Ride to Work Week & Day, National Bike Month, the National Bike Challenge, and...Encouragement

Tomorrow, May 17, is National Bike to Work Day.

There hasn't been a lot of time for blogging or riding lately, but I'm doing both as I can. I love it when the National Bike _________ rolls around. It's just one more motivation to suck it up and ride (almost) every day. I'm thankful for the National Bike Challenge - it's the dare I needed five years back to get started commuting by bike. I can't believe I was actually scared to attempt it. Nowadays I'm scared of the impacts of not riding.

I've been commuting to work on the e-bike and bombing about on the klunker. And the winter funk is melting away nicely.

E-bike throwin' shade on this morning's commute

So I wanted to offer you a bit of encouragement - get out and ride, snagit! Get off the couch and ride! Put down the phone and ride! Quit fretting over the news and ride! Quit snacking on Dorito's and ride! Stop biting your fingernails and ride! Stop pouting and pedal! Stop whining and wheelie!

Modern life is not easy. It's nerve-wracking, anxiety-inducing, and downright stressful, but study after study tells us that moderate activity and time spent outside are powerful tools in relieving stress, improving health, and pushing depression back.

HuffKlunk in the 'Hood - peace!

So, if you're like I was, get over your objections and ride. Ride around the block once a day, or ride to someplace nearby that you really like - a park, a friend's house, or Holly Hop (ice cream is a powerful motivator for me). Or do something practical - ride to the grocery store, to work, or to run an errand. 

It ain't much, but May ain't over yet!

Stick with it for a week.

See, I've got stats and badges, britches!

If you absolutely hate it, stop. Go try something else.

But if you find yourself enjoying it or seeing some positive benefits, keep at it. The more I ride, the better I feel. And it's amazing what that has done for my outlook when facing tumultuous times.

Consider yourself encouraged! Wishing all of y'all the best!

PS. Here's some previous Mesquite Hugger encouragement:

Bike to Work Day 2014: Bring it on, Lubbock!

Lubbock (Not) on a Bike: Happy Ride to Work Day 2015, Snagit!

It's almost here - National Bike Challenge 2016

Lubbock on a Bike: National Bike Challenge is Back! (2017)

Woohoolio! The National Bike Challenge Begins! (2018)

Procrastinating a Starter

This morning, I rode the old Huffy cruiser to a coffee house where I am writing this post to procrastinate what I dread - putting a new starter in my wife's car.

What fun!

I need to go spend $150 on a starter, jack the thing up in the air, lie on my back on the ground, and change the part. Then I need to put the thing back on the ground, make sure the problem is fixed, and take the old starter back for a refund on the core. It really shouldn't be that bad. 

But I have a bad attitude. I've come to hate working on things that run on gasoline. And I'm not a big fan of doing so while lying on the ground.

I'd so much rather be working on a bicycle or the electric Pigeon. Shoot, I'd much rather be riding a bike (or an electric Pigeon).

May we reach a day where we're not paying for gasoline things to make our world a dirtier, less healthy, less friendly place.

For now, it's time to pedal to the parts store, and get to work, snagit! (At least I'll get to ride the bike there.)

Fossil Free Friday - (Shut up and) Pedal!

Something cool happened a few nights ago - I got to talk to another blogger who writes about life on a bike.

I posted recently about the loneliness of blogging or hugging mesquite or something like that, but here I was talking with a guy I know rather well even though we'd never met or spoken.

Talking to Bob, I realized a couple of things.

• I don't know anyone (here in Lubbock) who commutes on a bike
• I don't know anyone local who blogs about similar stuff
• I need to shut up and ride.

So, today I am posting one of Bob's more recent posts to encourage you to ride. All you really need is a bike. (Thanks, Bob! Great talking to ya! Keep spreading the magic!)

If You Want to Cycle, Just Cycle (Bob Sharpe)

May somebody, somewhere encourage you to do something clean and green and good for your soul! (And may no one actually encourage you to shut up!)

Is it really bike to work day in Lubbock?

I rode the bike to work today, but I didn't know. Yep, the Mesquite Hugger calendar update system is needing some help. It was when I arrived at the java distributor and paused the Strava app that I saw a pop-up informing me that it is ride to work day. Man, am I glad that I rode!

