Bicycles and the Cost of Gas

Riding in to work this morning left me a but stunned!

This is the first day I've ridden the local rail-trail to work. Snow is
finally gone from all of it. I couldn't get over just how many people
on bikes I saw!

All commuters as near as I can tell. No riding shorts or tights or
lime green windbreakers. Bikes with panniers, handlebar bags or
milk crates on them.

I actually noted quite a few more bicycles on the road during this
past winter as well, but my route was more varied so I think I might
have under-noted their presence. Now the bike path is open, they're
harder to miss.

Filled up my truck with gas this weekend after a two week passage
of time since my last visit to the pump and was surprised to see
$2.13/gal ($62 fill up)!!!

Couldn't help but wonder if the commuter bike population increase
is correlated with the cost of gas. Given that it's barely spring here,
I'd expect the summer gas price to reach a good $3/gal at least.

I suspect (and hope) I'll see quite a few more bike commuters as the
year progresses!


SMH

Stephen Harding wrote:
Riding in to work this morning left me a but stunned! {snip}

Filled up my truck with gas this weekend after a two week passage
of time since my last visit to the pump and was surprised to see
$2.13/gal ($62 fill up)!!!

Dude, San Diego hasn't seen gas that /low/ for a good 5-6 months. (Was
$2.39 for regular at Costco two days ago; most stations are well over $2.50
already.)

Might have to start /riding/ to yoga...

"Stephen Harding" wrote in message
news:9ZA4e.6451$7b.1499@trndny03...
Riding in to work this morning left me a but stunned!

This is the first day I've ridden the local rail-trail to work. Snow is
finally gone from all of it. I couldn't get over just how many people
on bikes I saw!

All commuters as near as I can tell. No riding shorts or tights or
lime green windbreakers. Bikes with panniers, handlebar bags or
milk crates on them.

I actually noted quite a few more bicycles on the road during this
past winter as well, but my route was more varied so I think I might
have under-noted their presence. Now the bike path is open, they're
harder to miss.

Filled up my truck with gas this weekend after a two week passage
of time since my last visit to the pump and was surprised to see
$2.13/gal ($62 fill up)!!!

Couldn't help but wonder if the commuter bike population increase
is correlated with the cost of gas. Given that it's barely spring here,
I'd expect the summer gas price to reach a good $3/gal at least.

Well the last prediction I heard / saw was that the *national* average was
predicted for about $2.25 but seeing how many areas are above or close to
this price now I suspect the actual average will be somewhat higher probably
closer to $2.75.


I suspect (and hope) I'll see quite a few more bike commuters as the
year progresses!


SMH

"Stephen Harding" wrote in message
news:9ZA4e.6451$7b.1499@trndny03...

Couldn't help but wonder if the commuter bike population increase
is correlated with the cost of gas. Given that it's barely spring here,
I'd expect the summer gas price to reach a good $3/gal at least.

It would be a good thing. But I suspect that, while there may be a mild bump
in the number of bike commuters, it won't have nearly the effect we'd wish.

All the talk in the news is about the things people have to economize on in
order to continue to pay for gas. I fear this reflects the prevailing
attitude.

I think that, by and large, there are relatively few people who now drive to
work who believe they live close enough to be able to bike.

And while I've never seen such a statistic, I strongly suspect that the
majority of the bike commuters we see would, if unable to bike, be using
public transportation rather than cars.

RichC

"Stephen Harding" wrote in message
news:9ZA4e.6451$7b.1499@trndny03...

Filled up my truck with gas this weekend after a two week passage
of time since my last visit to the pump and was surprised to see
$2.13/gal ($62 fill up)!!!


Since I made a concious decision to use the car less and the bike more, the
fuel bill for the car has decreased dramatically, which is a good thing. I'm
also a lot fitter!

Couldn't help but wonder if the commuter bike population increase
is correlated with the cost of gas. Given that it's barely spring here,
I'd expect the summer gas price to reach a good $3/gal at least.


