COVID-19: The good, the bad and the unintended revival of the everyday cyclist

Here in the U.S, we are about two months into giving the COVID-19 pandemic the seriousness it deserves. Even as I write this article, however, most stay at home restrictions have already been lifted and many businesses have reopened. Restaurants are once again reopening their dining rooms and parks are crowded with large groups of people. The warning for continued caution has largely fallen on deaf ears as people blatantly disregard warnings about social distancing and are no longer wearing masks. To be clear, there is no green light to go back to normal. Out of 320,000,000 people, about 1% of the U.S population has actually been tested. To date there has yet to be a vaccine or proven remedy that will work against this virus. Tests are not mandatory to the public and quarantines are no longer being enforced. 

I have to preface my article with a statement of both disappointment and disbelief of how people have reacted to the virus on a national level. There seems to be more concern for the almighty dollar than for saving human lives. Something as fundamental as the value of human life should be an issue we should all stand behind in solidarity. Instead misinformation and political bias has turned our common enemy, COVID-19 into a political issue. Instead of receiving a consistent message from the people that we turn to inform us of current events, some news media outlets have been giving us a mixed bag of opinions and conspiracy theories that are not grounded in reality. It seems that it is up to every person and business individually as to how they are going to protect themselves and their families during this time. There is no guidance or leadership from any of the programs and entities that are supposed to be qualified to guide us through a situation like this. 

There will be consequences for irresponsible actions and disregard for life and personal safety. Those who err on the side of caution now are likely to fare better in the times to come. This is not over and it will likely take on a new dimension pretty soon. Skeptical? Wait and see. Feel free to bookmark this article for historical reference. ;)

On a different and very positive note (shifting gears, I had to get my nihilism, or factual reporting, out of the way) this pandemic has had a very positive impact on the environment as well as many people who were once overworked but now have found the leisure time for exercise and self-improvement. With the reduced greenhouse gases from people staying at home instead of driving, the weather in Texas has never been better. We are having an actual Spring for the first time in years. The cooler weather has also brought many people out on their bicycles. People of all types are taking to cycling now, not just the competitive athlete types but people with kids and dogs who want to enjoy the outdoors, maybe for the first time in their lives. Bike shops and mobile bicycle repair operations are seeing their business model shift to cater to commuters and casual cyclists over those who ride for sport. If this trend continues we can hope to see a revival of sorts in the way of infrastructure improvements for cyclists along with real transit oriented development initiatives. TOD improvements in my area have been a joke and have missed the mark of their original purpose. Many are glorified high end retail outlets that don't incorporate or support community businesses. High end retail and high end housing have gentrified the former communities that were once here. Hopefully as local governments look to meet the increased demand for cyclists, real strides can be made to connect people to the places they need to go via their bicycles. 

What can you do now in this time of social distancing and reduced work hours? Start by riding your bike (of course, you knew I'd say that). Familiarize yourself with your local bike paths and low traffic roads in your area. Create routes to and from places. Figure out the ins and outs of your town or city, the back roads and the neighborhood roads. Grow a garden. Find a wooded area to social isolate, take in the nature around you. See all of the animals that have come out of hiding thanks to our reduced carbon footprint. Stay positive and take comfort in the fact that there are a few people that still take this seriously, that are preparing for the worst to come. Read the Bible. Read Matthew Chapter 24. Read Luke Chapter 21. Take note that these things that we are seeing now were already foretold to happen. "The shrewd one sees the danger and conceals himself, but the inexperienced must suffer the consequences"-Proverbs 22:3. Pick up a new hobby of your choice. Keep your mind busy. Connect with friends via face time or Zoom. Stay busy, stay active and don't be fooled into complacency. That's about all I have for now. Stay safe and stay tuned for more articles from my blog.

More Puerto Rico Updates

Ismael, another friend I made on the island. We rode through a trail in the town of Cabo Rojo 

Looking out towards the inland bay at Cabo Rojo

I'm back in town now, after two weeks in Puerto Rico. I hope I can plan my next trip over there soon because I really enjoyed my visit and the time I spent with my cousins and other family members. I'm from Puerto Rico, but I have no skin in the game as to what life is like for people who live on the island day in and day out.  I left the island at the age of 5 through no fault of my own; I was a kid and my parents wanted/needed to move. This trip gave me a glimpse at what it would have been like if I had stayed.

