We have a Murray 10 speed with 26 inch tires and a Huffy with 24 inch wheels and knobby offroad tires. Charisse on the Huffy is working harder than the rest of us. She is also riding this bike for the first time. Ever!
I need to stop typing and get some nutrition in.There I was enjoying a simple home cooked dinner with my friend Elisabet and she drops a bomb on me. “My friend and I are riding our bikes to Gianesville. Would you like to come?”
The first subjective thought was a resounding “Yes!” The objective engineer in me promptly took over and started analyzing this offer.
Between Elisabet’s pleas of being spontaneous and my objective reasoning, I decided to sleep on it.
I have always wanted to tour. The three people whose tours encourage me are Ken Keifer, Russ Roca and Laura and The Stouts (who tour with two toddlers). I was skeptical about going on my first tour alone. This tour is an opportunity to have company and do a short trip. I also had some strong candidates for a Plan B.
Between the conflicting subjective and objective thought processes, I managed to find quality in this adventure. First thing the next morning, as early as it is allowed to send text messages, I replied,” Fcuk it! I am doing it”.
Desperate emails were sent to Russ Roca and Jack “Ghost Rider” Sweeney. Their tips are very much appreciated and summarized below the map.
We leave on Saturday morning, reach Gainesville by evening, rest, then leave the next morning and arrive in Jax the same day. This is the route that we have decided on.
View Jax to GNV by bike in a larger map
Some good advices:
I am outfitting the Xtracycle with luggage. The heaviest items are food and water. This is my packing list:
Medical:
sun block
Tylenol
Antacid
napkins
after-shave (disinfectant for cuts)
bandage
Gear:
1 padded mountain biking shorts (wash and dry upon reaching)
4 t shirts
1 long pants
2 compression underwear
1 pair of boxers
rain jacket
safety glasses (for riding in the rain or in the dark)
sunglasses
iPhone
iPhone charger
extra batteries for headlight and tail light
rag
cycling cap
Dr. Bronners liquid soap (good for washing face, hands, hair, plates, clothes etc)
paper map (in case technology fails)
Tools:
duct tape
swiss knife
2 adjustable wrenches
13 mm wrench
bike pump
3 tubes
Nylon rope
Food:
3 bottles of water
museli
cheese (Brie)
trail mix
roast beef sandwiches
sweet potato chips
Hot/Cold insulated bag (folds flat and lighter than a cooler)
Spoon
I plan to buy a cup of yoghurt and blueberries to eat with muesli Sunday morning before riding back. This I will do once I reach Gainesville.
I will try to post pictures on this blog as we go through our journey.
A tax is something that one is compelled to pay to be able to live a problem free life. We pay taxes to the government who spend it on schools, roads and public safety. Sometimes we resist with tea parties to the extra dollar they they raise in taxes. Once that paycheck hits our banks after a methodical deduction of taxes, we pay our rent or mortgage on our home that puts a roof over our heads and protects us from elements. We pay for utilities and for basic groceries to feed us and keep us nourished. These are means of existence. We absolutely can not survive without food and shelter. These are necessities.
In order to pay for these basic necessities, we have devised a system of compensation for work or service that creates a product that other people want to buy. We go to work everyday, get paid, pay our taxes and so on. Sometimes, we have money left over that we try to save for a rainy day or retirement, take a vacation, sponsor our hobbies or just plain consumerism. These are indulgences.
A car is something we buy to commute in a safe and protected way, though the safety of commuting in a car is questionable. When you are made to buy a car due to the design of the city’s infrastructure, the car becomes a necessity. It is not a cheap necessity either. A brand new car kept for 10 years with insurance and gas will cost over $200 a month, usually more than utilities to power your home. That is $2,400 a year. Most people do not keep their car for 10 years. For the first five years, that car costs over $500 a month or $6,000 a year. This car puts us in a random environment of traffic, made random by the presence of other drivers. Random = increased risk of an accident.
Mass transit, though costs extra tax revenue, and in turn the payment of extra taxes take the human element out of the commuting equation resulting in a safer method of commuting. The absence of mass transit or an effective mass transit will compel people to have to spend on a car. Such is the case with the City of Jacksonville. They provide an infrequent bus service with insufficient routes to conquer the vase expanse of the city. They also insult us with a skyway system that starts at a parking lot in the middle of nowhere and takes you to a convention center with ample on site parking, a college and a few other businesses. It does not even take you to the sports arenas.
