Hello, friends!
I think I mentioned this in my last post but I decided to bring Sulu back with me to Saint Louis so that there would be a chance to ride around instead of leaving him in CoMO and guaranteeing that I wouldn't get any rides in for the rest of 2012. This past week, I definitely picked up some mileage. Whether or not it was a good idea or not is another question. =0).
Monday, Meg and I went to the chiropractor together down in Clayton. From there, she had to go back up north while I had to go down south for a few meetings. The question before us was how were we going to do this? Would she drop me off down south then come pick me up later? Would we go back home so I could grab my car and come back down south? Wolud we take 2 cars? No, my friends, there would be biking. We strapped Sulu to the back of the Rolla, drove down to the chiropractor, and when we were done, I biked south to my meetings and Meg drove up north to hers. At the end of the day, I hopped back on Sulu and biked my way back up north. So what if it was sub-40 degrees with a cold drizzle? I biked and it felt really good.
Tuesday, I had a meeting down on the loop for lunch and Meg was going to be down on the loop later in the afternoon and we were going to dinner with some friends down south in the evening. How would we make that work? We could take 2 cars if we wanted but that would make me sad. It wouldn't make any sense for us to do a dropoff and pickup situation. Friends, this is where Sulu comes to the rescue again! I biked down to the loop, had my meetings, did a bunch of admin, Meg drove down for her meeting, I tossed Sulu in the back of her car, and we rode together to dinner with friends.
Meg and I have talked about what would happen if we went down to 1 car and whether or not we thought we could do it. This year, since I have to commute to CoMO every week that isn't a possibility, but it does seem like there are some possibilities.
Stats:
Places traveled: From the chiropractor to Seamus McDaniel's, then from Starbucks to home. Then from Home to the Loop.
Distance traveled: 4.3 miles + 11.2 miles + 7.4 miles = 22.9 miles ($1.87)
Meters: Oddly enough, no meters here. Everywhere I went had parking.
Total: $1.87
Grand Total: $315.14
Left to Save: $267.89
Happy Biking!
~Adam
The story of a guy trying to rationalize the money he spent on his bike and other random thoughts.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Friday, December 7, 2012
Major Gains and Major Setbacks
Hello, friends!
This past week has been one of major gains and one major setback in my quest to eventually save enough money to justify the purchase of Sulu. Let's recap, shall we?
I decided to bring Sulu home last week. I knew that I was going to Sabbath on Saturday and I knew that I wanted to ride on my Sabbath so I figured that that would be a good idea. It turned out to be quite a good idea. Here's why.
Friday: I biked a LOT. I went to the library to get some work done and then Meg asked me to pick up something from Walgreens before I went to Global Cafe, which is the International Friends Large Group gathering. Here's my map. Total there was 13.8 miles, which is pretty solid.
Saturday: On Friday our friend Greg asked if anyone wanted to go bike riding around Forest Park on Saturday. Since biking was part of my plan anyway, it only makes sense that I would say yes to that, right? Here's where it gets fun. I thought to myself, "self, why would you DRIVE somewhere to go biking when you could BIKE somewhere to go biking? So that's what I did. I biked down to forest park, biked around forest part, went to the history museum and the art museum, then biked home. Here's that map. The total there was 12 miles, which is also a good number, especially given that I had biked so much the previous day.
Tuesday: Meg came with me to Columbia but that didn't stop me from riding everywhere, even though she didn't have a bike. Since my bike was still on the back of my car when I dropper her off at Columbia College, I decided to park and ride the rest of the day. That's 2 more miles + meter time.
Wednesday: This is where the big loss came. I got up Wednesday morning and had a terrible realization... I'd lost my bike lock. See, on Tuesday, when I reattached my bike to the bike rack, I used the bungee cords that usually attach my lock to the bike. Normally this isn't a problem but for whatever reason I forgot to throw the lock in my car. Thus, I had to buy a new bike lock. Lame. I still got the normal 4 miles biked + meter time but that was definitely a setback.
Stats:
Miles biked: 31.8 miles ($2.82)
Meters: 7 hours on campus ($7.00)
New Bike Lock: (-$25.11)
Total: -$15.29
Grand Total: $313.27
Left to Save: $269.76
Happy Biking!
~Adam
This past week has been one of major gains and one major setback in my quest to eventually save enough money to justify the purchase of Sulu. Let's recap, shall we?
