for you readers who like such things.

Where we started

A handful of years ago, my mother and two brothers gave me this old Huffy for my birthday. It has been together in a few different incarnations over the years, but none of them have really stuck. (Bicycles always make great birthday presents for me. My wife gave me a folding bike frame for my birthday this year and I am gathering up the pieces to make a very cool bike out of it!)

The Electric Bike Kit that is on it now

(If I had it to do over again, I would do things a little differently)

A few quick details - the battery (mounted on the rear luggage rack) is a 36 volt 10 amp/hour lithium battery. The motor is a geared rear hub motor. The controller is 250 watt and is pretty underpowered for a guy my size. It is a single-speed and (so far) only has front v-brakes.

The battery recharges by using a little charger. It's very much like charging a cell phone. And I'm very much enjoying the ride!

Just hanging out under the 34th Street LED streetlight

For those of you who are e-bike curious, here is a great Electric Bike Review article that covers a realistic view of e-bike ownership and costs: Electric Bike Review - The True Costs of Owning and Using an Electric Bike

On the Marsha Sharp Pedestrian Bridge

Leaning against the junky old Dodge I try to avoid driving AMAP

May you enjoy the ride cleanly, quietly, and non-destructively.

PS. I still want a Radwagon, but it's very nice to have this bike and the craigslist trailer!

Low-hanging Fruit #1: Conserving Electricity at Home

Okay, I am scrapping my first attempt at this post. It sounded like I had just graduated with an online associates degree for technical writing.

 

So, let's try again and start this off with electricity. Most US electricity is produced in coal-powered or natural gas plants, both of which cause environmental destruction and create serious health problems for living beings - especially for those who are stuck living near these plants. If we want a healthier planet and a better life for people we have two options: start using cleaner production methods (wind, solar, etc.) or start using a lot less energy. (Or both.)

30% of our country's greenhouse gas emissions come from electricity production!

If you are like me, the solar/wind thing is out of the budget and you live in a town (like Lubbock) that strongly discourages solar and wind with prohibitive local zoning. It ain't easy being green (or frugal) here in the LBK.

It ain't easy being green! (Kermit)

So, I guess we need to focus on using less electricity at home.

Take a look around your house to see what is powered by electricity: heaters, air conditioners, washers, dryers, TVs, phones, computers, fans, lights, ovens - the list is extensive!

Let's pick out some of the low-hanging fruit - heaters and air conditioners.

Now you are probably scratching your head here. Does this crazy Mesquite Hugger know how expensive heaters and air conditioners are? Yes, I do. But this is not a post about scrapping it all and starting over. This is a talk about efficiency. Let's look at three steps.

Step 1: Stop those embarrassing leaks.

Energy.Gov: Air Sealing Your Home

Yep, your house probably has air leaks. Doors, windows, light switches, vents, ductwork, ceilings - all of these are possible place where your conditioned air is sneaking out. The leaks cause your heater/ac to work harder which requires more electricity to be consumed which causes you to pay higher bills and our environment to suffer. So, stop those leaks! The hardware is cheap and the skills required are minimal for those of you who want to do it yourself. If you don't want to, then pay a handyman to help you out. You will be amazed at the bang for the buck.

Step 2: Dress appropriately.

This guy gets it!

Let's say it's 30 degrees outside but you are comfortably running around the house in your undies. There's a problem here. Put on more clothes and turn the thermostat down a few degrees. It's a simple but very productive approach to lowering your electricity consumption. And who knows, you may look smoking hot in a sweater! It's all about insulating yourself.

Step 3: Speaking of insulation...

Energy Star: Attic Insulation Project

Add more insulation to your home. Heat rises, so a lot of heat escapes a house by going up. By adding more insulation to your attic, you invite your conditioned air to stick around longer and keep things cozy. Yes, this step is a little more involved than the first two, but it also pays big dividends in conserving energy (and money!)

So there it is - our first low-hanging fruit post. I hope you are finding it tasty and helpful.

May we all find ways to (easily) work together to heal our ailing world.

Bonus Mr. Rogers post: Vintage Electric Car in Mister Rogers' 'hood!

Another Bonus Mr. Rogers post with a dash of Jimmy: Misters Rogers and Carter again? MH looks back a bit.

And another post about energy conservation at home: MH Disclaimer 2: Solar/Wind Power vs Energy Conservation

World-Famous Scientist, LBK Experts, and a dork at the TTU Museum tomorrow!