Therefore, the citizens of Jacksonville FL, mostly republican, pay the car tax because it is a necessity, a need, not a want any more. No one protests at a tea party.
The struggling citizen who work hard to make a living are left behind to fend for themselves. They have to chose between a budget for either gas, car payments and insurance or quality food to feed their children. They choose the high-fructose corn syrup laden preservative infused cheap foods. They would like to pay premium for food not car but they don’t have a choice. They are not given a choice. Who cares about them anyway?
Some people understand the severity of this issue and protest on a very popular website namely metrojacksonville.com. I wish to protest by not owning a car. I moved recently to a walkable part of the city that put me out of bicycling range to work but I did not buy a car. If I was to pay a tax and had the choice to decide how much to pay I will try to pay the least. I wanted my mode of transportation to be reliable and requiring low maintenance. I bought the cheapest motorcycle in the market for $3,000. The insurance on that cycle is $20 a month. It gives me about 70 miles per gallon. The monthly cost on the motorcycle is $100, including depreciation. This is my protest to the city. This is my protest against the car tax.
The yike bike made it to the invention of the year in TIME magazine. It is a battery propelled penny farthing looking machine designed to be a folding motorized people carrier.
I am a little perplexed about the engineering aspect of the Yike Bike that TIME was so attracted to. It is an electric bicycle without the ability to pedal if you were to run out of power. It does not have any fancy gyroscopic technology to keep upright. It is very light but I’d rather not see it hit a bump on the road, send the rider flying forward while the carbon fiber shatters into pieces. It is designed for urban environments, no? So, why is TIME awarding this pseudo electric bike such honor as vertical farming and bladeless fans? Does this indicate that America is interested in transportation without any physical activity?
The Yike Bike is electronically limited to about the same speed as a Segway. It does not improve the health of the people by making them pedal. It costs more than an average city bike. I guess to justify a Yike Bike, one has to understand the mentality of the people who like toys like the Segway. I don’t see the Yike Bike being used in malls, airports and amusement parks, since one can not just stand on it without movement. Therefore, it will only be used by commuters.
In fact, it would be ideal for my commute to work and back, twice a day except, I will be less visible since one sits so low on a Yike Bike. incidentally, Yike Bike manufacturers think one is more visible on it than on a bicycle. Also, I wont be keeping those pounds off that I normally would riding a bicycle. I am sure my wallet will feel a lot lighter too, since my mode of transport costs over $40 to own. Yes, my daily commuter dutch bike cost me $40.
The Yike Bike will successfully segue between lycraed roadies and techie geeks, bypassing pedal power for transportation. It will be hope against human powered mobility initiatives, namely walking and bicycling, with a recurring non-renewable energy requirement. It will be the new vehicle of choice to go to the next World of Warcraft convention.
At least it encourages people to live in urban environments because one cant really get anywhere important on a Yike Bike in the suburbs.
I have been silent on this blog for around a month and a half. Firstly, I apologize to all my readers for being inconsistent. I pledge to post at least once a week. If not, you can hire someone locally to blow the air off my bicycle tires.
I have been partly ashamed to post here and partly have no material to write about bicycling or conservation. I am ashamed because I have bought a motorcycle. Though the justifications are solid, it has taken me away from bicycles. I have barely ridden a bicycle three times since I bought the Kawasaki. This is in stark contrast with my car free life since November 2008.
I am very close to moving to a part of town with a walk score of over 80. That will allow me to have a high quality bicycle usage than my current suburban hell hole. Moreover, that part of town recycles.
Since September, I have not ridden the motorcycle to any place other than work, errands between commutes to work and a friend’s dinner party so he could see it. I did ride to Downtown once to see how the longer commute would feel. I am not comfortable cycing in this zip code yet.
As time passes, I get closer to my move and a new life, namely a new life surrounded by beautiful historic houses with tons of character and the friendly people who live and walk in those neighborhoods. I will be closer to my friends and Laya will have access to several parks and barky friends.
Getting over 65 miles per gallon on the motorcycle is not bad either. As the engine breaks in more and the carburetors get smoother, I hope to reach the 80 miles per gallon mark.
