A wonderful weekend
- Ms. Mable in her favorite parking spot!
Well this weekend has been a good one in many different ways - I've enjoyed good weather, good rides, and good spirits; what more can one ask for? The crowd at the Haus on friday night was a good one - lots of singing, a wedding proposal in front of the band stand (she said yes), and a wonderful group of 50 something ladies who led the required chicken dance and laughed & clapped all night...great fun. It never ceases to amaze me how wrong hollywood and TV are about what is fun in America - I guarantee not one p.r. exec would think for a moment that a 3-piece band in lederhosen (led by an accordion for God's sake) doing covers of "Country Road", "Sweet Caroline", and "In Munchen Stedt ein Haufbrauhaus" could draw any crowd. But every friday and saturday the place is packed from 9 on and I'd say the 40+ crowd equals the college crowd. Not one bad word (unless the band sings "Alice" and even that is not allowed until after "family" hours end at 10) great security, and reasonable prices that are just high enough to keep out the trash equals a very fun time.
Ms. Mable and I saw many other bikes out this weekend for the first time in awhile - kids on little bmx, a few wobbly newbies on Wal-Mart specials, even a few pacelines blasting by at high speed on multi-thousand dollar rides. It really makes me happy to see that - the more of us out there the better! Recently there was a story on NPR reporting the fact that more bicycles were sold in the US last year than at any time since the energy crisis back in the 70's. Well no kidding! My safe prediction for gas prices this summer is $3.50 - if the ***** hits the fan in Iran (which is looking ever more likely) I think $5 a gallon is probable and we may even see some higher spikes depending on the hurricane season, the Iraq situation, and the unknowable impact of Iran's plan to begin selling its oil in Euros (not USD) in march. Time to panic? I don't think so - but you may want to start practicing some simple habits. Which leads me too....
Here is my challenge to anyone reading this blog (all one of you -hehe) - Get a bike and use it for ONE regular errand. For example lets say you live 2 miles from the post office - great! Everytime you need to mail something - even just daily letters - hop on your bike and ride down there and do it. A 4 mile round trip is nothing...even at 10 mph it will only take you 24 minutes. I know that if you do this one thing that you will soon be looking for others - especially if you add a rack or even a small handlebar basket. Ms. Mable can meet all my needs - and now that I have a decent lighting system I'm almost as comfortable after dark as during the day (though riding at night really requires you to be on you "A" game. I ride her to lunch, to Wal Mart, to Krogers, to work, to the bank, to blockbuster, Old Navy, Borders,...blah blah blah on and on. If you live somewhere too far to go anywhere practical pick a destination and make it a habit. My Mom has a 20+ minute drive to the nearest town (I'd ride it but not carrying much!) so a good option might be riding a mile or two from home and back again. I used to only ride for exercise - and my biggest thrill was putting down big miles. I never thought I'd feel as accomplished as the first time I rode a century - but honestly there have been some times when I've felt nearly as good when I've rode 1/4 of that distance but along the way stopped for a hair cut, hit the post office, picked up a few movies, traded off some CD's, and stopped on the way home for milk, eggs, cereal and pop corn. Give it a try! My friend and fellow bike commuter John started riding when his girlfriend made him ride his bike to the store if he wanted to have some Ben & Jerrys - that was 2 years and 100+ pounds ago for him. Now they have one car and are putting the $400 a month John was spending on his car, insurance, and gas into savings for a home. See ya at the Haus:)
A moment of Star Trek Zen
I'm a big Star Trek fan - I like most all of the various series and movies, though I have a soft spot for the original series. The first season of the original series the show was in continuous development; the sets, uniforms, weapons, and even names used to describe places and parts of the ship evolved from one show to another as the writers experimented with storylines and charecter development. Anyway during the 3rd episode the crew encounters a strange force field (imagine that -hehe) and they lose the ability to use their "warp drive" - meaning that they may now only travel at very slow speeds. Captain Kirk remarks "now our return to Earth, which with our warp drive would take us only days, now would take hundreds of years". In other words they are now screwed - unless repaired no one would live to return home. Ok so how does this lead to a cycling story? Well I got a flat on my way home from dinner last night! Suddenly what had been a 20 minute ride loomed as a multi-hour walk. Ugh - you think riding a bike makes the world feel big when a 10 minute drive turns into a 40 minute ride. Well turn that 40 minute ride into a 2 hour walk and you begin to wonder how we ever got around LOL. Fortunaly for me I've a bit of "Mr. Scott" in me and I never leave home without a spare tube and my mini frame pump. So in the end we all get home ok:)