One of these three people is speaking at the Texas Tech Museum tomorrow (10/16/2016) at 2pm: (And I am excited about it!)

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe and a couple of dorky guys

If you've never heard Dr. H speak, you could be in for a real treat tomorrow, but you have to get yourself over to the Texas Tech Museum (4th and Indiana). It's a bit ironic that Lubbock [where we work so desperately to convince ourselves that we have nothing to worry about or that there is nothing we can do about it] is home to one of the world's most respected and influential climate scientists.  

Dr. Hayhoe and her unsung colleagues at the Texas Tech Climate Sciences Center offer a clear voice of inspiration, wisdom, and hope in an area that offers lots of sound and fury but little else.

The whole event is in support of the Smithsonian/Chicago Museum of Science and Industry Green Revolution exhibit which is now on display at the museum.

All the info you need

Besides the speaker, the reason that I am excited about this event is that it is designed to offer encouragement and support to local people who want to lead greener lives. From 2:30-4 you can visit booths manned womaned peopled by local experts on a number of topics. You can meet the LP&L guy who is the Mother Teresa of LED lighting, you can meet the Tech Recycling people; you can meet our local authorities on xeriscaping, community gardening, water conservation, wind energy, solar power, and so much more. There's even going to be a dorky blogger there talking about electric vehicles and their ability to help us pollute vastly less while saving money and enjoying the ride! (He might also talk a lot about bicycles, give away a few {tiny} Teslas, and give away three self-promoting t-shirts.)

May the dorky blogger see you there and may we all find new ways to make our world a healthier place!

PS. Personal Carbon Reduction makes me so very happy!

Lubbock on a Bike: Ending a 5 Month Era

I was afforded the luxury of riding my bike to work today. (Yes, I know that most people don't equate riding a bike to work with luxury, but it is for me.)

It felt so very good.

[Life has changed lately. Most of those changes involve taking care of someone in the hospital and taking care of a very talkative third grader. My hat is off to those of you who are raising children. I honestly don't know how you do it.]

Today is the final Day of the National Bike Challenge 2016. And it has been a good run!

Recently I wrote about a guy named David in town who has kept me pedaling. He pulled ahead this week and my hat is off to him - Congrats, David E! (Unless I can turn my five-mile commute home into something over 50 miles, he has it in the bag.)

We've bumped up the MH art budget!

The funny thing about riding a bike is that the more I ride, the more I want to ride. And the more I drive a car, the more I want to ride a bike. And the more I eat donuts, the more I need to ride. And the more I get stressed out, the more I need to ride. It's like life is a big funnel trying to pour me onto a bike.

Here are my cycling stats for this year (so far)

 

So, where do we go from here?

 

Locally speaking:

 

Lubbock is looking at updating its bike and pedestrian paths. I want to see what the plan is and see if it serves the entire town or just the areas near the University. My biggest concern for the Lubbock update is that the focus is on recreational cyclists and that little thought is given to those of us who ride for transportation. This year I have crossed paths with a lot more cycle commuters than in the past, and I seldom ride north of 34th Street. With our town beginning to experience actual traffic jams, cycling could do a lot to lessen the burden on our streets.

 

My quick Lubbock-on-a-Bike wishlist:

• Protected Bike lanes
• Existing Bike lanes expanded to include intersections that cross major streets (i.e. 50th at Memphis)
• East-West bike lanes (not routes)
• Provisions for crossing Loop 289 (and other major roads)

Personally speaking:

 

I plan to keep riding through the winter as much as possible and I plan to keep scheming up ways to get my hands on an electric cargo bike. (RadWagon, Yuba, Extracycle, Juiced - I'm not picky!)

 

May you get your own luxury and may no one else have to pay for it. Keep pedaling!

 

PS. Special thanks to People for Bikes for putting on the National Bike Challenge for another year - keep up a great work that motivates so many of us! #bikesCANsolvethat

Self Congratulatory Minipost with More Mailbox Pics

Yesterday evening,

there was a mantis on the mailbox,

another gecko behind the mailbox,

and veggies on a Vespa.

I actually finished a project(!!!!!!),

and Mesquite Hugger received its 40,000th pageview.

 

Life is good here in Lubbock!

 

May the same be said of wherever you are.

 

Thank you, and keep hugging those trees, cutting back on the carbon, and pedaling!

Radwagon Reviews

I get pretty steady emails from a number of electric and cargo bike makers. You might think it's because I am a big-time blogger, but it's actually because I subscribed to their email lists.