 

 

Of course, I am always glad on days that I ride. But how did this sneak up on me? (Actually, it's pretty easy to sneak up on me these days.)

 

So, I Oogled it:

 

 

I learned that today is  Global Bike to Work Day and it's Bike to Work Day in the Bay Area. And it's Bike to Work day a week from tomorrow here in the States. Yep, I am still confused, so I have a new goal - I want to try to ride on every Bike to Work Day and on lots of days that are just plain old Snagit, I Still Have to Go Work Day days.

 

Why? I am going to defer to the NBL on this one:

 

Check it out at the National Bike League site

 

So, how about you? Do any of those reasons appeal to you? Then try it, snagit!

• Pick a day (like maybe May 19th -  US Bike to Work Day.)
• Air up your tires (or borrow a bike - call me!)
• Plan your route
• Do it! (You might actually enjoy it, or save money, or get healthy, or become a Mesquite Hugger hero by fighting pollution!)

May you get out and pedal yourself to a better life for you and all of us!

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!

 

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

[Without getting too political, this issue, more and more, is in OUR hands. If it's going to happen in the US, it will be we, the people, who make it happen.]

A few weeks ago, about 9 pm on a Wednesday night I was walking up the sidewalk to my house (in the dark) and decided to check on the tomato plants that had just exploded in the last few months. It was very dark outside, but I was comfortably wearing a short-sleeved shirt. I shined my relatively-smartphone-flashlight on the plants and found several new green tomatoes.

Green Tomatoes (in the dark)

So I headed to the porch and saw a tiny, newborn gecko scurry across my path. To recap - mid-November, short sleeves, new tomatoes, newborn tiny reptile. I realize that I live in a place known for crazy weather, but steadily warmer has become the new norm. And the new norm is happening a lot faster than most climate scientists had predicted. The climate is changing quickly and we are responsible for making it happen.

Temperature Rise Graph - thanks, Nova!

We are throwing more and more carbon into our atmosphere and we are taking away the natural buffers that have protected us in the past. It's a bad, bad combo.

So, what's a Mesquite Hugger to do?

1. Find ways to stop releasing more carbon (by reducing our consumption of gasoline, diesel, coal, and natural gas.)
2. Strongly encourage others to find ways to stop releasing more carbon. Stat!
3. Pursue ways to restore some natural buffers (like composting and restoring native plant life to barren areas

So, let's look at getting around.

Here at Mesquite Hugger, we love tiptoeing around on the smallest carbon footprint possible. Lubbock, however, is a place that does not always make it easy. So, I am a big fan of walking, of biking, of e-biking, and electric cars. I am also fond of Citibus - our local public transportation.

[OK, I'm back. My brain just daydreamed off to a place where my tiny garage had a nice pair of hiking boots, a commuter bike, an electric cargo bike, and a Citicar parked happily together.]

From this Treehugger article

So, dear reader, here is what I will ask of you:

• Please analyze each trip you are about to take and choose the least harmful mode of travel available.
• Please analyze all of your trips collectively. See which ones are unnecessary. See which ones can be combined or changed.
• See if it's time to find more efficient methods of travel.

Riding the Bike

I write a lot about bicycles. I write too much about bicycles, but there's a big reason for it - bicycles (and electric bicycles) are some of the least damaging vehicles on the planet for short trips. And most of us take a lot of very short trips. Add in the fun factor, the super low cost, and the health benefits, and the bike becomes a bit of a miracle machine.

Taking the Bus

A bus traveling by itself is not a very efficient vehicle. It's large, heavy, and cumbersome, but the math changes when you put people inside the bus. The more people you haul, the more efficient the bus becomes in terms of carbon released per person, especially when compared with the carbon release of that many people riding solo in cars. If you'd like to try it out in Lubbock and fight hunger, this week is the week to do it:

Learn more about Lubbock's Citibus here

Carpooling

Not many things are sadder for the eco-conscious than the number of single-occupant cars on the road. But here, that single occupant vehicle is deeply ingrained in the culture. The next time you are near a busy intersection, do a little survey - how many cars around you have only one person in them? (We won't even jump into how inefficient each of those vehicles is.) If you have co-workers or neighbors who can share a ride, you can divide your carbon footprint by the number of people in the car. As much as I am not a fan of big SUVs, I have to admit that four people riding in an SUV is more efficient than four people riding in four sedans. (But four people in one sedan makes even less pollution.)

