I've been biking everywhere lately, just as the CCBA is telling us to. I've been doing all my riding on my Raleigh Grand Sport,
and I've been in love with the Bontrager HardCase Racelite tires that I recently put on. I just don't get flats anymore.
I rode down through the floodplain in Wethersfield and Rocky Hill on Wednesday, entering on the Goff Brook Road off of Middletown Ave and exiting at the Rocky Hill Boat Ramp/Ferry terminal. This floodplain, a lot of it owned by a local turf farm, is gorgeous. There was some good birding down there, but mostly I was mostly scouting for places to park my new home: my pick up truck with a slide-in camper. If you live within 10 miles of Hartford and you are interested in hosting me on your property, contact me by email by clicking on my profile. I'll pay "rent".
On Thursday, I made my first ride to New Britain, which is actually a pleasant, easy ride as long as you avoid the Berlin Turnpike. I rode to Chesley Park, where the Connecticut Ultimate Club is holding fall league games under the lights. The ride back at 9:30 pm was nicer than the ride during rush hour.
What's stopping you from biking everywhere? If it's within ten miles, most non-health-related excuses are weak. Any money spent on bike gear like lights, tires, reflectors, tools, warm clothes, etc, is money well spent. Bicycling is the most efficient form of transportation known to man. It is much better than piling money into your car, which is the worst investment you can make.
Biking everywhere doesn't make you a saint. Even if it did, I wouldn't be one. I drive to Maine once a month. Sometimes in the winter I break down and hop in my truck to drive a mile and half to work. I don't beat myself up about it either.
One thing I like about biking everywhere is that I can scarf junk food with abandon and chalk it up to "fuel costs". Have I mentioned this before?
There's no more to read.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Bike Everywhere
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4 comments:
I rode on that floodplain when I went to pick blueberries last month in Glastonbury. It's like a different world! I saw several other bikes and scooters...one local guy gave me directions to the ferry terminal.
I haven't been down there since the Spring. It reminds me of the Farmington River flood plain of my boyhood.
Concerning the junk food: Totally. My wife always gets on my case about how I eat too much sweet stuff, and I say it doesn't matter because I live a life of adventure and rigorous exercise, and she says it doesn't matter, and then I get the bloodwork results back from my doctor and my cholesterol is awesome and my blood pressure is awesome and I'm like WHAT WHAT WHAT!
One other thing: Reading this post made me think that we should institute a blog rule: We must never write, simply, "New Britain," but instead always precede the city's name with it's rough-and-tough moniker, "Hard Hittin'."
I wish former Major League Baseball player (and owner of a rare 4 HR game) Hard Hittin' Mark Whitten was from Hard Hittin' New Britain.
(He's from lightly tappin' Pensacola, FL)
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