Originally when I planned this blog post, I thought it would be really cold and gray outside, in which case this photo of Phillipa basking in the sunlight might actually perk up your day. I woke up this morning to gray, clouds, last nights rain and.... what is this? Sun breaking through the clouds? What is that?
Which reminded me of a story I just have to share with you! Last year, I had a roommate who was on exchange from Africa (Hi L-dog!) and she was not accustomed to the weather in Bellingham. She was very ill-prepared with clothing fit for Africa and not for the breathtakingly chilly temperatures that our proximity to Canada would induce. One day, she came home after class, which means about a 20 to 30 minute walk from campus. She immediately crawled into bed as if she were sick and the other girls and I were worried. Later, she told us that coming home from class that day was the coldest she had ever been in her life!
Now, I've lived in Bellingham for about 5 years now and I'm used to the abrupt change in temperature but I was confused about why she was so cold. The weather wasn't suddenly colder than the day before. The weather wasn't suddenly colder the next day. In general, the weather seemed pretty consistent in my opinion at a steady jacket inducing freeze. The difference, she said, was that on this particular day, the weather decided to confuse my dear roomie by being sunny. What is the biggest lesson learned on this day? Sunny weather does not equal heat. Period.
Anyway, I just wanted to share that story after realizing that the confusion strikes again (cold and sunny for those of you not paying attention!). Phillipa and I have been faring pretty well even through the cold because of my new gear...
1. Mud flap to keep the mud from spraying up my back when I "accidentally" ride through puddles
2. Front and tail lights so that I can ride in the dark
3. A pink bell that a friend gave me to alert those painfully slow walkers that take up the whole sidewalk. Geez, who do they think they are, walking on the sidewalk where they're supposed to be ;)!
Just a heads up, I have a lot to share with you for next week because this weekend, I'm celebrating Thanksgiving early! Woohoo!
As you may have guessed, judging from the apples strewn around the ground underneath my precious bike, this photo was taken on the apple picking day, although Phillipa is a constant addition to my day. Yes, that's right, one of the ways I attempt to be more sustainable is by biking everywhere... and I mean everywhere!
I started biking everywhere a few months ago when I could no longer walk to work everyday (I had a summer job that was at least an hour walk, maybe longer from my house). What that means is that I started biking under fairly ideal circumstances
1) I was working an therefore getting paid to be at X location at X time. What better incentive to keep biking?
2) The weather was always gorgeous! I haven't had to bike in the rain or snow yet, although it has been mighty cold the past few days here in the Pacific Northwest but I'm a trooper
3) I had an awesome bike and all the "equiptment" I needed already. I had a sturdy bike chain (you see that black snake thing behind my bike? That's just my bike lock and cable)
4) I'm already in pretty good shape to bike. I do live in an area that has a fairly good amount of hill action but I started out being physically capable of riding 30 minutes each way to work
5) I had a job that allowed me to arrive wearing comfortable biking appropriate clothing. Some people may not have the luxury of showing up to work in yoga pants and a sweatshirt like I did. That's ok!
SUGGESTIONS FOR YOU
So what does all this mean anyway? I had prime beginner biker circumstances this summer to allow me to get used to the idea of being my own mode of transportation. But what about people that don't have all the circumstances that I did? Here's what you could do to boost your biking and lower your car dependency
-Start biking in the evenings for pleasure! It's great physical activity and if you do it with your family members, friends, co-workers, children, neighbors or people that also bike, you get the added bonus of free entertainment.
-Bike to work/school/the grocery store/on errands/to the movie theater/etc. whenever you can and don't feel bad about driving. My current job requires that I provide transportation for folks that might not be in the physical condition to bike but I still have the satisfaction of running errands with Phillipa
-Try to get other people involved in your attempts to bike more. I've found that it is much easier to bike around when other people bike with me or are supportive of my constant phone calls asking for directions (I'm not good with directions and bike paths aren't always as reliable as car paths on Google Maps)
WHAT YOU NEED
Finally, if you're already a biker, this list may seem redundant to you, but here are the bare essentials you will need to start biking:
-a bike!
-bike helmet (I got in a bike accident this summer and could have had a serious concussion if I didn't have my helmet on! Wear one!)
-bike lock and heavy duty chain
-bike bell (optional but super fun!)
LINKS
I've also attached some links that I've found useful for biking more
League of American Bicyclists Five Steps to Riding Better
Bicycle Universe Why Ride a Bicycle? (Some interesting things to consider about biking)
Bicycling.com 3 Super Easy Things Your Bicycle Mechanic Wishes You Would Do
Craigslist.com (If you don't have the necessary equiptment to bike, you should check out craigslist first to see if you can find any free or cheap deals on things you will need)