 Everyone here says that it's not easy to make a living on the island. There is a shortage of jobs and a lot of laws have been passed to keep manufacturing down and to keep individuals from empowering themselves. However, that doesn't mean it's impossible to live here. For as much strife and financial hardship as there seems to be this is a place where every morning you can wake up to good cup of coffee and million dollar views. Everywhere you look there is a mountain on the horizon to climb. The mountainsides are spattered with the reds of the Flamboyan trees and other hues from other fruit trees as well as little wooden houses scattered throughout. Fruit here is sold at fruit stands and for a few bucks one can walk home with about ten pounds of locally grown bananas, mangoes, papayas, soursop and other fruits. This place wouldn't be an expensive to live in for someone who owns their own business abroad or collects a retirement check there. It is expensive for most locals, even those who have college degrees but who do not have contacts in the business sector that can get them jobs. 80% of Puerto Rican households make less than $40,000 a year, and Puerto Ricans pay an 11.5% sales tax on all goods, the highest of any U.S owned territory. Puerto Ricans also pay income taxes to the government of Puerto Rico, sometimes at a higher rate than the Federal income taxes paid in the rest of the U.S. The good majority of Puerto Ricans have to settle with $7.25/ hour, or the Federal minimum wage. Unless someone is a fruit vendor or a farmer, they are subject to paying annual income taxes which is pretty much the majority of Puerto Ricans. Due to the high tax demands on individuals who own businesses, there are many cash in hand transactions and many places will not accept credit or debit cards. Many have to do this to make a profit otherwise all of their profits will go to paying taxes to the government and to merchant fees. While this may not paint a complete picture as to what it must be like living over there, it does give us a small window to peek in.

Riding a bike in Puerto Rico is awesome. During my stay there I rode on the southwest side of the island, to and from my relatives houses and into the city centers of San German and Sabana Grande. The distances aren't very far between towns, but the elevation and gradients make up for the short distances. Some of the roads up the mountains average at 8% incline grades, which sections as steep as 25% or more. Even the roads leading to and from the city centers are steep. Here are a couple of rides that I did while I was there. Check out the elevation profiles versus the distance ridden.

My goal is to one day be able to live in Puerto Rico with my family with complete financial independence. It's an ambitious goal to say the least and a lot of Puerto Ricans don't or can't make it a reality. I can't let it go without at least trying, since ever since my trip I haven't stopped looking back. The palm trees and mountains of Puerto Rico go in harsh contrast to the hot, 100 degree ocean-less landscape that I am currently living in. Maybe it's time for this prodigal son to finally come home.

I took my bike to Puerto Rico

The Porta Coeli Monastery is the oldest church in the western Hemisphere in one of the oldest founded settlements of the New World.

 Some of my readers may have heard things about Puerto Rico, some good, some not so good. I 'm here to clear the air and misconceptions that anyone reading this article might have, whatever those might be. Furthermore I want to share the awesome experience that I have had cycling on the west side of the island, climbing gradients that would even make Vincenzo Nibali wince in pain.


Puerto Rico has been in the news lately, for all the wrong reasons. The alleged default on the national debt of the island has many people calling Puerto Rico the "new" Greece. I'm not going to bore you with the politics of the island and of those abroad, because this is a bike blog and I want to talk about bikes. Essentially, what people are hearing on the news is a bunch of hyped up, sensationalized rhetoric being used as a platform for scoring political points by opposing parties. People can still shop and eat here and even have some money left over for recreation. Puerto Rico is nowhere near 3rd world country status or anywhere near where Greece was when it needed austerity measures. Are people leaving Puerto Rico in search of better opportunities? Sure they are, as is everyone everywhere who thinks the grass is greener on the other side. For all the negative news about Puerto Rico's economy there hasn't been a national discussion about the cause for Puerto Rico's financial woes or about whatever happened to the national referendum that never left the U.S congress's desk. For those who wish to know more about that subject, research the Jones Act of 1920 as well as all the import, export and trade restrictions and tariffs being laid on the island. Look into how many major corporations like Wal-Mart and others have benefited from these laws by not having to report all of their earnings in Puerto Rico, getting tax breaks and exemptions that businesses on the island do not receive and killing the local economy by artificially lowering their prices to the point that small businesses can no longer compete.  I'm done talking about it, let's talk bike riding.


