New Meters!

Hello, friends!

With the beginning of the new year, comes new laws in the city that don't directly affect bikers but definitely affect this blog.

Starting 2 weeks ago, there have been 2 major changes:

- Meters downtown have now been changed to $1/hour to match meters on campus

- Meters downtown are now active until 7pm, which is 2 hours later from last year.

On the one hand, this doesn't really affect bikers like me. I don't pay meters (thus, the reason for this blog) so how much they cost or how long they go don't actually affect me directly.

HOWEVER, this entire blog is based on the money that I save because I bike and don't drive either on campus or downtown. That means that when the meters go for later and are more expensive, I actually save more money by biking and not driving. Which means, we get that much closer to our goal of saving another $600 that much faster. Hooray!

There's also the chance that the increase in meter rates means that more people will try biking. The weather has been relatively mild and dry, which may mean that more people are willing to brave the elements and pedal a bit. If that's the case, then I may see some increased traffic around town. It shouldn't affect me too much but I'll definitely be sure to keep wearing my helmet. (Safety is no accident!). 

Below you'll see a change in the stats. I've stopped making a distinction between meters downtown and meters on campus. It's all just the same rate now so we'll count it as such. Here's to some great biking!

Stats:
Distance: 9 miles ($.32)
Meters: 12 hours ($12)

Total: $12.32
Grand Total: $696.40
In the Positive: $93.39

Happy Biking!

~Adam

Lost Lock!

Hello, friends!

An interesting thing happened to me a few days ago. I was getting ready to bike downtown when I noticed that my bike lock was missing! I retraced my steps along my ride but I couldn't find it anywhere. I honestly have no idea what happened to it. I have another bike lock so it's not actually that big of a deal but definitely an oddity.

This isn't the first time I've lost a bike lock, nor is it the oddest time that's happened. When I was in high school I biked to school. I only lived less than a mile from campus so it was a pretty quick trip. There was a rack outside the parking lot to my high school that was pretty much a horizontal bar that ran about 50 feet or so. There were usually about 2 dozen bikes locked up next to mine on any given day. Being the slightly OCD guy that I am, I always locked my bike in just about the same place.

One day I came out of class at the end of the day and noticed that something was off. My bike was at the wrong end of the bike rack. Added to that, the gears had been shifted and the bike lock was gone. To this day, I have no idea what happened but I'm glad that my bike wasn't stolen. My best guess is that someone just took my bike for a joyride but I'm still not entirely sure as to why they didn't steal the thing. (Fun note: that bike was later stolen in college.)

Stats:
Distance: 11 miles ($.41)
Meters: 3 hours on campus ($3) + 4 hours downtown ($2.40)

Total: $5.81
Grand Total: $684.08
In the Positive: $81.07

Happy Biking!

~Adam

The Joys of Donating My Laptop

Hello, friends!

Happy 2015 to you. Here's hoping that 2015 kicks 2014's butt in every possible way. I know that I'm ready for a new year. =0).

I was thinking about the past year and all the biking I did and didn't do over the course of the year. One thought that came to mind was how much more biking I did after I donated my laptop in the Fall.

Let me set the stage for you. In early 2014 I bought a new tablet and spent most of the year getting used to its usage, essentially trying to see if I could use it to replace my laptop, which was functional but heavy and kind of cumbersome. From a biking standpoint, a chance to replace my 7lb laptop with a less than 1lb tablet was might enticing.

Honestly, things were going well but not perfectly. The truth is that a tablet is not the same as a laptop. I could do most of the things that I wanted to do but not everything. The hardest was definitely using office products like Word, Excel, etc. Tablets are good but the experience isn't as easy as a regular computer. As I used the tablet more and more, I got more and more comfortable with the functionality of it but not 100% then.

Then, right before the semester started, a coworker was asking around to see if anyone had an old laptop they would be willing to donate to one of the interns he was supervising. This was my chance. I was getting used to the tablet but could I wean myself completely off of the laptop. How would I survive?

Well, I finally decided to donate the laptop and I figured out how I was going to survive: by biking more. =0).

My solution was simple: now that I don't have a laptop, I have to bike to campus to use the free campus computers more. Before I could have an "admin" day at home and just stayed glued to my couch while doing work (and watching cartoons). Now, if I want to be REALLY productive, it means biking to campus and hanging out a few hours there. That means more miles biked and more meters saved. It was an unforeseen benefit but one I definitely don't mind.

