Hello, friends!
Right now I am preparing for ACF Large Group in Columbia. Right after that I will head back to my beautiful wife in Saint Louis. I get Thursday and Friday off as a Sabbath, since I didn't take a Sabbath while I was in California. (Oops).
One of the things that I love to do is bike on my Sabbath. I love pedaling and pedaling and just going somewhere. I love not having to drive and I love it being faster than walking. I am really excited about biking tomorrow...
Except that I didn't bring my bike rack with me from Saint Louis. What this means is that I'm going to have to find some way to cram Sulu into the Rolla. This should be fun.
This used to be a lot easier, actually. Sulu's front tire comes off pretty easily and the frame, while sizable, is smaller than my previous bike. The problem is the fender. Since I put on the fenders to keep from getting myself all muddy while biking in the rain (a GREAT decision, btw), now Sulu won't fit comfortably in the Rolla. The fenders stick out a bit, making it too wide for the interior.
How am I going to get this bad boy in there? I have no idea. What I do know is that I WILL find a way because I am not missing an opportunity to bike around town without a fight. =0).
Stats;
Places traveled: Campus twice.
Distance: 8 miles ($.70)
Meters: 8 hours ($8)
Total: $8.70
Grand Total: $328.56
Left to Save: $254.47
Happy Biking!
~Adam
The story of a guy trying to rationalize the money he spent on his bike and other random thoughts.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Dry Run...
Hello, friends!
Greetings from Saint Louis and a Happy Halloween to you all. Mizzou ACF decided to do some community service tonight instead of having Large Group, so I decided that this week I was going to stay in Saint Louis instead of driving to Columbia and back. As much as I love CoMO, the chance to spend 12 days with my wife was too good to pass up. =0).
But, since I knew I was going to be away from CoMO for almost 2 weeks, I decided to bring Sulu along with me for the trip! I wanted to see if having a bike in Saint Louis actually made sense for me or if it was just a pipe dream that really shouldn't happen. Yesterday I biked to FloValley as a "dry run." Here are the things that I learned:
- My commute is hilly, but not terrible. Here is the map that I take to get from our apartment to FloValley. It is about 5 miles. It may be hard to see on the map but it has a few hills that are a bit beastly. However, I was actually surprised by how doable those hills were. Each uphill is prefaced by a downhill, so I have some momentum going in. They are still a trek, but it was better than I thought.
- Saint Louis in not as bike friendly as CoMO. There are no bike paths on my commute, meaning I have 2 options. Either I ride in the street and run the risk of getting hit by a car who is probably not used to seeing a bike on the road, or I ride on the sidewalk and have to avoid all the pedestrians who have the right of way and are standing, waiting for the bus. It is a tough call. I rode mostly on the sidewalks yesterday after getting honked at a few times.
- If I go, I go alone. One of the great things that makes biking great is my baby jogger. I can attach it to Sulu, allowing me to carry more stuff, from supplies, to guitars, to anything that weighs less than 110 pounds. Well, the streets and sidewalks are so narrow here in Saint Louis that a baby jogger probably wouldn't survive. If I were to bike to FloValley, I wouldn't be able to take a lot of stuff with me, which kind of defeats the purpose.
- Grocery shopping is totally doable. Getting to FloValley is a bit of a beast but getting to the shopping center just up the road is actually relatively easy. The question is whether or not bringing Sulu back and forth just so I can go grocery shopping is worth the hassle.
So, there you have it. I love biking and I will definitely continue to ride in CoMO but I am on the fence about whether or not bringing Sulu back and forth is a good idea. I am leaning towards "no" but we shall see.
Stats:
Places traveled: To FloValley and back
Distance: 10 miles ($.83)
Meters: None
Total: $.83
Grand Total: $319.86
Left to Save: $263.17
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Greetings from Saint Louis and a Happy Halloween to you all. Mizzou ACF decided to do some community service tonight instead of having Large Group, so I decided that this week I was going to stay in Saint Louis instead of driving to Columbia and back. As much as I love CoMO, the chance to spend 12 days with my wife was too good to pass up. =0).