I decided to bring Sulu home last week. I knew that I was going to Sabbath on Saturday and I knew that I wanted to ride on my Sabbath so I figured that that would be a good idea. It turned out to be quite a good idea. Here's why.
Friday: I biked a LOT. I went to the library to get some work done and then Meg asked me to pick up something from Walgreens before I went to Global Cafe, which is the International Friends Large Group gathering. Here's my map. Total there was 13.8 miles, which is pretty solid.
Saturday: On Friday our friend Greg asked if anyone wanted to go bike riding around Forest Park on Saturday. Since biking was part of my plan anyway, it only makes sense that I would say yes to that, right? Here's where it gets fun. I thought to myself, "self, why would you DRIVE somewhere to go biking when you could BIKE somewhere to go biking? So that's what I did. I biked down to forest park, biked around forest part, went to the history museum and the art museum, then biked home. Here's that map. The total there was 12 miles, which is also a good number, especially given that I had biked so much the previous day.
Tuesday: Meg came with me to Columbia but that didn't stop me from riding everywhere, even though she didn't have a bike. Since my bike was still on the back of my car when I dropper her off at Columbia College, I decided to park and ride the rest of the day. That's 2 more miles + meter time.
Wednesday: This is where the big loss came. I got up Wednesday morning and had a terrible realization... I'd lost my bike lock. See, on Tuesday, when I reattached my bike to the bike rack, I used the bungee cords that usually attach my lock to the bike. Normally this isn't a problem but for whatever reason I forgot to throw the lock in my car. Thus, I had to buy a new bike lock. Lame. I still got the normal 4 miles biked + meter time but that was definitely a setback.
Stats:
Miles biked: 31.8 miles ($2.82)
Meters: 7 hours on campus ($7.00)
New Bike Lock: (-$25.11)
Total: -$15.29
Grand Total: $313.27
Left to Save: $269.76
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
A Bike in A Car
Hello, friends!
Right now I am preparing for ACF Large Group in Columbia. Right after that I will head back to my beautiful wife in Saint Louis. I get Thursday and Friday off as a Sabbath, since I didn't take a Sabbath while I was in California. (Oops).
One of the things that I love to do is bike on my Sabbath. I love pedaling and pedaling and just going somewhere. I love not having to drive and I love it being faster than walking. I am really excited about biking tomorrow...
Except that I didn't bring my bike rack with me from Saint Louis. What this means is that I'm going to have to find some way to cram Sulu into the Rolla. This should be fun.
This used to be a lot easier, actually. Sulu's front tire comes off pretty easily and the frame, while sizable, is smaller than my previous bike. The problem is the fender. Since I put on the fenders to keep from getting myself all muddy while biking in the rain (a GREAT decision, btw), now Sulu won't fit comfortably in the Rolla. The fenders stick out a bit, making it too wide for the interior.
How am I going to get this bad boy in there? I have no idea. What I do know is that I WILL find a way because I am not missing an opportunity to bike around town without a fight. =0).
Stats;
Places traveled: Campus twice.
Distance: 8 miles ($.70)
Meters: 8 hours ($8)
Total: $8.70
Grand Total: $328.56
Left to Save: $254.47
Happy Biking!
~Adam
Right now I am preparing for ACF Large Group in Columbia. Right after that I will head back to my beautiful wife in Saint Louis. I get Thursday and Friday off as a Sabbath, since I didn't take a Sabbath while I was in California. (Oops).
One of the things that I love to do is bike on my Sabbath. I love pedaling and pedaling and just going somewhere. I love not having to drive and I love it being faster than walking. I am really excited about biking tomorrow...
Except that I didn't bring my bike rack with me from Saint Louis. What this means is that I'm going to have to find some way to cram Sulu into the Rolla. This should be fun.
This used to be a lot easier, actually. Sulu's front tire comes off pretty easily and the frame, while sizable, is smaller than my previous bike. The problem is the fender. Since I put on the fenders to keep from getting myself all muddy while biking in the rain (a GREAT decision, btw), now Sulu won't fit comfortably in the Rolla. The fenders stick out a bit, making it too wide for the interior.
How am I going to get this bad boy in there? I have no idea. What I do know is that I WILL find a way because I am not missing an opportunity to bike around town without a fight. =0).
Stats;
Places traveled: Campus twice.
Distance: 8 miles ($.70)
Meters: 8 hours ($8)
Total: $8.70
Grand Total: $328.56
Left to Save: $254.47
Happy Biking!
~Adam
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
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