Ironically, these past few weeks I haven't biked much at all because of travel and such. Still, once the semester starts, I'm sure we'll be right back to it.

Stats:
Miles: 9 miles ($.34)
Hours: 9 hours on campus ($9)

Total: $9.34
Grand Total: $678.27
In the Positive: $75.26

Happy Biking!

~Adam

Biking and White Privilege...

Hello, friends!

I'm sure you've seen a lot of things about race in the news lately. I've even written a few things myself about what's been happening in St. Louis, New York, and really all over the country. Of course, I'm by no means an expert about American race relations. I'm just a Chinese guy with a bike.

A few weeks ago, this post made its rounds through the Facebook cycle about biking and white privilege. The author even wrote a follow up post to address many of the comments that folk posted underneath his post. While not perfect (no analogy is) I really resonated with the idea of being a biker in a driver's world. It led to a really great Facebook conversation with some folk about the idea of white privilege and personal responsibility which led to my blog post from last week. The blog itself is very well written so I won't add too much more to it beyond some personal experiences.

When Megan and I got married in 2012, we spent our first year living in St. Louis. I would commute to Columbia weekly but spent most of my time in St. Louis. It was there that I saw how much legislation and the system can improve or inhibit cycling (and then, using the analogy, how legislation and the system can improve or inhibit race relations).

St. Louis is one of my favorite cities in the world but it is NOT a bike friendly city. There are very few bike lanes, the sidewalks are not well kept, and generally, the drivers are not the most observant when it comes to noticing their 2-wheeled road sharers. Not every place in St. Louis is bad and there have been improvements made over time. I'm sure that it's better than it was before. Still, the fact remains that St. Louis is not a bike friendly place to live.

Compare that with Portland, which is definitely the most bike-friendly city in the US. Portland has bike racks everywhere for parking (even at the airport apparently!). There are bike specific traffic signals. As one author put it, it is impossible to run for mayor in Portland without a bike platform. It's by no means perfect. It's still easier to be a car in Portland than a bike. But from what I can tell, bikes are a part of the culture and the cars are aware of their presence. The system has put things in place in order to create a safe environment for those who have an inherent disadvantage.

Friends, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done both in terms of systematic injustice towards minorities and making cities more bike-friendly. Obviously, the former is SO MUCH MORE IMPORTANT than the latter. Still, if we can make life easier for those who have the option of getting off their bike and getting into a car, can't we fight just as hard for those who have no choice but to always be a minority?

Stats:
Miles biked: 17 ($.82)
Meters: 21 hours on campus ($21) + 4 hours downtown ($2.40)

Total: $24.22
Grand Total: $668.93
In the Positive: $65.92

Happy Biking!

~Adam

Function Over Form...

Hello, friends!

As I'm typing this, it is about 27 degrees here in Columbia. Yesterday the high was 33. Today we had some flurries in the area. Tomorrow isn't supposed to be much warmer. The weather forecasters say that the cold snap will last at least until next week. After that, who knows.

My post here isn't to complain about the weather. I know that it's much worse in parts further north of CoMO; there's already been snow where my in-laws live. Weather happens and complaining about it doesn't actually do me a ton of good. If anything, it just makes things a little bit colder. No, friends, today I'm going to post about fashion... or rather, my lack thereof.

There are many things that I do well. I am good at trivia and Tecmo Superbowl. I can strategize and throw a baseball. I can play a few instruments and have been known to cook a decent meal or two. However, it appears as though I am unable to dress myself in a way that brings honor to my family. =0).

I've always said that my problem isn't that I don't know what looks good. I know how to clean up, put on a tie, and look nice for a wedding. My problem is that I have no idea what looks bad. There have been a number of times where I've gotten dressed for the day, only to have one family member or another (nowadays that task falls to Megan) start laughing and asking if I was, "really going to wear that."

What does my lack of fashion sense have to do with biking? Well, I think the root of the problem is that oftentimes, I choose function over form. Let's take today for example. Today, when I left for campus, it was 19 degrees outside. When I got dressed this morning, my thoughts weren't, "gee, I hope everything looks good and I don't look odd." My number one thought was, "Let's make sure I don't lose any body parts due to frostbite today."

Leggings + Long socks = making my pants look 2 sizes tighter than they really are? Check.

Jacket + Sweater = doing my best "Hans and Franz" impression? Check.