Well on this side of the pond, it doesn't, sad to say. Our fuel costs are
way higher than on your side of the pond, and we still have relatively
little cycle use (BAH!). What has made a positive difference over here is,
for example, in London where since the introduction of the congestion charge
on motor vehicles bicycle use has increased dramtically. Also a few years
ago, we went through a short period of fuel shortages due to blockades of
main fuel depots as a protest against fuel taxes. The number of vehicles on
the road dropped dramatically and the number of bicycles increased. It was
bliss for a short while!


I suspect (and hope) I'll see quite a few more bike commuters as the
year progresses!


It would be a good thing all round if we use less on fossil fuels.

Cheers, helen s




SMH

I don't commute to work yet, but one thing I have stopped doing nearly
as much is putting my bike in my truck and driving somewhere else to
ride. Now I almost always ride from the house to the house.

We have been spoiled with low prices for gasoline. I remember someone
mentioning that gasoline was something like $4 a gallon four years ago
in places like Israel. You don't see too many gas guzzlers over there.

In article 9ZA4e.6451$7b.1499@trndny03,
"Stephen Harding" writes in part:

Couldn't help but wonder if the commuter bike population increase
is correlated with the cost of gas. Given that it's barely spring here,
I'd expect the summer gas price to reach a good $3/gal at least.

I've made similar observations and wondered the same thing
about the price of gas encouraging more riding and less
driving. Actually my observations consist largely of seeing
many more transportational bikes parked around town, often
in my own favourite parking spots. Yesterday during a pizza
run I had to park three parking meters up from my usual spot
directly in front of the pizza joint, each meter already having
a bike locked to it. I suddenly felt a little less unusual.

I've seen lots more bikes in motion on the streets too, but
I'm not sure how much of that is simply fair-weather cyclists
coming out of hibernation. There's also a Big street
construction/repair/altering push going on locally, with all
the associated traffic delays. So maybe a lot of folks have
figured out that by cycling they can avoid much of that hassle.

BTW, talking on the phone to my brother the farmer in the BC
Interior -- he tells me that up there diesel is more expensive
gasoline. He's also wondering why bottle propane (e.g: BBQ
refills) is more expensive than car propane when it all comes
out the same tank.

Gas in Vancouver is hovering around the $1.00/litre mark.


cheers,
Tom


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Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

"Stephen Harding" wrote:

Couldn't help but wonder if the commuter bike population increase
is correlated with the cost of gas. Given that it's barely spring here,
I'd expect the summer gas price to reach a good $3/gal at least.

I suspect (and hope) I'll see quite a few more bike commuters as the
year progresses!

I think you're probably seeing a little bit of "It's January 3rd and,
dammit, I'm going to the gym..." syndrome. First nice day. Best
intentions. I expect you'll see the usual attrition, too.

Also, didn't we just recently bomb the pi$$ out of, and occupy, an oil
producing nation? And doesn't it still cost about $5/barrel to
*extract* oil from the ground?? How come we're (well, not me but...)
still paying so much for gas, anyway??

I feel like we've (pick one)

- invaded Canada and can't put together a decent hockey team (or)
- invaded France and can't get decent pastry/wine (or)
- invaded Italy and still can't get a decent veal piccata . . . .

Neil Brooks wrote:
- invaded Canada and can't put together a decent hockey team (or)
- invaded France and can't get decent pastry/wine (or)
- invaded Italy and still can't get a decent veal piccata . . . .

I make wicked good italian pastries, a delectable veal piccata but I
can't help you out with the hockey team. But two out of three ain't
bad.
Maggie

Neil Brooks wrote:

Also, didn't we just recently bomb the pi$$ out of, and occupy, an oil
producing nation? And doesn't it still cost about $5/barrel to
*extract* oil from the ground?? How come we're (well, not me but...)
still paying so much for gas, anyway??

I feel like we've (pick one)

- invaded Canada and can't put together a decent hockey team (or)
- invaded France and can't get decent pastry/wine (or)
- invaded Italy and still can't get a decent veal piccata . . . .

So you're suggesting we should just /take/ all the oil instead of letting
the Iraqi people keep it?

Interesting.