Memory Lane
Ok I can admit it....I'm a Journey fan. Well Chicago too as far as that goes - ok yeah I like Toto too and R.E.O. and...ok I'm an 80's kid at heart what can I say? So I'm sitting here watching the Journey 2001 dvd on my secondary monitor (19 inch CRT) while trying to break out United Way demographics I've exported from FMP to Excel on my primary monitor (26 inch flat panel LCD) & creating this post on my laptop (connected to our T1 line courtesy of a linksys DSL router); the whole time thinking of Prom memories and highschool dramas that now lay some 15 years behind me. Ok lets be honest here...what 80's child can listen to "Open Arms", "Send Her My Love", "Faithfully"... and not be flooded with memories of school dances, stolen kisses, and dreams of love? I swear there is not a note of any of those that is not loaded with memories for me. I think of those times and wonder how it has all come to this? These are thoughts best saved for those days when I want nothing more than to lay down miles....load the songs into my mp3 player, crank up the volume, and head for deserted two lane blacktop ribbons that offer only solitude. There is much to be said for miles that are rode for the sole reason of riding miles. Far too often we get wrapped up in the "greater meaning of the moment".....I must ride this far to burn this many calories...I must do this much work to get this promotion...I must give this many gifts to recieve this love...I must do X to recieve Y. Sometimes you just need to forget the second part of the equation and just do "..." for "..." sake. There are times when I catch myself spinning along, tires humming over some forgotten stretch of lonely road, thinking not a dam thing. Nothing! Can you imagine? Not thinking? I define myself myself by my ability to process information - it is the rare moment that I have not several windows spread across 2 or 3 monitors, NPR playing on wmplayer in the background and 2 or 3 messenger conversations rolling along...and to be thinking nothing!? I was just thinking the other day how nice it would be to have a third workstation and another 2 monitors set up so I can run direct interfaces between my FMP and SQL databases while maintaining monitor space for Excel and maybe a Word document or 2 and something fun. Think nothing? How novel....
Sometimes it rains....
For thousands of years people have not only survived but thrived on this little planet of ours - in all its seasons and through all of its varied weather. Until just a few tens of years ago we went about our business on foot or horseback; thinking nothing more of walking through a cold January rain than any person today thinks of having to accept skim as opposed to 1% cream in their $5 starbucks triple mocha latte. If you don't hear the note of sarcasm there you must not know me very well. Ride a bicycle for any distance and you get funny looks; ride one when its cold out and you get the "you must be nuts" looks; ride one in a cold hard January rain and you get the "what a @#$@ idiot" looks. I just don't understand it. I LOVE riding in the rain - any time, any season...it makes me feel ALIVE. I feel sorry for the soccer dad in the SUV whose entire day is ruined becasue it takes 10 seconds too long for his seat heaters to kick in and who would never DREAM of actually setting foot out into this kind of weather unless said latte was awaiting him at the end of his 30 step dash from parking lot to door. I believe it was Carl Sagan who said "any civilization that deems it normal to drive to the gym is fundamentally disordered". I would have to agree. I don't know if we as a society have come to the point where we are so disconnected from reality that we believe that we will not survive actually walking in the rain for any period of time (into this group I also place anyone who owns more than one of those little bottles of antiseptic gel) or if we have developed such a sense of entitlement that we consider anyone who actually is out in the rain to be relegated to the same status as the homeless or mentally ill. If you are cyclist you are probably considered to be both - otherwise why would you not be in a car?
Ok for those of you looking for actual cycling info and not just my rants I offer the following bits of advice:
- The hardest part of riding in the rain is the same as riding in the bitter cold - getting yourself out in the first place! Mind over matter works here just as well - if you don't mind it does'nt matter:)
- Layer accordingly under your rainsuit and keep in mind that a rainsuit does not breathe and holds in heat - in warmer weather I just wear my regular cycling shorts and a waterproof windbreaker to keep my torso dry(er).
- Practice this mantra: I am invisible. Wet streets are slick. I am invisible. My brakes won't stop as well. I am invisible. Nobody sees me. I am invisible. (repeat over and over)
- The ride is not over when you get back home - CLEAN THAT BIKE. Dry everything, lube everything that needs it and clean and lube your chain - this goes double in the winter when any street spray is especially corrosive.
- High quality tires really prove their worth in the wet - I ride Continental Grand Prix 4 season tires and have no problems with grip in the wet.
