Biking isn't the only way to avoid driving my car.

08/26/2011

Well, I have been too busy to update this more often. I am still riding when I can. I also look for other ways to avoid driving my car.

The other day I had a chance to test DART out a little. I flew in to Love Field from Austin and was able to take a DART bus to the rail station. From there, I took the green line to downtown and transferred to the red line up to the Parker road station.  I still had to drive home from there but a much shorter trip. If I would have left my bike at the Parker road station the day before I could have avoided the car altogether! Yes, it took a LOT LONGER but I had a book to read and some writing to do so I used the time wisely.

Give DART a try some time if you don’t already!

Paul

Remember the "be-prepared-carry-tools-on-bike" post?

08/04/2011

Remember about a month ago I posted about being prepared with tools? Well, I do, and I did not listen to my own advice. The commuter bike I have has great big tires that can't go flat - at least I thought. On my way home from work (actually just on the way to the fitness center to change for the ride home) I jumped the curb up to the front entrance to the fitness center like I do every day. But today the rear tire landed right on a sharp edge of the concrete and pinched the tube and leaked quickly.

I was going to ride to a meeting I had up in Allen after work but the flat changed all my plans. Why? Because I have no tools on this bike.  I had planned well for the ride home from my meeting with lights and everything but all that was for nothing. My wife came and graciously bailed me out of the situation and gave me a ride home. I then drove to the meeting and became like every other commuter in a car. I want to avoid the car so next time I will have a spare tire and tools and avoid the car ride.

After all that, I did not even have a spare tube at home for this size tire. So I prepped up my old old bike for tomorrow's ride (I don't want to miss the chance to ride in another 109 degree day!).

Lesson learned: Carry tools and be safe and cool.

Paul