As with the hyped up news about the economy, several sources told me I had a death wish for wanting to bring my bike to the island and ride around during my stay. The roads around the towns of San German and Sabana Grande are mostly rural, winding, steep and sometimes feature pedestrian and horse traffic. Some drivers might be a little more aggressive on the roads than others, and it might not be a good idea to ride during peak traffic hours. However, the cycling is the best riding that I have done anywhere, period. I'm surprised a Puerto Rican hasn't won the Giro D' Italia yet, because the climbing profiles out here feature grades from 17% to 25% and even more in some places. For the cyclist who loves to climb, this is your paradise.

See those mountains in the background? This is real climbing out here. 

Even the roads in the center of town are steep

 I rode with my cousin during my second day of visiting. We wound through plantain fields and small city districts. It was  really neat to have the mountains as a backdrop the whole time I rode. This made for some really cool pictures.

What a priceless view in such a beautiful place! My cousin Waldito on the right hand side of the photo.

This is the first blog post I write while still abroad. My stay in Puerto Rico is not over yet, and I will be doing more riding as well as documenting my rides before I leave. So far, the experience I have had has not disappointed me. Stay tuned for more blog posts about Puerto Rico and more informative posts.

Vintage Bikes of the future, 26 inch wheel mountain bikes?

Why you should start collecting 80's and 90's mountain bikes

They say 30 years makes a classic. So pretty much, judging by my time here on this earth, I'm pretty much a classic myself. Classics enjoy the respect of enthusiasts and turn heads when being showed off in a modern environment. The mountain bike as it originally was has also become a classic. 

Crested Butte, 1980. There was a repack mountain bike race that day-viewed the first generation of mountain bikes, a far cry from what we would consider to be a mountain bike today. Cantilever or drum brakes, bull moose bmx-style handlebars, and heavy frames with long rear triangles were on the forefront of technology back then. Many of these bikes have sadly not made it into collector's hands after decades of rigorous thrashings on the mountain bike trail. The ones that have made it will soon be as valuable as the most expensive vintage Italian road bikes.

With the recent popularity of vintage road bikes and fixies, old ten speeds have enjoyed a vast number of avenues for replacement parts and upgrades. Most tire manufacturers still make 27" tires, for example. 27" and 700c wheel replacements are still to be found for many of these bikes, even replacements for rear wheels that require a freewheel instead of a cassette. In fact, ever since 700c became the popular wheel size on road bikes, they have been able to co-exist with 27" bikes until this day. I'm guessing back then bicycle companies respected the consumer's wallet, that or 27" wheel touring bikes were seen as benign and not a threat to 700c wheel racing bikes. 

Never in all of bicycle history has there been an attempt so blatant to eradicate a wheel size option than what the bicycle industry is doing with regards to the 26 inch mountain bike. A year ago, I wrote an article saying this would happen, based on market trends and feedback from working at a bike shop. It seems that overnight, all of the good, mid-school wheels and components have either been bought up or priced up at a 300% inflation rate. This is an unexpected outcome to the 650b and 29er wheel craze of the last few years. I can't seem to find anyone who sells good 26" freewheel threaded wheels anymore, unless they are heavy bolt ons for cruisers. The only wheelsets I find available are cassette compatible and top end brands like Mavic. What ever happened to the Zac 19's?

I can only compare what is happening to the 26", unsuspended, steel mountain bike to what happened to film photography. All the powers that be in the photography industry got together , and in less than a decade, film photography was gone. I saw my first digital camera around 2001, a box-like object that used a floppy disc and could only take five pictures at a time. By 2004, 3 mega pixel cameras where starting to become common among most people. In 2009 when I took my film camera to Germany, I received a few impressed looks and one person even told me that they had forgotten what a film rewind sounded like. I had to take my film to a specialty camera store to get it developed, and that was 5 years ago. I still have my film cameras (good ones, at that) but seldom use them because I don't know where I'll develop the little film that I have left in my refrigerator. Were film cameras that much more inferior than digital cameras? No, in fact a 35mm camera with a really sharp lens could get the equivalent of 64 mega pixels in image resolution. My medium format camera could get an even much higher resolution still. So why did the industry have to force film into obsolescence?

