on 4/23/06 10:44 AM, wheelierider at iridewheelies@HOTMAIL.COM wrote:

>> Ok not stop consuming it altogether, but consume it less.  Gas
>> consumption across North America didn't go down last year.  But it
>> could have.  If think if the price of gas were really a burden we
>> would have seen consumption go down, if only for discretionary things
>> like driving holidays etc.  But that didn't happen.
>>
>> Just like you say - better mileage is part of the answer.  Maybe
>> you're doing all that you can do, maybe we can do more.  I switched
>> to a smaller car and make the effort now to carpool more.  Most of us
>> can do a little better here and there.  Longer term solutions like
>> better land use planning will take time.  But we gotta do something
>> right?  What else can you do?
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>
> I know I live in San Diego and we don't have to deal with the weather too
> much but I am able to do about 90% of what I need to do on my bicycle.  I am
> sure many of the european list members do also.  It gets great milage and
> has very low emmissions, unless I have Mexican food for lunch.  I ride an
> early 90's mtn bike with fenders and slick tires for my commute.  Add a
> couple of grocery bag panniers and I can carry a week's worth of food home
> from the store no problem.  I feel much less stress riding than driving on
> the urban streets around where I live.  I save some money and get some
> exercise at the same time.  Plus, I don't feel so bad using a few tanks of
> gas on the weekend once a month to go camping when I don't hardly drive it
> at all during the week.
>
> Bike companies like Breezer and Burly make excellent products for commuters
>
> www.breezerbikes.com    www.burley.com
>
> Lee

 I ride a Breezer as my office bike-ride it almost every day rain or snow
around downtown Salt Lake City.  They look very unassuming, sorta nerd
bikes, but I highly recommend them in the same way as VW buses & Macs!
Unless you know your bikes, they don't look worth stealing, w/ full fenders,
bike rack, dynamo powered lights, bell, 8 speed internal digital shifter,
bigger street tires, built in rear wheel lock, etc. WTF.

Tom-is it still Friday?