Are high gas prices making you bike more?

[JTE83]

Are high gas prices making you bike more?

With gas starting to get expensive - about $2.50 to $2.80 per gallon in the USA - are you being motivated to bike more instead of use the car?

For me, I can afford the gas, but I prefer to use my car to go places instead of my minivan. But my car gets only 18.5 mpg city with AC on. So actually I do often bike to save gas and get a workout. But this year as of 8/15/05 I biked 280 miles for transportation only - so I saved only about $36.53 in gas.

I'm planning on getting a Burley Nomad for shopping. See http://www.bicycletrailers.com/burley-nomad.shtml

In the pic below is my weapon for saving gas - a 2004.5 Giant OCR 1 with Jandd Commuter panniers. Funny, I can hit the same top speeds on this 29 lb bike setup as on my 17 & 19 lb racing bikes (a 2003 Cervelo Soloist Team & a 2005 Kestrel Talon).

Oh - it would be nice to post a pic of your gas saving transportation bike here too.

 

[rayTerrace]

I don't have a car but I just saw petrol prices at $1.27 per litre (Sydney Australia) & they could be rising more soon.

My petrol saver is a 2004 cannondale T800 - a lot like this one

http://www.cannondale.com/bikes/05/cusa/model-5TR8.html

 

[anthropete]

Not yet ... I definitely plan to bike more when the heat and humidity subside a bit. If I were to commute by bike now, I would show up to work a sweaty mess! So yes, once autumn sets in and the sun backs off a bit, I will bike more to save money - and get a little extra excersise. Our gas prices in Carrboro, NC are average $2.50/gal for regular.

Pete
http://www.viovio.com/anthropete

 

[dgregory57]

I live so close to work that I spend more money on gas to get to my favorite rides every two weeks than I do commuting and shopping combined for the period in between.

I have no gas price concerns that would make me change, but I am close to talking myself into cycling to work just for fun and fitness.

Every minute on a bike helps!

 

[tanggoman]

During summertime I ride my bike to work, and of course on weekends...!

 

[rule62]

You bet. Ride more, drive less. Looking at a hybrid.

 

[jeo]

Yeah, I'm actually planning on selling my other bike (2005 Honda Rebel) because gas, insurance, and the general unreliability of the motorycle motivates me to ride my road bike even more. Of the year I've had the motorcycle, it's been in the shop around 9 weeks. I commute every day, take my two year old in the trailer for trips, and plan on doing grocery shopping pretty soon when my wife feels up to going out together on her hybrid. Our other bike is a station wagon. ;-)

jeo

 

[shannons dad]

I'm 29 in a few weeks and I've never had the need for a car. Although I've always wanted one since a kiddie. Unfortunately, because I have diabetes, the insurance for a car that won't even hit 90mph with about as much power as my little finger is stupidly high, over £2000 a year. Bikings cheaper, no matter how you look at it.

Bill.

 

[martin_j001]

I'm 29 in a few weeks and I've never had the need for a car. Although I've always wanted one since a kiddie. Unfortunately, because I have diabetes, the insurance for a car that won't even hit 90mph with about as much power as my little finger is stupidly high, over £2000 a year. Bikings cheaper, no matter how you look at it.

Bill.

Are they actually allowed to charge you more just because you have diabetes? That is ridiculous to me (a 23 year type 1 diabetic). I've never had any problems in the US because of the diabetes. Very strange, in my opinion.

As far as riding more, I can't really ride to work cause the roads are busier than what I want to ride on, and the lack of good places to store a bike. I also don't want to have to buy/ride another bike just to get to work. Instead, I'm buying one of these on Friday....now if only I can get a bike rack for that

 

[San Remo GT]

Are high gas prices making you bike more?

With gas starting to get expensive - about $2.50 to $2.80 per gallon in the USA - are you being motivated to bike more instead of use the car?

.

YOU LUCKY *******! here in UK its almost £4 per gallon. Yet they complain about terrorism, something which they do themselves.

 

[shannons dad]

Are they actually allowed to charge you more just because you have diabetes? That is ridiculous to me (a 23 year type 1 diabetic). I've never had any problems in the US because of the diabetes. Very strange, in my opinion.

As far as riding more, I can't really ride to work cause the roads are busier than what I want to ride on, and the lack of good places to store a bike. I also don't want to have to buy/ride another bike just to get to work. Instead, I'm buying one of these on Friday....now if only I can get a bike rack for that

Yup. Apparently because of a change in the law a few years ago, if I was in an accident and the police found my blood sugar levels to be too high or too low, I would be charged in the same way as a drunk driver would, making me a high risk to the insurance companies. I'd be paying the fine, before I commited the crime. Stupid really.

Bill.

 

[martin_j001]

Yup. Apparently because of a change in the law a few years ago, if I was in an accident and the police found my blood sugar levels to be too high or too low, I would be charged in the same way as a drunk driver would, making me a high risk to the insurance companies. I'd be paying the fine, before I commited the crime. Stupid really.

Bill.

Thats pretty sad. Here in the US they aren't allowed to raise this as an issue until your diabetes actually affects your driving (at least as far as I'm aware--I've never had an accident and only have a few speeding tickets from my late teen/early 20 years). I do agree with the idea that blood sugar control is a necessary part of being allowed to drive, but this practice seems, like you said, to be "pre-conviction". Ridiculous.... Would your insurance rates drop dramatically after a year with insurance and no accidents, or do they reserve the "right" to keep their hands in your wallet the rest of your life?