But, since I knew I was going to be away from CoMO for almost 2 weeks, I decided to bring Sulu along with me for the trip! I wanted to see if having a bike in Saint Louis actually made sense for me or if it was just a pipe dream that really shouldn't happen. Yesterday I biked to FloValley as a "dry run." Here are the things that I learned:
- My commute is hilly, but not terrible. Here is the map that I take to get from our apartment to FloValley. It is about 5 miles. It may be hard to see on the map but it has a few hills that are a bit beastly. However, I was actually surprised by how doable those hills were. Each uphill is prefaced by a downhill, so I have some momentum going in. They are still a trek, but it was better than I thought.
- Saint Louis in not as bike friendly as CoMO. There are no bike paths on my commute, meaning I have 2 options. Either I ride in the street and run the risk of getting hit by a car who is probably not used to seeing a bike on the road, or I ride on the sidewalk and have to avoid all the pedestrians who have the right of way and are standing, waiting for the bus. It is a tough call. I rode mostly on the sidewalks yesterday after getting honked at a few times.
- If I go, I go alone. One of the great things that makes biking great is my baby jogger. I can attach it to Sulu, allowing me to carry more stuff, from supplies, to guitars, to anything that weighs less than 110 pounds. Well, the streets and sidewalks are so narrow here in Saint Louis that a baby jogger probably wouldn't survive. If I were to bike to FloValley, I wouldn't be able to take a lot of stuff with me, which kind of defeats the purpose.
- Grocery shopping is totally doable. Getting to FloValley is a bit of a beast but getting to the shopping center just up the road is actually relatively easy. The question is whether or not bringing Sulu back and forth just so I can go grocery shopping is worth the hassle.
So, there you have it. I love biking and I will definitely continue to ride in CoMO but I am on the fence about whether or not bringing Sulu back and forth is a good idea. I am leaning towards "no" but we shall see.
Stats:
Places traveled: To FloValley and back
Distance: 10 miles ($.83)
Meters: None
Total: $.83
Grand Total: $319.86
Left to Save: $263.17
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Biking is so much cheaper...
Hello, friends!
Today, I had an experience that reminded me how much money I can save biking. Actually, it was a series of experiences. Allow me to break it down for you.
On Saturday, I went to get my oil changed. Normally, I change it myself but time is short nowadays and I was way overdue, so I figured that just this once I would have someone do it for me. A conventional oil change costs about $35. If I wanted the high mileage stuff (which I should use, now that the Rolla is coming it at over 275,000 miles) it would cost another $30. Do you know how much it costs to change the oil on a bike? That's right, $0.
Fast forward to this morning. While the nice people @ the lube shop were changing my oil, they topped off my windshield washer fluid and noticed a leak. So, this morning I dropped off my car at the mechanic to see if they could fix it. The gave me a call later in the morning saying there was a crack at the top of the tank and it would cost $250 to fix it. On top of that, it would cost another $250 to fix the pump that pumps the windshield washer fluid onto my windshield. On top of THAT, it would be another $250 to fix a minor issue with the tires because it would also require an alignment. (I didn't do any of the work). Guess how much it costs to do all that work on a bike? If you guessed $0, you'd be right!
But, wait! There's more! While waiting on the nice mechanic folk to look at my car, I went to the nice people at the insurance office to see how much it would cost for Meg and me to get put on the same auto policy. It's not worth going into how much it will cost because you can see where I'm going with this. Even if I wanted to insure Sulu, there's no way it would cost what it costs to insure a car.
What's my conclusion? Biking is awesome and WAY cheaper than driving. Oftentimes driving is a necessity, and I do love driving, but boy is it expensive...
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus, home, mechanic, insurance office, campus, lunch downtown, back to campus, and back to the mechanic
Distance: 4 miles ($.37) and 5.1 more ($.46)
Meters: 4 hours on campus ($4) + 1 hour downtown ($.60) + 5 hours on campus ($5)
Total: $10.43
Grand Total: $319.03
Left to Save: $264.00
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Left to Save:
Today, I had an experience that reminded me how much money I can save biking. Actually, it was a series of experiences. Allow me to break it down for you.
On Saturday, I went to get my oil changed. Normally, I change it myself but time is short nowadays and I was way overdue, so I figured that just this once I would have someone do it for me. A conventional oil change costs about $35. If I wanted the high mileage stuff (which I should use, now that the Rolla is coming it at over 275,000 miles) it would cost another $30. Do you know how much it costs to change the oil on a bike? That's right, $0.