Anyway - don't let the weather intimidate you! The only time I refuse to ride is when its snowing hard and there is zero chance of finding a clear route. Otherwise its just a matter of the right clothing and the right state of mind!
The basics - Use those gears!
Its every non/casual riders favorite question - why do you need all those gears? Well unless you are a single gear hardcore suffer-addict (and I know a few) you need all those gears to best use the limited power your body is able to generate. It all really comes down to two measurable and inter-related forces: Cadence and Pedal Pressure. Cadence is the measure of how fast you turn the cranks through one full revolution. Pedal Pressure is the force you must apply to the pedal to move it. In general the greater the pedal pressure the lower your cadence and vice-versa. Every rider has a "comfort zone" where these forces intersect and match their muscular and aerobic capacity. If you move outside of this zone by allowing your cadence or pedal pressure to get to high or low you will blow up and your ride will go from fun to agonizing...very quickly. So why all those gears? You shift for one reason and one reason only - to stay in your comfort zone. While most people shift depending on the terrain - dropping to a higher gear on a hill or a lower one on the flats - the terrain should not be your determining factor; all that matters is how you are spinning the pedals. One of the biggest mistakes casual riders make is spinning far to slow - you see them slowly straining away, low cadence and high pedal pressure, thinking they are getting a good workout. Really they are just wasting energy and time. When you increase your cadence and drop your pedal pressure you shift some of the effort off your legs and onto your heart and lungs. I am shifting just about continuously on a normal ride, and I doubt that my cadence or pedal pressure varies much over the entire ride - though obviously my speed varies greatly. The simple fact is that if your comfort cadence is 70 r.p.m. you might be flying in the flats and crawling up the hills but by maintaing that cadence and pedal pressure you can go all day. What will blow you up is this common scenario - you are crawling up a steep hill at 7 or 8 mph (which, by the way, is twice as fast as you'd do walking) and you get impatient; so you shift to a lower gear. Instantly your pedal pressure goes through the roof and your cadence stalls - now you have shifted from an aerobic state to an anerobic state. Depending on your overall fitness level you may sustain this for a moment or awhile but either way you are rapidly burning yourself out. You get to the crest of the hill a bit faster (if you have not popped yet) your core muscles searing and your body having built a large oxygen deficit. Now you will be much slower until you have recovered from that effort - and possibly for the rest of the ride. In short - pay attention to your cadence and pedal pressures, note where you are most comfortable and work to build to higher and higher cadences. Ideally you should be spinning just short of the point at which you start bouncing in the seat - when that happens you are spinning TOO fast. In this way you are maximizing your aerobic capacity and keeping your core muscles out of oxygen debt. Once you recognize this point build the discipline to stay there - you will soon see that not only are you riding further, you are riding easier as well.
The Lorentz Attractor
"Sensitive dependence upon initial conditions" or the "Lorentz Attractor" or the "Butterfly effect"....all one and the same and beautifully graphed in this image. The Lorentz Attractor is chaos theory in its purest form...and yet mathmatically it graphs into the shape of its namesake. The classic description is that a butterfly beats its wings in Brazil and the molecules of air swirl generating an ever increasing chain of events which results eventually in a tornado in Kansas. I find this idea of a "butterfly effect" and its results most fascinating. I look back upon my life and can easily spot the places where events which seemed insignificant at the time have lead to much larger changes later. Here in this time & place I wonder what it is that remains for me to discover....what small event will take place which cascades into something more than I can imagine? It is both a blessing and a curse to look upon the memories of this life and see laid bare the choices I have made...the decisons that have brought me to this place. I had always thought that I was making the right choices, doing the best that I could...it is a hard thing to look back and see so many mistakes and failures along the way.