Electric Cars (and Plug-in Hybrids)

I spend too much time talking about electric cars too, but for a culture so deeply addicted to the car, they make a lot of sense (and cents). The advantages can be huge. Imagine cutting your fuel costs by about 75% and cutting your maintenance costs by about 75% too. Imagine not having to go to the gas station and not being worried about the cost of gas going up. Imagine driving in a vehicle that does not promote asthma, lung disease, or cancer. Imagine a vehicle fueled by locally produced energy. No, a fully electric car won't cover each driver's needs, but it will cover most drivers' needs. And a plug-in-hybrid will cover most of the rest. (And it's not hard at all to find a late-model, low-mileage electric for around $10,000.) They make an excellent second car.

Trains, we don't have no stinking passenger trains around here.

Gasoline/Diesel Cars and Trucks

These are by far the most dominant form of local transportation, and the most damaging. If you do find yourself stuck in these, please do what you can to limit your pollution:

• Keep your vehicle in good tune and keep the tires at maximum inflation.
• Do your best to stop idling. Skip the drive-thru and go in.
• Carpool.
• Plan efficient routes for your travels.
• For multi-car households, drive the most efficient car in your driveway as much as possible.
• Slow down.

All of these things collectively can lighten your eco-load.

Regardless of what you drive, strive to be courteous to others, There's enough stress and frustration out there - please don't add to it with the way you get around. And please, watch out for that dorky blogger on the bike!

May you tread lightly and may we all be better for it.

Giving Tuesday Meets Carbon Reduction - Expand your reach!

Black Friday. Small Business Saturday.

Thank God It's Sunday.

Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday.

The Story of Stuff. (Annie and Free Range, you are always in  my head.)

I lay in bed a few mornings ago with all of this stuff swirling in my head. I had to get up. I was getting nervous.

How do we make the world a better place? It's going to take a lot more than just parking our gas-powered cars and changing our light bulbs. (But those are a start.)

For me, everything goes back to slowing and stopping climate change. Yes, there are lots of other incredibly important causes to support; however, as it gets harder to live and breathe, all of those other problems get worse. As we see species quickly disappearing and cultures being wiped out, the term Pro Life takes on a much bigger meaning.

How do you slow climate change? You limit carbon release. (Yes, we've always had carbon release, but we humans have become experts at it and our ingenuity and creativity in that department is killing us all.) And we, the Americans, are doing more than our fair share of the damage. Look around you, do you see people near you working to limit carbon release? Do you see people near you working actively to increase carbon release? Answer the same questions about your immediate family.

Around me, most people want cheaper gas, a bigger car, a larger house, and more stuff.

Since today is Giving Tuesday, I thought I'd throw out a few of my favorite organizations that are working hard to slow climate change:

Citizen's Climate Lobby

Watch the Intro Video

I support the CCL because I am a cynic and the CCL offers me a different type of hope. The CCL is a multi-partisan approach to helping us reduce our carbon while supporting the economy and offering (financial) hope to all citizens. Their approach is not one that expects altruism to save our environment. They are offering a sensible approach that is based on a carbon tax and dividend (while making life better for all).

The Sierra Club

Watch the Intro Video on this page

The Sierra Club has been around more than 120 years. The original vision of the SC was to protect wild and natural places. Here in the 21st century that vision has not changed. but it has expanded to protecting the entire planet and all life on it - including us humans. The part of their mission that truly draws me in is their drive to Move Beyond Fossil Fuels. As times get more desperate, the Sierra Club keeps stepping up their game. (You can find the Texas chapter here.)

GreenPeace

Pardon me on this one, but all my life I've known Greenpeace to be a bunch of non-violent badasses who go after whaling ships in little rubber boats. That's how they got started back in 1971 and they haven't backed down yet, but they've definitely broadened their scope.

