Keep Ridin' That Bike

Gas prices are set to shoot up again this summer. They're projected to go up to $3.60 nationally, which means more like $3.90 here in Sonoma county. At periods it's expected to reach past $4.30 here. My work commute is about 22 miles there and back and my old pony gets a smidge over 20 miles per gallon, so it's about a gallon a day. I think of it as paying a $4.00 daily ticket for the priviledge of earning a living.

Except I ride my bike. I get in free. I don't ride when it rains, but it doesn't rain very much out here. In the ten years that I've been doing this, I've saved about 8 grand or so and my savings rate is accelerating. Granted, I live close enough and I don't have kids to pick up and I don't have to wear a suit, but still, I think it just doesn't occur to people that they can do this.

That may change. Every time there's a spike in gas prices I see more people in the bike lane. I really don't mind the prices going up, especially in the summer when I can ride every day. More people will ride and we'll use that much less oil. And have thighs of steel.