Spinning in the Dark
"To possess a bicycle is to be able first to look at it, then to touch it. But touching is revealing as insufficent; what is necessary is to be able to get on the bicycle and take a ride. But this gratuitous ride is likewise insufficient; it would be necessary to use the bicycle to go on some errands. And this refers us to longer uses... But these trips themselves disintegrate into a thousand appropriative behavior patterns, each one of which refers to others. Finally, as one could forsee, handing over a bank note is enough to make a bicycle belong to me, but my entire life is needed to realize this possession." Jean-Paul Sartre
In my mind cycling at night is as nearly a perfect existential exercise as there is - well except for hang gliding at night but that is quite another story. While I live far enough inside the city that I rarely get to enjoy the all enveloping darkness of a quiet country road the neighborhood streets offer their own unique atmosphere. I am always amazed by the isolating feel of the city....or of a crowd for that matter. You would think that when surrounded by others I would feel less lonely - but the fact is that I am never as lonely as when in the company of others; even moreso when with friends; and lonliest of all in a lovers embrace. Why this is I cannot honestly say...though I have an understanding of the emotion I cannot ascribe it to one specific person or event. I only know that often upon a womans first verbal utterance of "Brian I love you" my first feeling is one of disappointment - as if this person whom I have esteemed so highly should lower her heart into this darkness and consider my most cold and unworthy heart a fair exchange. The one woman whose memory I cherish the most, whose laughter echoes in my heart, whose kisses I still taste in the depths of desirous dreams is the one who never once said "I Love You". It is often said that for an existentialist love is nothing but the deeds of love - that outside of the giving and the flowers and the candy and the phone calls and the holding hands and the quiet conversations there is no mysterious underlying "thing" binding one to the other. For an existentialist all of life is in the living - all of love is in the loving. Sartre said that it is in our decisions that we live. Nietzsche that outside of his actions man is nothing. I know that I love in this way, like a little boy bringing dandelions to his mother....who sees in the act of picking just the right ones and setting them just so that he is rewarded with the gift of a hug or a kiss and the momentary spotlight of her singular attention. In his mind it is not he that is loved but rather his action that is loved. This is, of course, most rational and understandable. It is right that I have taken time to select the most perfect of these "flowers" and have set them just so; and that you in return have recognized my efforts. The reverse of this, however, I do not find to be true. Do not pick the dandelions for me, or arrange them just so, for my hug or my kiss is little reward for so great a thing as the time you had taken to do so; and my recognition of such insignificance leaves me feeling small and empty. On the other hand Sartre also believed that "a gift is a primitive form of destruction" and that "to give is to enslave". So perhaps it is not an unwillingness to know that for such an unworthy thing as I you have done this act of love...perhaps it is the fear that through this act I will now be held in your debt or that in its acceptance I am diminished in your eyes. If you recognize your dandelions as weeds but reward me anyway does that lessen who you are to me? Should I believe that your kisses are of little worth if for weeds they will be given? Should I believe that love bought with diamonds is worth more than that bought with weeds? Would you value my love if it could only be gained for such a price? If you laugh and toss my "flowers" to the ground am I hurt by your apparent rejection of my efforts or by your recognition of the worthlessness of what I have given; even though I selected them carefully and set them just so? If in all things I place your needs, wants, and desires before my own- even to my own detriment - am I held in your esteem or do you count me a fool? Maybe Robert Smith had it right:
"oh elise it doesn't matter what you do
I know I'll never really get inside of you
to make you eyes catch fire
the way they should
the way the blue could pull me in
if they only would
if they only would
at least I'd lose this sense of sensing something else
that hides away...
yesterday
I stood and stared
wide-eyed in front of you
and the face I saw looked back
the way I wanted to
but I just can't hold my tears away
the way you do...
but there's nothing else I can really do
there's nothing else
I can really do
at all..."
A misty morning....
I left the apartment early this morning for a short ride around town to get my head in gear for the new year at work. The cool mist felt good as I rode quietly along my favorite streets, the tires whispering the soft zizzzz that they always do in the dampness - as opposed to the warm humm of dry pavement. I know I spend way to much time in my own head but mornings like this just beg for contemplation. My father wrote a short musing (which now graces his tombstone) that "with the ticking of the hands of a clock we grow closer to death, and in so doing, we find the true meaning of life". Riding past Mother of God cemetary this morning, its many beautiful and imposing statues bearing silent witness to my passing, I wonder how many of the people now interred there ever found that meaning. What of the life that they led? Through all the joys and sorrows, the triumphs and failures, the kisses and the love and the tears and the sorrow, the birthdays and holidays and workdays and weekends; in all that the hands of the clock had moved ever forward and on and on until this moment when I should happen to look through the dull pre-dawn light to read names carved into stone. What of that name? Was he proud to carry it? Was his wife proud to receive it? I imagine some long lost notebook with her soon to be name written over and over...surrounded by scribbled flowers and hearts... I think of treasured moments in my own life; moments of unspeakable joy wrapped in a lovers embrace, moments of unspeakable pain when I realized my marriage was over, moments of personal triumph soaring through summer skies on nylon wings, moments of horror witnessing a friends death beneath broken wings of his own. What of these moments, what are they to become? What is the greater meaning?