For the same reason why the bike industry is forcing out the 26" wheeled mountain bike: to make money. By forcing everyone to upgrade across the board, the bicycle industry is forcing consumers to buy their product, because all other options have been eliminated. As much as I loved my film camera, once all of the one hour photo labs started closing down, I really could not use it anymore. So let's say I were to break a wheel or a 7 speed shifter on my mountain bike. There may soon come a time where that will mean the end of that bike's lifespan as a mountain bike. It will from that point forward have to become a beach cruiser, because those will be the only wheel and tire options that will come in 26 inches. As a desperate measure, I may just have to buy a Wally World bike or a Magna bike from Target with 26 inch wheels, just to swap parts onto my old mountain bike. 

As consumers, we can choose with our wallets whether or not we like what the bicycle industry is doing. When I say bicycle industry, I am not including bicycles found at department stores, many of which still come in 26 inches. I'm including The two big American owned companies in the industry and the one big but still emerging Taiwanese "giant" who are driving the change. "The Big Three" currently own most of the patents in the industry and are known to buy out other companies just for the sake of eliminating the competition. If we don't like what they're doing, then we don't need to buy their mountain bikes, it's that simple. When we start seeing more aftermarket parts available for our old-school rigs, then we can entertain the idea of buying their products again. 

In conclusion, forced obsolescence is never a good thing. Look what that did to letter writing, no one writes hand written letters anymore. Fewer people read the printed page, now you see people reading on their tablets and "eBooks". People don't invite other people over to look at their photo albums anymore, everything is shared online and invitations are kept to a minimum. When something becomes obsolete, our values and manners suffer. Some people will say that it's just a wheel size, that it's just a hobby and that truth be told all bikes were meant to be disposable anyway. But it's much more personal than that. Pricing out the consumer or forcing an expensive change on them is taking advantage of their long time integrity and the fact that they're cyclists. It's telling them that there's a cost of entry and a economical barrier to doing what they love to do. It's telling the consumer either pay up or quit riding a bike. It's an underhanded and indirect way of pre-qualifying people to do something that everyone should have the right to do; ride a bike. Straight up class warfare, if you ask me. 

Here's my answer to what the bicycle industry is doing. I'm going to start collecting vintage mountain bikes and components. I hope to accumulate enough parts to do my own maintenance without ever having to step foot in a boutique, hipster-owned bike shop. Once I can no longer do maintenance on my bikes, all future mountain bikes will come from Target. That's how I'm going to choose with my wallet and I'm sure others will follow suit. The modern bike boom is over, it's been over for about 3 years now. With this forced change the specialty bicycle market will not keep enjoying it's temporary run of sales for very long. Once the bicycle demands of the upper echelon of society are met, they will not derive any more profit from the rest of us. Until another Lance Armstrong comes along and gets people into Tour De France fever, most people will no longer see the need to buy an expensive bicycle again. 

End of rant.

How To Make It In Fort Worth

Ft.Worth, the "other" city across Dallas-and what you need to do to live there.

Fort Worth really is a beautiful city. It's not a fake kind of beauty that you can guise behind a fancy bridge with white arches or a pretty city skyline. It has never been a problem for me to walk the streets of Fort Worth at night. I know that I am safe and I feel safe as well. Fort Worth has an impressive arts district, parks, museums and miles of bike trails. In short, Fort Worth gets me, and then again it doesn't. Once a resident among it's city limits, I had to abandon this city 7 years ago to get a job, find a wife, and ultimately move forward in life which I wasn't able to do in Fort Worth, as hard as I tried.

I must have handed out about 100 or more resumes in my early 20's. I was an educated, energetic and hard working young man ready to do whatever anyone asked of me (I still am, by the way ;) ). I don't know why so many companies in Fort Worth turned me down. I still believe that there is an unspoken social (maybe even ethnic) bias in Fort Worth that makes it's way into the workforce. There was no reason for employers not to give me a chance. Retrospectively, I knew others who were able to find success and were able to stay within the confines of Fort Worth's city limits. Here's how they did it, and how you too might make it in Fort Worth.

Go To School

This isn't a guarantee for employment, but having a college degree will improve your chances at finding a job that can pay the bills there. Look for opportunities in heath care, paralegal assistance, information technology, graphic design and computer aided drafting. Baylor is a major employer of many health care professionals in Fort Worth, and health care jobs are always in demand. To live comfortably, try to acquire at least an associates level degree if considering making the move to Fort. Worth.