Learn more here

350.ORG

Check out the 350.ORG intro video here

(Yes, I had to throw in the bicycle screenshot)

Okay, so those are the biggies for me when it comes to saving the planet, but they are definitely not the only ones. So, if these don't fit your approach, do a little research and find those that do. Let this be one way your voice can be heard.

May your actions match your beliefs!

Bonus: 3 More Organizations near and dear to me:

The Haven - a Local, Non-Profit, NO-Kill animal shelter

People for Bikes

League of American Bicyclists

Lubbock on a Bike: Last Commute 2016

Back in high school, we had a Horatio Alger Day where we learned that we could be anything that we set our heart to be. (I may need another one of those.) I don't remember much from that day, but I very clearly remember one thing that a guest speaker told us. On the chalkboard he had drawn a bunch of stars up high and a steaming pile of something down low. Then he drew a bow and an arrow. "It is better to aim for the stars and miss [he paused for dramatic emphasis] than to aim for the poop and hit it." (Yes, he really said "poop".)

 

It was 39 degrees and breezy when I left the house this morning. I was a little disorganized and was disappointed to realize that I had grabbed two right-handed mechanics gloves for the ride. I ended up riding with one hand on the handlebar and one in my jacket pocket. I also forgot my reflective vest. Oy vey! But not really - every ride is a good ride. Every day I ride is a better day than it would have been.

 

Bike shadow on the mall taken on this morning's commute

 

My goal for this year was to commute at least 1000 miles on a bicycle - to reduce my car driving by at least 1000 miles. My goal was to tangibly reduce my carbon output. And I considered 1000 miles to be fairly modest.

 

I have so far hit 84% of my goal - I have five miles to ride home. My daily commute to work (round trip) is about 10 miles or 1% of my goal.

My stats from today (National Bike Challenge website)

 

But today is the last day this year that I'll commute to work. My commute takes me very near the mall (a place akin to Hell this time of year) and there is no biking (or walking) infrastructure in place near the mall. And if you ever want to see man's inhumanity to man, just watch the non-gleeful Lubbock drivers trying to get to the mall between Thanksgiving and Christmas.(This is my overly wordy way of saying I am extremely scared to ride to work during the holidays.)

 

The red arrow is my commute path. The green arrow is the place where no one stops at the red light. An easy place to commit suicide by traffic.

 

But I am happy to say that I aimed for the stars. The 14-year-old Dodge pickup with 178,000 miles on it spent 84 days sitting in the driveway at home not burning oil or gas. That's 84 days I did not step in poop.

Okay people, I am shooting for 1200 miles next year. How about you? What is your clean goal for the coming year? (Feel free to answer)

May you aim for the stars and help us all to drag ourselves out of the poop!

A special thanks to the Norris family for donating a very nice bike to the Mesquite Hugger Office of Commuting, to my office mate and good friend who leaves the office so I can change into more work appropriate clothing, to my lovely and wonderful wife for putting up with bikes everywhere (sometimes including the dining room), and to all of the Lubbock drivers who have not run me over.

Non-sequitur: Milky Chance Covers the Pixies (to offer you a groovy day)

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

Lubbock on a Bike: National Bike Challenge 2016 Update

The Concho Pearl and my bike earlier this week

Nope, I have not been writing about it much, but it's still going and I am still pedaling - a lot! (Or at least a lot for an out-of-shape middle-ager.)

So far, I have ridden more than 50 miles on the bike this week. And I hope to do five or so more today.

So, let's be very honest here. I can not afford an electric car -  not even one of those really inexpensive used Nissan Leafs. I can't afford a decent non-electric car. Shoot - I can't even afford a decent electric bike. But it's funny, that lack of money has turned out to be a blessing in a lot of ways.

If I could afford an electric car, I fear I'd be quite lazy (and smugly self-righteous to boot!)

For my own personal code of ethics, choosing to burn gasoline is wrong, so I have worked to have a life where I do not have to burn much gasoline. I live in a flat place where it rains and snows very little. I work five miles from home. Most days, I work in the office. I have bought (second-hand but very functional) electric or manual yard implements.

And I ride a bike as much as possible.

So, I am healthier, lighter, stronger, and more at peace. (I like myself and others better when I ride than when I drive.)

And all of that fits right in with the thing that gave me a big push in becoming a bicycle commuter - the National Bike Challenge.