There is a cycling quote that says: Once there was a zen master who had a number of pupils who rode bicycles. The master observed each and one day stopped them and asked them why they rode. The first replied that the bicycle helped him to carry heavy burdens, the next that it helped him to travel far. The master nodded and turned to the third - what use is the bicycle to you? His pupil thought for a moment then softly replied "Master I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle". The master eyes grew large and he kneeled replying "Now you are my master". I always believed that my father meant that in time the meaning of life would be gained - as a prize at the end of the journey. I think now that he meant something I am only beginning to understand - that it is the journey that holds the meaning.
Enjoying the Weather
62 degrees in January - whats not to love? I spent the afternoon just enjoying a lazy ride - stopped by Reser Bike Outfitters and picked up a new front fender, shopped a bit at Barnes & Noble on the levee, hit the 'Haus for lunch and spun around Downtown for awhile. I thought the Roebling looked nice in the softly fading light - I cannot wait until its this light at 7 p.m. & not 4!
The Basics - Your Bike
"How can I convey the perfection of my comfort on the bicycle, the completeness of my union with her, the sweet responses she gave me at every particle of her frame? I felt that I had known her for many years and that she had known me and that we understood each other utterly" Flann O'Brien
The relationship between bike and rider is nearly unique among those we form with other objects or animals. I imagine that the nearest comparison would be that of a horse & rider - though a bike requires not only your guidance but your full effort and will as well! A bicycle is all potential and no promises. It can take you across the block, across town, across the country - but it will only do so upon the strength of your legs and your desire to do so.
So what makes a good utility bike? There is much to be said about this but IMHO these are the basics:
- It must fit you. You can grow tired, your muscles may ache, but you must NEVER hurt because of the bike. A slight discomfort after a few hours in the saddle, maybe, but anything beyond that is a sign that something needs to be adjusted. I almost feel weightless on my bike it fits so well - though it took many little adjustments to get to this point.
- It must be able to carry more than just you. A rackless bike is one of two things - a toy or a racing machine. If you really want to use your bike more give it a way to serve you - soon you will be making quick trips to the store, running small errands, and finding more ways to use your bike than you thought possible.
- It must be reliable. For me this means a name brand bike with decent spec brakes, shifters, etc. I've put around 1000 miles on Ms. Mable (a Giant Cypres) since August and other than some regular adjustments I've had no problems so far. This is not an expensive bike nor is it very high spec; but it carries racks and handles well and it won't break my wallet if she is heavily damaged or stolen.
- Extras that I consider necessary - Clipless pedals (won't ride without them), two bottle cages, a spare tube, a frame pump or CO2 inflator, HID headlamp & high intensity tail lamp.
Self Portrait
Not all cyclists are little!
Cycling across America
http://www.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/12/30/biking.america.ap/index.htmlI will think about this the next time I'm feeling that a destination is not really worth the effort. Riding from coast to coast - I might have to add this to my to-do list.
The Basics - why?
"The bicycle is the vehicle of a new mentality. It quietly challenges a system of values which condones & promotes dependency, wastage, inequality of mobility, and daily carnage."
Jim McGurn
The alarm goes off just in time for you to see the first rays of a brilliant spring sunrise peak over the horizon. You shower, toss down some breakfast, pack your work clothes, check your tire pressure and head out to work. Its already warming up and you strip off your windbreaker at the first red light. The kids walking to school wave hello, the birds sing sweetly, and your tires hum along effortlessly. A nice driver slows so you can take the lane for a few feet at a narrow road construction site & fortunatly all the drivers parked along the street check their mirrors before opening their doors! You arrive at the office feeling more refreshed than when you left the house - your mind clear and your body invigorated. You freshen up & change into your work clothes; satisfied that you have accomplished the basic act of transportation using nothing more than a simple machine and the power of your own body. Why would anyone chose NOT to bike commute?
Well...
The alarm goes off (after the 3rd snooze) just in time for you to hear the rain pounding against your bedroom window on a cold winter morning. You throw your sweats into the dryer & crank it to high before tossing down some breakfast & double garbage bagging your work clothes. You shower on extra hot then dry quickly, put on your sweats straight from the dryer and layer up to hold in the heat. You pull out your rainsuit (which reeeks of mold 'cause you forgot to dry it after the last time you used it) check your tire pressure and head out to work. Its getting colder and you wish you had a few more layers between you and the elements! You nearly get killed a dozen times by parents rushing to get kids to school and themselves to work. A cold stream of water runs into your crotch from the hole you "meant" to repair in your rainsuit and your eyes sting from the brine left from the last snowfall. Approaching a narrow road construction site you nearly get killed again when some driver refuses to let you merge in for a few feet and instead "drifts" over to leave you no space. One final brush with death and carnage catches you when the driver of a car parked along the street tosses open their door without checking their mirror. You arrive at the office cold, wet, and angry. You attempt to freshen up with the 2 paper towels left in the dispenser at work and make a mental note to pack a towel next time! Shivering in your damp work clothes you wonder what kind of idiot you are when even 100 years ago a car would get you there warm & dry. Why would anyone CHOSE to bike commute?