Be Your Own Boss

Tradesmen seem to have it pretty good in Fort Worth from what I have personally witnessed. Some successful friends of mine were able to make ends meet by becoming landscapers, carpenters, carpet cleaners and installers, door installers, and home re modelers. There is no shame in hard work, if you want to live in Fort Worth, that is.

Work at the Airport

If you don't have an two year college education, and no trade skills to speak of, the next step to making it in Fort Worth is to work at the airports nearby. Alliance airport is home to two major courier companies and DFW airport has several air freight and logistics warehouses. Keep in mind that working at an airport is hard work, requires working crazy shifts and it does not pay a lot of money. Jobs at the airport start around nine dollars an hour, and can pay up to fifteen in some companies. Paired with a second job or someone else splitting the bills, it might be possible to get by on an airport salary. I wouldn't do it long term, especially with a family in tow.

Work Outside of Fort Worth

Dallas has more work opportunities and more industries to choose from. Even the retail jobs pay better in Dallas. A fry cook at In And Out Burger starts making $10.50 an hour, which is unheard of in Fort Worth last I checked. I work at a bike shop and it's enough to supplement our family income for the time being. Companies are fair about the hiring process, and will at least call you in for an interview, even if your skill sets aren't top notch. My first legitimate job in Dallas was in Technical Support, where I learned on the job many of the computer and software skills I have today. I was also  given the opportunity to work in the health care field for two years as a monitor technician. 

Living in Fort Worth with a job in Dallas will be a challenge. The commute from city to city is about an hour each way. Traffic construction between cities is the worst I have seen in over 20 years of living in this area. Because of the nightmare traffic, many people who live in Fort Worth will eventually move to Dallas to save on gas and to reduce their stress levels. With a comparable cost of living between the two cities, it's no surprise that Dallas continues to keep getting transplants from Fort. Worth, myself included.

In conclusion, I miss the idea of Fort Worth. I miss being close to a city where I didn't have to leave town to get to where I wanted to go. I miss having everything I enjoy in one zip code. I miss a being in a city that is walkable at any hour of the day. Unfortunately, through no fault of my own, Fort Worth lost this citizen who did everything possible to make an honest living within it's boarders. No matter what I did to stay, it just wasn't good enough. I wasn't part of the social clique that makes up the Fort Worth elite. In Dallas, however, I found the value I knew I always had, as an individual and as a contributor to the community. That doesn't mean that it is impossible to live in Fort Worth, and it doesn't mean that I might not one day try to live there again, however things have to change. Fort Worth needs to find a way to hold on to the companies headquartered there. They also need to welcome more entrepreneurs and small businesses into their downtown area. Allowing artisans and musicians to perform in the streets on saturday nights was generating a lot of business, they need to start doing that again. With more economic diversity and transparent hiring practices, Fort Worth can be everything that Dallas is not. However, there needs to be a way to put food on the table that is accessible to everyone. Without that, Fort Worth will never outgrow or outclass Dallas, and will continue struggling economically and keep losing more residents each year. Betsy Price, if you're reading this, I hope you're taking notes.

The simple life- As it pertains to cycling

Living simple in the wake of corporate downsizing, and

how this relates to cycling

In the past week, the greedy, inhumane actions of some major corporations have left tens of thousands of people without work. In my area alone, one major technologies employer laid off 200 of it's employees, among them even some of my friends. Many are once again hitting the job trail trying to figure out if they can afford their current lifestyle or if they will have to lose it all and start over.

There are many theories as to why so many companies have been laying off, cutting full time hours and benefits from their employees. Fear over the introduction of a national health care bill, a "fiscal cliff" which is probably bad news for rich guys getting tax breaks, and even college educated Puerto Ricans (like me) that are starting to catch on about taxation without representation, and finally wanting to do something about it in their commonwealth are all current events some say have encouraged corporate downsizing.

Whatever the reasons for the job losses, these actions are wrong and whatever goes around comes around. I hope any pompous jerk who's laid off a bunch of people and is reading this takes that into heart. In the end, we need companies that can invest in their workers and in the economy of this country. So if you're going to high  tail it to Asia for the cheap labor then don't bother coming back. Take your goods over there as well and figure out how to sell them. Companies that keep making their employees suffer aren't getting away with much this time. People are used to being unemployed or underemployed, so they'll deal with it. In return these companies are basically falling on their own swords so to speak.