Balaclava on my head so you can only see my eyes and I look like I'm going to rob a liquor store? Check.

You probably get the idea.

Friends, if you see me biking around the city these next few months, looking like a thrift store closet threw up on me, or see me on the golf course wearing loud (but I promise, comfortable) clothing, don't laugh. Don't stare and point. Don't call my mother and tell her she did a terrible job of raising me (because she's the best!). No, friends. Just assume that there's some method to my madness and that looking good just missed the cut. =0).

Stats:
Miles biked: 8 ($.42)
Meters: 11 hours on campus ($11) + 2 hours downtown ($1.20)

Total: $12.62
Grand Total: $644.71
In the Positive: $41.70

Happy Biking!

~Adam

Fishing...

Hello, friends!

Apparently, my 101st post on this blog was my last blog where we finally made our way into the positive. That's kind of a fun number, isn't it? If I raise $600 every 100 posts then I really ought to be posting more often, yeah? Anyway, back to business.

I've taken up a new hobby... fishing. =0).

For our anniversary, Megan bought me a fishing pole, which is pretty much the greatest thing ever. There are a number of small lakes in Columbia that are stocked by the Missouri Department of Conservation and random and secret times. Seeing as how I have an addictive personality, I've taken to going as fishing as much as humanly possible. I've even looked up sites on how the moon can affect when is the best time to fish.

There are so many great things to love about fishing. First there's the joy of catching fish (more on that later). There's also the peacefulness that comes from being out on the lake with nothing but your pole, some lures, and hope that the fish are biting. I've taken to listening to audiobooks while fishing, which means I'm also learning while I'm fishing. It's a two-fer!

Really, there are only 2 things wrong with my new hobby. The first is that I haven't yet figured out how to bike with my pole and gear and such to where I want to fish (That's why this post is on this blog and not my other one). I'm not a huge fan of driving such short distances (it's about a half mile from my house to the closest lake) but the other option is crashing my bike and breaking my fishing pole, so I guess I'll go with the lesser or two evils.

Here's the other problem. Apparently, I'm REALLY BAD at fishing. I can't seem to catch anything of significance! The past 3 or 4 times that I've been fishing, I've literally SEEN the fish nibble at my lure then swim away. It was windy so I couldn't tell for sure but I'm pretty sure I heard some of the fish laughing at me.

Of course, the fish that I HAVE caught haven't been much either. Below are 3 photos of fish. Guess which two I caught and which one Megan and I ended up eating because the guy who caught it didn't want it. I'll give you a hint, I didn't catch the big one. =0).

So, my friends, there you have it. I have a new hobby. I'm trying to figure out how to reconcile it with fishing. I'm also trying to figure out how to not be terrible at it.

Stats:
Distance: 10.5 miles ($.61)
Meters: 11 hours on campus ($11) + 3 hours downtown ($1.80)

Total: $13.41
Grand Total: $632.09
In the Positive: $29.08

Happy Biking!

SUCCESS!!!

Hello, friends!

WE DID IT!!!

After 3+ years of riding, blogging, and commuting back and forth between home and campus, we have finally crossed the threshold and are now in the positive!

I can't tell you how happy I am right now. Actually, right now there are a lot of emotions happening.

- Happiness: It's always nice to accomplish a goal and I'm glad I stuck with it.
- Relief: There were times when I wasn't sure that this was actually going to happen, especially after Sulu got stolen a while back. I'm glad I stuck with it.
- Sadness: Speaking of Sulu, I miss that bike. It was my fault that he got stolen but that doesn't make it hurt any less. We should have celebrated this moment together.
- Frustration: Looking back, I know I could have done it faster. There were days when I could have riden more or gotten to campus earlier. The competitor in me says that it could have been done better.
- Determination: The frustration, of course, leads to determination. I'm not getting a new bike until I've biked enough to offset the costs. I'm thinking about $600 or so should do the trick.

So, my friends, it's time for a new adventure. I hope that you join me on this one as we race our way to a new bike? Who thinks I can get it done before 2017? =0).

Stats:
Miles biked: 15 ($.88)
Meters: 20 hours on campus ($20) + 5 hours downtown ($3)

Total: $23.88
Grand Total: $618.68
Left to Save for Sulu: 0000000000000000000.0000000000000000000000 =0).

In the positive: $15.67

Happy Biking!

~Adam