ride a ___ing bike! (San Antonio, Post: buying, luxury, pros and cons)

[Chaka]

I used to walk to work (all summer), and just took it easy walking in so I didn't get all sweaty, though I often brought a spare top just in case. On the way home I'd change and walk normal pace so it didn't matter if I got sweaty. Lots of people in the southtown/downtown area bike/walk to work (my bike was stolen some time ago, and I didn't replace it, else I would likely have cycled).

I also kept my standard hours. I wouldn't label all cyclists as the type to ditch off work early/come in late because one did.

That said, biking outside of certain areas can be kind of scary. I used to work 7 miles from home and it'd be a straight shot down S. Presa in ride my bike and i considered it for awhile, but I just didn't feel comfortable with the traffic there watching out for me. I've seen too many near misses.
We have a few more bike lanes now, though, so as more people start to use them, maybe it'll improve. Now I work too far from home and daycare to cycle in (and I have to travel during the day often so need my car).

Alas, I used to live in Santa Barbara, one of the most bike-friendly cities around. However I also always cycled when I lived in New Haven, CT and South Bend, IN (even in winter) and those aren't particularly bike friendly cities.

[TexasGirl@Heart]

Originally Posted by manthechange

And, if you check that GQ post, you'll notice that people in Italy (also has a warm climate) ride all the time in suits.

And they stink!! I know...I lived in Italy for 1.5 years. Just when I thought the worst smell I ever smelled was a patient GI bleeding...WRONG...it was an Italian who smelled so bad, I would have swore that he hadn't bathed or brushed his teeth for over a month!

[SnappyBob]

The guy that I work with rides his bike to work several time per week weather permitting. He has a 10 mile one way commute and I takes him on 1604 on the NW side. Luckily we have showers here at work. I agree, SA is not going to turn into a bike to work city any time soon. For most people it just is not going to work. But that's no reason you can't hop on your bike and do those short trips to take care of errands. You would be surprised how much gas you can save by cutting out short trips. I recently decided that I was wasting too much money on buying my lunch every day and decided to start eating in. So I stock up on frozen dinners, left overs and the always popular Chef Boyardee. I was really surprised to see how much longer a tank of gas lasts me now that I am not running around to the area restaurants at lunch time. On average it has added a few days to a tank full.

[sapphire]

Do they require one of those "Wide Load" escorts on a bike? If so, any gas savings for me are out the window.....yeah, I know biking every day to work would solve that, but we're talking about now, today.

I'm making the most out of every car trip. We just aren't driving aimlessly anymore--we used to do that when gas was cheap--now we always have our destination firmly established and we plan our stops along the way. Like someone else said, if we all just do what we can, it will help.

[doss1]

Just get a scooter. There, problem solved (but not the image!).

[guyd78]

Riding a bike to work is a good idea - although not feasible for everybody. Before relocating to SA I rode a bike to work everyday. Now, unless I ride the shoulder of 281 which ain't happening, I gave up the bike for commuting.

Another idea is to purchase a scooter. Mine was $3,000 brand new. Yes they use gas, but it gets 70mpg and can reach speeds of 70+ with 2 people, which means I can maintain speed on any road in town. I take back roads when I can, and in a pinch I can take it on 281, 1604, 410, etc... I can ride to work every day and do my daily errands/downtown excursions all for $5.00 per week in gas. Downtown also has a place for scooters/motorcycles to park for free. Plus, I'm lessening my carbon footprint at the same time.

The money saved in gas makes the payment on the scooter in full and then some. That's money that I keep out of the hands of the oil companies, and the Earth is liking me for it.

[sapphire]

Where can you find a scooter for $3K brand new? I would so get into that. My commute is just over 5 miles every day, and a scooter would be perfect since I don't have a baby to drop off, etc. In the unlikely event of rain, I'd just drive my little Nissan.

[Navshirereeve]

Sure when I used to live in San Diego, I would bike to work at least 3 times a week. It was an 8 mile trip one way from my apt in Chula Vista to Navsta 32nd st. Here in San Antonio, I wouldnt dream of it. Its 15 miles one way plus its too damn hot and I would have to bike thru some very rough neighborhoods.

[guyd78]

Go to The Motorcycle Shop on Austin Highway.

San Antonio Motorcycle Shop

They are really nice and can steer you in the right direction. If you don't want to get out on the major roads, then you could get by with a 125 or 150cc scooter. Mine is a 250cc, but I need to get on freeways at times and also I ride with my wife on back. The 150cc can get 80-100mpg and tops out at about 50mph I think. They are between $1,500 and $2,500. Kymco is a really good brand to go with.

My wife loves riding with me. It's the best purchase we've made in a long time.

[scuba steve]

and our drivers are much more friendly than other places.

Not in my experience... I could get into a long rant about this but probably be banned or something.

As far as bike lanes go, in any city I've been around I've never seen those become successful when they are a part of a fast (cars drive 40+) road. The situation doesn't typically work well for the cyclist or driver, and lots of road debris, gravel and glass ends up in the bike lane. They only seem to work in downtown areas where cars are moving slower. For getting around places where cars drive faster dedicated bike paths work MUCH better. I'm talking about a paved trail, usually about 6 feet wide, separated from the road. The best ones I've seen run parallel to train tracks where intersecting roadways frequently already have an over/underpass to use, so there are fewer stops to cross the street to deal with.