"Keep it simple" has been my mantra since 2008, when the economic crisis hit and I was fired two days after returning from my honeymoon. I had to learn how to hustle and teach myself to not have such lofty standards when it came to work. In the time it's taken me to get back on my feet I have worked as  a photographer, bicycle mechanic, sign installer, and even built furniture on call of an office once. I have also worked in  the medical field for two years reading and interpreting electrocardiograms. All this in only four years. I just did what I had to do. Let me tell you it's been a blast and an adventure at the same time.

Many young couples and young people who live on their own acquire debt. This can come in the form of student loans, car payments, or expensive housing. When I was in my early 20's, the loft lifestyle became popular. My roommate and I bought a futon, and we would spend a lot of time browsing the IKEA catalog for more contemporary furniture to dress our apartment with.

Still, our rent was low and we could afford it. I have personally witnessed many young people who find a nice paying job, move to the fancy, "arts district" side of town, ornate their lofts in IKEA furniture and buy a brand new car without even having worked at the job for a year. They do all this only to get the pink slip later. Then they are pulling hairs out trying to figure out what to do. 

Again, I say keep it simple. Buy a car in cash or buy it used, if it's even necessary to own a car. If you live two miles from your grocery store, your gym, your church, a bike lane- do you even need a car? I don't think so. Ride a bicycle instead. That will save  you potentially $800 a month in travel related expenses. Riding a bike is not for poor people. Its for smart people that keep it simple.  There is also the added side benefit of getting in shape and getting to avoid all those doctors visits later. More money in your pocket my friends.

A savings account is the best credit line you can have. If you deposit $50 a week into a savings account, you will have enough to fly to Germany in six months. Trust me, I have done it myself. Ever have a low balance on your account? Just transfer some money from your savings. No need to ask anyone for a bailout. There are some people who just aren't able to save anything. That's understandable, but for if times get better a savings account is the way to go.

Without complicating this issue of deep thought too much, I hope this article serves as a encouragement for those who have recently lost their jobs. To those of you who have lost your job I would like to say this; grow your local economy. I have yet to see a grocer in my residential area. If someone started a small chain of grocery stores that targeted residential neighborhoods, they would hit the jack pot. Zoning laws are outdated and are designed around suburban sprawl, time to do away with those too. Maritime, cabotage trade laws that prohibit exports from U. S territories have to end. For those of you who are unemployed and are visionaries, there is still a lot of options left and a lot of  untapped markets or markets that don't even exist yet. It's up to you to make it happen. Hustle my friends, and don't be afraid to roll up your sleeves and get some dirt underneath your fingernails.

Cycling and the Environment

We all know cycling is good for the environment- here's why.

Nowadays around contemporary subcultures it is very common for people to do things because it is "the green thing to do".  Whether it is a faddish phase or a sincere commitment to protect the environment, there is a growing awareness that riding bikes instead of driving is the right thing to do. People may not be aware of all the benefits cycling infastructure like greenbelts can have on the local environment. Here's a few concrete reasons why riding your bike will benefit the environment, no pun intended.

It improves the local climate- I can use my own local area as an example of the current state the environment is in. Downtown Dallas is a twin city to the adjacent city of Fort Worth and the smaller cities surrounding it. On average, the daily temperature high in downtown is ten degrees higher than anywhere else in the surrounding area, even Fort Worth. In the last two or three years there has been a resurgence of highway construction projects in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, otherwise known to locals as the Metroplex. At the same token, last year was the hottest summer on record, with over 3 months of temperatures above 100 degrees. Coincidence or the result of deforestation and global warming? That is for the reader to decide. It is a proven fact that where there are no trees and only asphalt and concrete, the temperature is usually hotter than in places where there are parks and greenbelts. Right now downtown Dallas sits on a giant concrete slab. More trees should be planted and complete streets put into use.