Fast forward to this morning. While the nice people @ the lube shop were changing my oil, they topped off my windshield washer fluid and noticed a leak. So, this morning I dropped off my car at the mechanic to see if they could fix it. The gave me a call later in the morning saying there was a crack at the top of the tank and it would cost $250 to fix it. On top of that, it would cost another $250 to fix the pump that pumps the windshield washer fluid onto my windshield. On top of THAT, it would be another $250 to fix a minor issue with the tires because it would also require an alignment. (I didn't do any of the work). Guess how much it costs to do all that work on a bike? If you guessed $0, you'd be right!
But, wait! There's more! While waiting on the nice mechanic folk to look at my car, I went to the nice people at the insurance office to see how much it would cost for Meg and me to get put on the same auto policy. It's not worth going into how much it will cost because you can see where I'm going with this. Even if I wanted to insure Sulu, there's no way it would cost what it costs to insure a car.
What's my conclusion? Biking is awesome and WAY cheaper than driving. Oftentimes driving is a necessity, and I do love driving, but boy is it expensive...
Stats:
Places traveled: Campus, home, mechanic, insurance office, campus, lunch downtown, back to campus, and back to the mechanic
Distance: 4 miles ($.37) and 5.1 more ($.46)
Meters: 4 hours on campus ($4) + 1 hour downtown ($.60) + 5 hours on campus ($5)
Total: $10.43
Grand Total: $319.03
Left to Save: $264.00
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Left to Save:
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Finding a New Rhythm
Hello, friends!
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I've been biking some, but the truth is that it's been a little tough to find the miles.
When I was in the 8th grade, I had to audition for the orchestra. I played the cello and even though I was going to be the section leader, it was important for us to be put in the right order while playing. We had to play a scale and prepare a piece to play for about 1 minute. Honestly, I did pretty terribly. While I was practicing I couldn't seem to quite the the notes to do what I was supposed to do. Just to tell you how I wasn't much of a cellist, it wasn't until I looked at the piece after my audition that I realized the problem: The song was in 3/4 and I was trying to play it in 4/4.
I tell you this story not so I can embarrass myself but because that was the first story that came to mind as I was reflecting a how I need to find a new rhythm.
The truth is that a lot has changed in the past few weeks. I'm no longer living in Columbia; I live in Saint Louis. I'm no longer single; I am married (and loving it). The circumstances of my life are now different and that means that the things that I used to do don't always work anymore. It means I need a new rhythm in my life.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, "what does this have to do with biking?" Well, one of the big rhythm questions for me is how does Sulu fit into my new rhythm, specifically in Saint Louis, where I will be spending most of my time. I know that I will be biking on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when I am in Columbia but I would love to find a way to get Sulu to Saint Louis so I can do some riding here. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes.
As for the past few weeks, it's pretty much just been a trip or two to campus. But hey, every penny counts, right? =0).
Stats:
Places travelled: Just back and forth to campus twice.
Distance: 8 miles ($.22)
Meters: 6 hours on campus ($6)
Total: $6.22
Saved to date: $308.60
Left to save: $274.43
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Sorry it's been so long since I've posted. I've been biking some, but the truth is that it's been a little tough to find the miles.
When I was in the 8th grade, I had to audition for the orchestra. I played the cello and even though I was going to be the section leader, it was important for us to be put in the right order while playing. We had to play a scale and prepare a piece to play for about 1 minute. Honestly, I did pretty terribly. While I was practicing I couldn't seem to quite the the notes to do what I was supposed to do. Just to tell you how I wasn't much of a cellist, it wasn't until I looked at the piece after my audition that I realized the problem: The song was in 3/4 and I was trying to play it in 4/4.
I tell you this story not so I can embarrass myself but because that was the first story that came to mind as I was reflecting a how I need to find a new rhythm.
The truth is that a lot has changed in the past few weeks. I'm no longer living in Columbia; I live in Saint Louis. I'm no longer single; I am married (and loving it). The circumstances of my life are now different and that means that the things that I used to do don't always work anymore. It means I need a new rhythm in my life.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, "what does this have to do with biking?" Well, one of the big rhythm questions for me is how does Sulu fit into my new rhythm, specifically in Saint Louis, where I will be spending most of my time. I know that I will be biking on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when I am in Columbia but I would love to find a way to get Sulu to Saint Louis so I can do some riding here. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes.
As for the past few weeks, it's pretty much just been a trip or two to campus. But hey, every penny counts, right? =0).
Stats:
Places travelled: Just back and forth to campus twice.