It may shock you, but I am generally not a competitive person. It shows up here and there, but generally it's not what I'm known for. Strangely, that goes out the window when it's National Bike Challenge time.

That's me in first - but it's a tenuous lead!

You see, there's a guy in town named David, and he and I have fought it out all summer. I don't know David, but he has become a bigger part of my life than I'm ready to admit. Every day I log in to see where we are standing, and it's reaching a fever pitch. You see, the challenge ends in SIX DAYS!

My stats for this year

You can see from my stats how much I owe to David. Ten percent of my points for this challenge have come from this week. And it's all his fault. (And I don't even know if he knows that I exist.)

To be honest, my legs are getting tired, but I plan to keep pushing all week! Thank you NBC! Thank you David, Les, Bradley, Spencer, and  Allen for pushing me to ride more. Thank you to my Toni for putting up with all the biking!

David, if I ever meet you I'll buy you a beverage in a non-disposable cup!

May we all find encouragement in the healthy places!

Bonus San Angelo on a Bike pics:

It's a town with culture,

and a river,

and River Beetles,

and one seriously cool trash can. (It would be even cooler if it were a whole recycle train!)

National Drive Electric Week: 2 Skinny Wheels - Thinking Smaller

So, what's National Drive Electric Week all about? Is it to get everyone into an electric car? Or is it to get people out of gas-burning cars? For me, it's the latter. It is an opportunity to make a concerted effort to promote ways to help us all stop extracting, buying, and burning fossil fuels so that we can do less damage to the environment in which we live.

To celebrate National Drive Electric Week, I took Electric Bridget out for a ride on Saturday. And, no, Bridget is not an electric car -  she is an electric bicycle. Electric Bridget came to me as an old Bridgestone mountain bike that sat out in the weather for a while and was generally just neglected over the years. When I decided to build a low-dollar e-bike workhorse, EB got a new lease on life.

To be honest, I have ridden EB very little. Since EB does not (yet) have a pedelec controller, miles ridden on EB do not qualify for the National Bike Challenge. (But there are only 15 more days of that.)

So, I had kind of forgotten what it's like to ride an e-bike. It's awesome! I did a quick 8 miles. It was windy. I went up all of the slight inclines that feel like big hills on a non-electric bike. I still arrived home breathing hard and sweating, but I did eight miles in about the same time (and exertion) as I normally do four. I did not check, but I doubt that I ever exceeded 17 mph.

But it sure keeps me thinking...

One of my favorite blogs to read is Bike 5. The premise of that blog (Go read it already!) is pretty simple, For trips of 5 miles or less, a bicycle is best. (Health, budget, breathing, saving the planet, etc.) (Ironically, my office is 4.9 miles from my home.)

With the electric bike, it seems you could easily go to a bigger radius. (With apologies to Bob, who writes and lives Bike5.) One could easily create a blog for e-bikes called E-Bike15. For trips of 15 miles or less, the e-bike is best. From all of my DIY days, I have learned that having the right tool for the job makes almost everything better. I have lots of days where the bike (with me powering it) is not up to the job, but the 4,000 pound Dodge in my driveway is definitely overkill. At those times, the e-bike is the best tool for the job. It's hyper-efficient, fairly low-cost, and amazingly inexpensive to maintain and operate.

Learn more (and see this larger) here

And then there's that whole commute with a smile idea. Some people refer to it as the "EV Grin". When I ride a bike I smile a lot more than when I drive a car. (E-Bikes are funner than cars, y'all!)

Honestly, not everyone needs an electric car in order to make a positive impact. With that in mind, consider the advantages of an electric bike: they are easier to park - you can even park one in your tiny house. Try that with a Nissan Leaf! You don't have to buy a big fancy charger or have your house rewired. And there are lots of different options for different needs, different budgets, and different physical abilities.

From this...

 

...to this,

there's an e-bike for everyone.

In case you are wondering, this is not a Don't buy an electric car post. I love electric cars and see them as one great tool for cutting our dependence on carbon, but not everyone is in a place to own one. (I'm not.) If you're like me, the e-bike might be the next best thing. You might even come to realize that an e-bike is the best thing for you.

May you find the best thing for you and may it be a better thing for us all!