Carbon emissions from vehicles is another example of why riding a bicycle is beneficial for the environment. With the deadlock Five O' Clock traffic and the dust in the air from the construction projects, it makes for a very polluted scene in Dallas. There is more of this to follow, as the city has approved yet another highway construction project that will redo all the arterial roads to Dallas, replacing them with new ones. Construction is said to take another four years to complete. All these carbon emissions go straight to the atmosphere. The carbon limit for a sustainable atmosphere is 350 parts per million. There are now places on Earth reaching above 400ppm. The destruction of the ozone layer has caused us to worry about things like the daily UV idex. Skin cancer and other forms of cancer are now more common than ever.  The environment, both locally and worldwide, as well as our health would greatly benefit from a reduced dependence on cars and car infastructure. Let's talk about how riding a bike can also help our overall health.

It improves our health- It's no secret that cycling improves our health and the results even show in our physiques. From reducing stress, improving circulation, alertness, and our emotional health; all these benefits can be attributed to cycling. It is also a great way to fight the obesity epidemic that is plaguing developed countries like the United States. Obesity is a disease that needs to be medicated with exercise, a proper diet and lifestyle. Cycling is a great way to get one of the three remedies to fight this disease. It needs to be complemented with other factors aforementioned, but it may be one of the most important steps in fighting obesity. 

In my own personal experience, cycling is yet to bring me to the peak of fitness or make me a spokesman for fitness in general. I'm still an average guy of average American build. That means, like most American men, I am slightly overweight by Body Mass Index standards with a soft mid section. Not fat, not idealistic, just common. I do realize, however with some adjustments in my diet cycling can get me where I need to be, but it is only a factor in the whole equation.

It improves the social environment- Communities that are accessible by bicycle are more united because of it. When neighborhoods become bike friendly, people interact with each other and they become more personable. In turn, the social environment improves dramatically. This may result in lower crime rates, higher quality of life, and increased entrepreneurship in areas where cycling is more accessible. There are other positive side effects to introducing cycling in a community. The need to close distances between home and the necessities of life will result in the creation of small markets for the community. Whether it's a local corner store or a farmer's market, people will begin to buy locally and grow their own local economy. 

Here's a few good reasons to continue on your journey to become more environmentally friendly through cycling. If you were looking for inspiration, this article may serve to motivate you to get up and going. Whatever the case may be, there are many good reasons to get into cycling.

A Car-less Society-Will it ever happen?

A Car-less Future awaits:

Apocalyptic Dystopia for some, Utopia for the rest of us

A Car-less future...what brought this subject up? Really I just wanted to vent about this, and this is the best channel for that. With an early Spring in March and an early summer in gas prices one begs to question how much longer can the auto industry stand on it's feet. Some sources say we are headed for $7 a gallon gasoline by the end of this summer. Even if we don't reach such an astronomical number, one begs to question how much longer the common person will tolerate gas prices. There is a breaking point to everything, and people will be willing to pay only so much for a given item. If that item is not essential for survival, then it will be replaced if it can no longer be afforded. Granted, there will be many people to will fight tooth and nail to the bitter end to keep the precious commodities that they currently own. To be fair, many elderly and disabled will need provisions to get around even with the high cost of gasoline. So is this idea of a Car-less future only a far fetched, idealistic and libertarian concept? How close are we to achieving, or ending up in this situation? 

Cars are more than just goods that transport people around. They are an icon, an icon that no one dares question or topple from it's mighty throne. Since the inception of the assembly line and mass production (we can thank Henry Ford and the Model T for that)  the automobile has been the king of the castle for over a century. Housing subdivisions, the size of our freeways, economic and political infrastructure have all been modeled to serve the interest of the automobile and it's beneficiaries. Wars have been fought for the fossil fuels that keep it running on the road. The health of the overall population has declined because of it. Evenings spent with the family around a dinner table have all but disappeared, as most people spend their evenings in traffic driving home from work. Society has now reached a climax, a tipping point because this current model, which has been contained in every possible way in order to make it work, is now bursting at the seams. It can no longer contain the negative effects it has had on it's loyal subjects. 

The good news is, fallout is already tricking down. We can see that in the improved public transit and railways being built in cities across the country. Bicycle lanes are not just being put in parks anymore. Practical bicycling routes are being implemented. Transit Oriented Developments are leaving the drawing table. Car free zones are being considered. This isn't just a bunch of hipsters and vegans getting together in faddish style at a coffee shop. No, this is gaining support from the grass roots level all the way to the federal level. A head has finally turned, someone has finally noticed.