Distance: 8 miles ($.22)
Meters: 6 hours on campus ($6)
Total: $6.22
Saved to date: $308.60
Left to save: $274.43
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Friday, September 21, 2012
Pain...
Hello, friends!
Just a few days until I get married and I cannot wait for a number of reasons. I am going to be marrying the love of my life and my best friend, which is pretty sweet. I am looking forward to all the great things that Meg and I are going to be able to do for the kingdom as a couple. That is going to be pretty sweet as well. One reason that may be a little understated but still really important is that getting married is going to be great for my back.
See, once Meg and I get married, I get to move into our apartment. That means I get to sleep on the bed that we bought. I took a nap on that bed one time. It was NICE. Now, sleeping on a new bed may be great and all but the comfort in compounded when you consider that the past few weeks I have been sleeping on nothing but couches.
The apartment where I am staying in Saint Louis is great. The roommates are great, the location is wonderful (except that it is too far south for UMSL or Flo Valley, where Meg and I work) and I am staying there rent free because there are 4 guys and only 3 rooms. What this means though, is that I am sleeping on a couch. Add this to the fact that I am sleeping on a couch already in Columbia when I go out there on Tuesdays, and I can definitely feel the pain.
I guess the moral of the story is that I'm getting old. When I was younger I slept on the couch in California and I think I actually preferred it. Now, I wake up sore and creaky, not quite ready to bike, run, walk, or even stand up. I wouldn't be surprised if the couch has led my back to be all mangled and such. I'll probably go to a chiropractor after the wedding.
Anyway, that's one of the reasons I haven't been biking much. I need to get myself right before I can start to pedal in earnest.
Stats:
Places traveled: Just to campus and back
Distance traveled: 4 miles ($.40)
Meters: 2 hours on campus ($2)
Total: $2.40
Grand Total: $302.38
Left to Save: $280.65
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Just a few days until I get married and I cannot wait for a number of reasons. I am going to be marrying the love of my life and my best friend, which is pretty sweet. I am looking forward to all the great things that Meg and I are going to be able to do for the kingdom as a couple. That is going to be pretty sweet as well. One reason that may be a little understated but still really important is that getting married is going to be great for my back.
See, once Meg and I get married, I get to move into our apartment. That means I get to sleep on the bed that we bought. I took a nap on that bed one time. It was NICE. Now, sleeping on a new bed may be great and all but the comfort in compounded when you consider that the past few weeks I have been sleeping on nothing but couches.
The apartment where I am staying in Saint Louis is great. The roommates are great, the location is wonderful (except that it is too far south for UMSL or Flo Valley, where Meg and I work) and I am staying there rent free because there are 4 guys and only 3 rooms. What this means though, is that I am sleeping on a couch. Add this to the fact that I am sleeping on a couch already in Columbia when I go out there on Tuesdays, and I can definitely feel the pain.
I guess the moral of the story is that I'm getting old. When I was younger I slept on the couch in California and I think I actually preferred it. Now, I wake up sore and creaky, not quite ready to bike, run, walk, or even stand up. I wouldn't be surprised if the couch has led my back to be all mangled and such. I'll probably go to a chiropractor after the wedding.
Anyway, that's one of the reasons I haven't been biking much. I need to get myself right before I can start to pedal in earnest.
Stats:
Places traveled: Just to campus and back
Distance traveled: 4 miles ($.40)
Meters: 2 hours on campus ($2)
Total: $2.40
Grand Total: $302.38
Left to Save: $280.65
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
The Inefficiency of a Pedometer...
Hello, friends!
I found a new app for my phone. It is a pedometer, which tracks the number of steps that I take on a given day, as well as calculate the distance that I walk and the calories burned. Pretty much, it has turned me into a very inefficient person.
One thing that you may know about me is that I am highly competitive. I will compete with anyone over anything, even if that means competing with yesterday's self to make sure that I take more steps today than I did yesterday. I will compete against the "average" US male, who takes about 7100 steps per day to make sure that I will take more steps than him. Competition does weird things to a guy. Why would I walk my bike when I could ride it, even for a few steps? Because it will make my pedometer happy. Why will I take the furthest parking spot possible? Because it means I get in a few extra steps. These are the things that happen when you are highly motivated by competition.