Rad Power Bikes emails me the most often. Most of their emails tell me when RadMinis and/or RadRovers are back in stock. And I am always a little disappointed that there's never any RadWagon news. (I wonder if the big bike is not the big seller the other two are? That would make sense - not everyone is quite ready to go full-on cargo-bike hardcore-ism. Am I?) So I was pretty excited earlier this week when they emailed me about an update to the RadWagon - it turned blue!

Which would you choose?

I don't really want the blue one - the orange one matches my safety vest and such, but it does turn out to be pretty good marketing. You see, I've had Radwagons on the brain all week since receiving the email. As I've been researching all the cool roadster bikes for this week's posts, that $1599 cargo bike with 48 volts and 750 watts and lots of cool features sounds like a heck of a bargain.

But my worry with the RadWagon has been a quality thing. It's a whole lot of bike for the money. I have feared it was too much bike for the money. I figure it's a Chinese bike spec'ed by an American company, and I hope that nothing is lost in the translation. If you are looking for a bike to replace your car, you want that thing to be dependable. So I keep an eye out for Radwagon owner reviews.

You have to do a little searching, but the general consensus is that most owners are extremely happy with their Radwagon purchases:

The Syonyk Review - one of the most thorough reviews from a guy who knows e-bikes

Mr. Money Mustache (This one is a bit of a stretch - the Radwagon shows up several times in the comments - not the article, but it's compelling stuff.)

Radwagon discussion on Reddit

Radwagon anybody? (From Bike Forums)

Big, powerful, orange beast from Seattle (and elsewhere) you have me e-bike tempted. I guess I need to go home and find something to sell. Let's see. $1599 + $175 shipping...maybe I need to find a few things to sell.

May you find a green (and possibly orange) form of transport to get you around joyfully.

PS. For those of you getting tired of two-wheelers, I got a new phonecamera lense for my birthday and National Drive (Not "Ride") Electric Week fast and silently approaches. So there should be a bit more diversity in upcoming posts. Hang in there and pursue green heartily! Our planet needs you!

Serenity

So try this.

Go sit on the porch, or the patio, or wherever (preferably outside) for five minutes.

Sit quietly. Don't fidget. Don't reach for your phone.

Five minutes.

How'd you do?

Try it again tomorrow.

May you revel in the silence.

Razor Does It Again! My new favorite EV - the Street Fighter!

[Two electric motorcycle posts in one week - unheard of.]

It happens at least four times each year - I find myself wanting a motorcycle: Spring, summer, fall, and mild winter days.

You may not think so after reading the post earlier this week, but I really like motorcycles. The simple act of riding one engages my brain in a way few other things do - leaning, shifting, braking, not getting run over - it's all exhilarating stuff. It takes up a lot more of your consciousness than most activities in life. And I find it highly addictive. It's also expensive, impractical, and downright dangerous. This is why I find myself wanting a motorcycle instead of having one.

On top of all that, it's hard to find a decent, affordable, electric motorcycle, and I am doing my darnedest to give up fossil fuels. So, snagit, no more motorcycles for me. But they still catch my eye.

One of my favorite gas-powered motorcycles is the Ducati Monster. I love the lines, I love the trellis frame, I love the shape. I just don't like the internal combustion engine.

This Ducati parks in the parking lot outside my office every day, tempting me. If only it came in a less expensive, electric version.

Actually, now it does! It's just a little smaller than I had hoped:

The Razor RSF650 in all its glory!

Will and Connor Armstrong (The Twins!) Review the RSF

Billy Griggs tells about the Razor Street Fighter

For about $600 you can have one of these fully electric (junior) bad boys of your very own. It can go 17mph, run for more than 50 minutes per charge, and carry 220 pounds. Honey, I am going back on my diet again - only 20 pounds to go!

[My eco-hot-rodder brain has already been at work: new front forks, a heavy duty rear shock, 48 volts of lithium batteries, and an upgraded controller with regenerative braking. Yep, that little bike is gonna burn up the streets very quietly. Maybe I need to look at upgraded brakes and an air horn too!]

Honey, I know what you're getting for Christmas! I hope it comes in matte black (The Ducati Monster Dark is my wife's dream bike) by then!

Here are a few Bonus Razor posts for your hooligan enjoyment:

I found my new dream electric vehicle - move over Tesla

Razor Ecosmart Scooter vs. the Storm Ebike

My we all find our dream vehicles, and may they not have tailpipes belching poisonous gases.