I am not asking for more that what is already being done. Many cities are still behind and have a long way to go to to be less dependent on their vehicles. Either way, owning a car or spending our paycheck at the pump will not be a choice we will have to make for very long. Rather, the increasing cost on gasoline, both financially and in every other aspect of our lives, will eventually make the choice for us. Revolution? some might ask. Not likely. Instead there will be a silent stand in solidarity over what must be done. No matter what creed or class, all will unanimously agree the course that has to be taken. People will park their cars and ride their bikes instead. Like all inefficient technologies, the automobile too as we know it will one day become obsolete. It's now a matter of sooner rather than later, and for a young man like me this is promising. It may finally come at a day when I am still able to ride my bike.

Park your car, save the environment and the conomy

If you Drive it, You Buy It

Review of environmental awareness as of 2005

In the U.S there are very few alternatives to owning a vehicle. Even with the alternatives that exist, such as public transportation, fuel efficient vehicles, alternative fuels; these are few and limited in supply. The American public is still grasping the concept of a more fuel efficient society, one that doesn’t line the freeways with SUVs and large pickup trucks. This is certainly true in the Red State, where SUVs and pickup trucks are interwoven with the way of life and define the Texan. In response to Schnurman, the energy efficiency model that the U.S uses is failing and weighing down Americans with a worsening economy as a result.

To the middle class American, this has meant budgeting expenses, consuming fewer goods and cutting off travel expenses wherever they see necessary in their daily lives. It is true that Americans have adjusted to rising oil prices. As gas prices continue to descend, it is uncertain whether that will be the case in the near future. There is too much of a draw for U.S consumers not to consume and fuel the gas powered machine that the U.S has created. The aim is to spend, and there are now more retail and service jobs in the U.S than manufacturing jobs, which have gone overseas to foreign markets. Due to efforts for corporate companies to expand their locations, even within the U.S people are now obligated to travel longer distances from home to their work places.

U.S consumers traditionally reject the bringing forth of more centrally located communities. Traditionally the average American desires a house, a plot of land and at least two or more vehicles. With the worsening economy, even this standard of living is becoming difficult to maintain. The result is both husband and wife, sometimes children, taking on one or more jobs to afford this standard of living. Can we truly attribute all these problems to a lack of regulation in oil prices? Let the facts speak for themselves. Exxon Mobil made more in this year’s quarterly profit than the Gross National Product of Portugal. According to research done by Schnurman quoting from David Dropsey; he states that the S&P 500 will have a 15.4 growth in the third quarter. Schnurman insists that “without energy players, that would fall to 9.1 percent”. Some would ask who would benefit most from that increase. The middle class American certainly isn’t; there is no sufficient proof that it is.

Schnurman also states that oil companies “tend to slow production and sell more of their existing supply, delaying the refining of the lower-priced crude.” This means that oil companies make less oil to increase demand and profits, and that is more of a common practice than a mere tendency. Having discussed some facts, it is necessary for consumers to maintain their composure even under falling gas prices. A decrease in costs does not mean a permanent decrease. The American public cannot become complacent to the temporary solutions that oil companies offer at their own will. In order to halt a declining economy, grass roots efforts must be implemented if no federal action is taken.

As consumers, the American people must restructure their outlook on their own society. The development of smaller metropolises all interconnected by mass transit is a model that Canada and some European countries have followed. As a result, some countries have been able to afford free healthcare or healthcare provided through the government with a low tax percentage. This same approach could work on a larger scale; more and more smaller communities, more manufacturing jobs, more public transit. Instead of breaking the Treasury in half trying to improve other nations through the development of military arms, how much more beneficial would it be to improve the public transportation system. Were spending is not needed, there shouldn’t be. Instead of purchasing a large SUV, opt of the car that gives higher gas mileage. Commute on bicycle or on foot whenever the occasion presents itself. To corporate readers; do not try to corner the market in small communities. To small business owners; support one another and do not try to buy each other out. If there are more small business owners in smaller communities, there are more jobs and small business can take out corporate monsters instead of the opposite. To every town there should be stores, entertainment centers and businesses all in close proximity of each other. There should be an elimination of the need to get on a freeway to go to work, of five o clock traffic and an empty wallet at the fuel station. This is not merely singling out one sector of the U.S economy, it is singling out the future of the U.S economy.

Sounds like yesterday's news? I wrote this article in 2005 for my English Instructor. He gave me an F, but nor he nor many people were not aware of the relevance it has today.