Here's what I've found. I actually don't walk a ton. My average step count has been somewhere around 4000. That even includes all my "cheating." I spend most of my day sitting with students or sitting to prep stuff for my students or sitting in car, driving from one place to the next, or sitting on Sulu, riding from one place to the next. I'm not sure if I can be 10,000 steps inefficient, like the doctors (whoever they are) say I should be. But, I guess we'll see, right?
Stats:
Places traveled: Just to campus and back yesterday.
Distance traveled: 2.0 miles ($.21)
Meters: 4 hours on campus ($4)
Total: $4.21
Grand Total: $304.19
Left to Save: $278.84
Happy Biking!
~Adam
I found a new app for my phone. It is a pedometer, which tracks the number of steps that I take on a given day, as well as calculate the distance that I walk and the calories burned. Pretty much, it has turned me into a very inefficient person.
One thing that you may know about me is that I am highly competitive. I will compete with anyone over anything, even if that means competing with yesterday's self to make sure that I take more steps today than I did yesterday. I will compete against the "average" US male, who takes about 7100 steps per day to make sure that I will take more steps than him. Competition does weird things to a guy. Why would I walk my bike when I could ride it, even for a few steps? Because it will make my pedometer happy. Why will I take the furthest parking spot possible? Because it means I get in a few extra steps. These are the things that happen when you are highly motivated by competition.
Here's what I've found. I actually don't walk a ton. My average step count has been somewhere around 4000. That even includes all my "cheating." I spend most of my day sitting with students or sitting to prep stuff for my students or sitting in car, driving from one place to the next, or sitting on Sulu, riding from one place to the next. I'm not sure if I can be 10,000 steps inefficient, like the doctors (whoever they are) say I should be. But, I guess we'll see, right?
Stats:
Places traveled: Just to campus and back yesterday.
Distance traveled: 2.0 miles ($.21)
Meters: 4 hours on campus ($4)
Total: $4.21
Grand Total: $304.19
Left to Save: $278.84
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Out Sick...
Hello, friends!
Sorry for not posting last week. I didn't actually get a chance to ride, so I guess it wasn't a big loss.
Here's the thing that I've noticed with my new schedule. I am really tired. I work 15 hour days or so on Tuesdays and at least 10-12 on Wednesdays. I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if I was doing something that didn't require so much emotional energy but the truth is that working with college students requires me to stretch my "feeler" muscles and I think they are a little out of practice.
What does this have to do with biking? Well, things are so jam packed that it is hard to get all the miles in that I normally would. Sometimes I just need to sleep, which means that I get fewer hours at the meters, which we all know is a big money saver.
An unfortunate trend has developed the past few weeks. When I work 15 hour days on Tuesday, my head is in pretty dire shape on Wednesday. Today has been no exception. I had plans for today. There was going to be errands run. There were going to be things accomplished. There were going to be miled pedaled! Instead, I was the victim of a late start, a busted head, and now playing catch up. I rode a bit yesterday, so there is still progress, but not as much as there could have been.
Stats:
Places traveled: campus and columbia college
Distance traveled: 3.6 miles ($.37)
Meters: 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 2 hours on campus ($2)
Total: $3.57
Grand total: $299.98
Left to save: $283.05
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Sorry for not posting last week. I didn't actually get a chance to ride, so I guess it wasn't a big loss.
Here's the thing that I've noticed with my new schedule. I am really tired. I work 15 hour days or so on Tuesdays and at least 10-12 on Wednesdays. I suppose it wouldn't be so bad if I was doing something that didn't require so much emotional energy but the truth is that working with college students requires me to stretch my "feeler" muscles and I think they are a little out of practice.
What does this have to do with biking? Well, things are so jam packed that it is hard to get all the miles in that I normally would. Sometimes I just need to sleep, which means that I get fewer hours at the meters, which we all know is a big money saver.
An unfortunate trend has developed the past few weeks. When I work 15 hour days on Tuesday, my head is in pretty dire shape on Wednesday. Today has been no exception. I had plans for today. There was going to be errands run. There were going to be things accomplished. There were going to be miled pedaled! Instead, I was the victim of a late start, a busted head, and now playing catch up. I rode a bit yesterday, so there is still progress, but not as much as there could have been.
Stats:
Places traveled: campus and columbia college
Distance traveled: 3.6 miles ($.37)
Meters: 2 hours downtown ($1.20) + 2 hours on campus ($2)
Total: $3.57
Grand total: $299.98
Left to save: $283.05
Happy Biking!
~Adam
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