Bikage

[catsittingstill]

Friday, Monday and today I rode my bike to Jefferson City to do the grocery shopping. I timed it today--it takes 35 minutes to get to the store, with the little detour to avoid the part of 11-E with no shoulder, and 30 minutes to get back (same detour, but I don't have to cross 11-E to get to it, also the store is a bit higher than my house). Since it would normally take about 10 minutes each way by car, that's 65 minutes' workout for 45 minutes out of my day, which isn't bad.

Monday I came back with a gallon of milk and a 2-liter of pop, which, along with a few other thises and thats probably came to about 14 pounds of groceries; it does seem to make climbing the hills a bit slower. The folding panniers are working fine now.

Comments

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Looks like you're making about 8mph... not bad for involving hills. That and Wally World is all the way *through* Jeff City... whee.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

That and Wally World is all the way *through* Jeff City... whee.

Um, yeah, but how did you know? (Actually, I'm not quite sure where Jeff City ends--it's sort of a plaque in the artery of 11-3, really).

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

Well, I knew what your home town was (it's on your EC homepage), and it wasn't that big, so I guessed at the center of it...

Jeff City did something that looks rather silly; it looks like they originally ended about a block beyond Wal-Mart, but they seem to have annexed the 11-E right-of-way all the way out to May Acres.. I'm guessing they're thinking the land along there will build up as the city sprawls towards Morristown, and they'll get the tax base...

But, yeah, your description is apt; having been through there once on a Greyhound bus, it was barely enough of an excuse for the bus to stop, and at least in those days Greyhound stopped in every hamlet and wide spot in the road... (*sigh* I miss ol' Trailways... Greyhound ruined them when they bought them out.)

[braider.livejournal.com]

Very cool way to think about it. I hadn't considered counting out the time it would have taken me to get somewhere anyway.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

It occurred to me a number of years ago, when I was commuting 5 miles to work and back. It took me 30 minutes each way, which seemed like a long time until I remembered that it took 15 minutes by car.

One of the reasons I think bicycle commuting is a good idea is that trade-off. If only it wasn't so hot and hilly here!