If you chose to bike commute you need to know why you are doing it & how you will handle both the great days and the not so great. I have found that the great days are far more numerous than the not so great and that often surmounting the challenges of the worst of conditions only increases my feeling of accomplishment. Then again, sometimes you just need to take the bus!
One reason often given for bike commuting is that it will save you money. Done in the right way it will - but it is not a free ride. A decent bike & the accessories needed to make it useful are not cheap (though careful shopping and scrounging can save big) - I have over a grand in Ms. Mable and another grand in "wishes" for her. You will need clothes for all conditions - buy the "cycling" clothes and you will spend a fortune. Value City had slightly imperfect windproof shirts on clearence for $2 - I bought 10. A cycling rain suit will set you back $50-$100; mine cost $4.95 at wal-mart plus .99 for some "automotive" reflective tape. With that said my "good" cycling shorts and jersey are the most expensive outfit I own lol. Bike mtx. is an expense though one you can largely take care of yourself. I know most people who go "carless" keep a paid off junker around for those really bad days or are looking for a way to reduce the number of cars they own. You know you are saving money when you spend less on taxi & bus fares than you would on a car payment, insurance, mtx., and gas for the car you are trying to do without. If you somehow manage to come out on the losing side of this equation you need to re-read basic number one as you are living too far from the places you HAVE to go.
The Basics -where do you live?
Well its 2006. I can hardly believe it. I brought in the new year along with a few hundred friends down at - where else - the Hofbrauhaus. Jagerschnitzel, potato pancakes, and a few steins of cold Dunkel with the Cincinnati Schnapps band playing...I'm in heaven! I've got my own stein (from the original Haufbrauhaus in Munich) which is a great "ice-breaker" with folks and by the end of the night I think I'd met everyone in the place. If you have not been there you need to place it on your priority list; and if you are coming over from Cinci its right at the end of the PPB. If you see Ms. Mable (my bicycle) out front look for the guy with the stein and say hi!
It was a mixed day on the transport front - I walked the few blocks to LaRosas and back for lunch; rode Ms. Mable to Value City and picked up two pairs of jeans, two dress shirts, and a 6 pack of socks which all rode home easily in my Topeak "trunk" bag; and took a taxi to & from the Haufbrauhaus ($24 total fares+tips). I've got much to say on several of those items and how they relate to a carless life but first a bit of haiku:
muscle in motion
and the bliss of solitude
what could be better
martin newstead
I spent much of the day thinking about the basics of this lifestyle - if you own a car or not deciding to use a bicycle as your primary means of transportation requires a clear understanding of some basic needs, how your world will shrink, & how you manage your time. There are many people who contemplate or attempt living this lifestyle and most fail not because of a lack of will or an inability to deal with the (many) challenges; most fail because they simply live to far away from the places they HAVE to go. I live in Latonia, a part of Covington that was built (for the most part) when horses or single-car families were the norm. My apartment is within a few blocks of work, groceries, church, & wal-mart. I can get to the Levee, Main Strausse or across to downtown on Ms. Mable in 20-30 minutes easy. I regularly ride to Crestview Hills & have been out Dixie Hwy to Florence a few times; however those are rides that are planned and not spur of the moment! I am fortunate to work in a building that has a shower available for employee use, space to park my bike, and a closet to keep extra clothes in (and all three should be required in any progressive workplace). The key to this lifestyle is not how fit you are or having the hottest touring uber-bike; the key is living CLOSE to places you HAVE to go. The general rule of thumb is that a 10 mile ride to work is the upper limit for
reasonable bike commuting. I know people who ride triple that but for an "average" person a 10 mile commute is about the limit. As for time managment...well you just have to re-calibrate your decisions to fit a life lived at 10mph and not 65. Unless it is a block away a car is faster; even using public transportation or a taxi requires much longer than hopping in your car and driving yourself there. Once again living & working in the right place is the key; and the right place is anyplace that was built before the multi-car family became the "norm".