 

[shannons dad]

Thats pretty sad. Here in the US they aren't allowed to raise this as an issue until your diabetes actually affects your driving (at least as far as I'm aware--I've never had an accident and only have a few speeding tickets from my late teen/early 20 years). I do agree with the idea that blood sugar control is a necessary part of being allowed to drive, but this practice seems, like you said, to be "pre-conviction". Ridiculous.... Would your insurance rates drop dramatically after a year with insurance and no accidents, or do they reserve the "right" to keep their hands in your wallet the rest of your life?

It would drop a bit each year, but not by a big bit. As far as they're concerned, as long as I have diabetes, I'm high risk. And lets face, my health ain't gonna change any time soon. Although, I enjoy the whole 4 injections a day and blowing up halfway through a ride thing!!

Bill.

 

[martin_j001]

It would drop a bit each year, but not by a big bit. As far as they're concerned, as long as I have diabetes, I'm high risk. And lets face, my health ain't gonna change any time soon. Although, I enjoy the whole 4 injections a day and blowing up halfway through a ride thing!!

Bill.

Sorry to everyone else for getting off topic....

Have you considered an insulin pump at all? It is by far the best thing I have done to help gain better control of my diabetes.

 

[shannons dad]

Sorry to everyone else for getting off topic....

Have you considered an insulin pump at all? It is by far the best thing I have done to help gain better control of my diabetes.

Yup, apologies from me too. I'm using one of those Star Trekkie things that does'nt use needles. It punches the insulin through your skin with high pressure. Doesn't half hurt when it's off angle by a few degrees. And it leaves nice bruise marks on my thighs. Nice!! According the doc, because of the high cost and limited availability, insulin pumps aren't a choice unless all other methods have been tried and failed. So far, my current method hasn't failed. NHS really sucks sometimes.

Bill.

 

[JTE83]

Well, I bought my Burley Nomad today. If gas hits $3 a gallon for 87 octane in my area - I'd really bike more! Like a 3 mile round trip to McDonalds would cost me $.43 so I'd rather bike and use the money for food.

I think my favorite gas station that has a reputation for the cheapest gas now has it for $2.65 for 87 octane. At that price, a 12 mile round trip on my car would cost me $1.72 so now I'm biking!

I would like to get a Toyota Prius but I can't afford it. Boy, I am sure looking forward to getting my Burley Nomad!

 

[jessmcph]

I would love to ride more and drive less but due to safety concerns i really don't feel that that is an option. I even drive 20 minutes to bike, (could probably cut some time off this but...) sad isn't it.

 

[martin_j001]

I would love to ride more and drive less but due to safety concerns i really don't feel that that is an option. I even drive 20 minutes to bike, (could probably cut some time off this but...) sad isn't it.

I hope that our local politicians start putting some pressure on the people above them and below them to make cities more commuter friendly--whether it be additional HOV lanes on highways, adding shoulders to roads for cyclists, and rewarding/recognizing its citizens in some way for doing their part to prevent traffic congestion and air pollution--tax breaks for people that don't own cars or something like that, some kind of incentive I think would make for safer commuting as well as make people more eager to try. More sidewalks, bike lanes/trails, even motobike lanes like much of Europe has would be a welcome relief to many in the US. Its extremely unfortunate, IMO, that our countries leaders don't recognize the need for change--urban sprawl and the desire to make money is more important than just about anything else to most people these days.

 

[shannons dad]

I hope that our local politicians start putting some pressure on the people above them and below them to make cities more commuter friendly--whether it be additional HOV lanes on highways, adding shoulders to roads for cyclists, and rewarding/recognizing its citizens in some way for doing their part to prevent traffic congestion and air pollution--tax breaks for people that don't own cars or something like that, some kind of incentive I think would make for safer commuting as well as make people more eager to try. More sidewalks, bike lanes/trails, even motobike lanes like much of Europe has would be a welcome relief to many in the US. Its extremely unfortunate, IMO, that our countries leaders don't recognize the need for change--urban sprawl and the desire to make money is more important than just about anything else to most people these days.

Agreed. Since alot of government income is generated by road tax/toll roads/petrol/diesel/oil/parking fines and such like they would'nt be pleased if most people gave up their tin box's for the greener life. They'd have to take a pay cut, or increase taxes for the ordinary Joe, which would make them even more unpopular than they are already. But it's up to the drivers aswell. A TV programme here a few weeks called 'Car Nation' focused on who drove what car and why, and how they drove. One woman in particular was given the suggestion by her young daughter, that rather than drive to the shop, walk to it. A quite literal 5 minute walk. She was having none of it. Incredible. Makes you wonder what kind of bone-idle lazy ass world we're bringing our kids into.

Bill.

 

[bryanquinn]

I certainly have started biking more because of gas prices. I try to bike to work at least 3 times a week.
Because I work some nights it's a little dangerous. Even with 4 lights on the front (2 blinking and 2 on constant) I've almost been hit twice in the last week. Oh, and did I mention an ear light and 2 blinking red on the rear? On top of all that there is enough reflective tape to blind a person!
I ride an older model Bianchi Alfana equipped with aero bars and a wheel cover on the rear. I wash up at the sink in the bathroom at work. I'ts kind of a pain but worth it.
B.