Something about biking

Hello everyone! Hope it's as nice outside where you are, as it is where I am. I'm writing from Brookline, waiting to go on the clock at work, after a pleasant 4-mile ride in a 70-or-so degree, cloudless breezy morning!

This weekend, I was tempted to drive to work -- because I'm lazy, mostly. My neighbor, Nathan, encouraged me to bike, and David, my housemate, backed him up. So, with their little guilt-trip and my environmentally-concerned conscience screaming at me, I did!

Man, was I refreshed. It was only about 4 miles to work, and then 4 miles back, and it felt great.

Biking is
-- good for your body;
-- quicker than the bus, train or car in this city;
-- environmentally friendly;
-- fun.

If you don't own a bike, and have thought about starting, don't let the fact that bikes at high-end shops or REI cost hundreds of dollars! Consider checking out Bikes not Bombs in Jamaica Plain, where you can get a used roadbike for around $100 (a pretty good deal). Or, shop around on Craigslist, and ask me (or someone else) with a truck or a bike rack to go with you to look at the bike and then pick it up.

There are enough people around who ride that can help you with maintenance and teach you some basic skills. Consider how making this choice could save you money on fuel, car insurance, T fare, and time!

I've been thinking about this particularly after Nathan and David prodded me to bike to work, and I think I'll be doing it on a regular basis from now on. Thanks, dudes.

-- BC