about getting from point A to point B in the most interesting ways possible

If you're a large woman in America, your whole life is an opportunity to feel self-conscious, embarrassed, resentful and way too big. You can hide in the corner or on the couch, you can go to therapy, or you can put on your lycra bike shorts and get out there and move.
—Jayne Williams, Slow Fat Triathlete

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August 24, 2005

The cost of transportation permalink

I now have 120 miles on my pink townie. Wuhoo! Let everyone rejoice!

I don't know why that excites me so, but it does.

I figured it out—the bike and its accessories cost about $500—so at this point it costs $4.17 a mile. The great thing is that number is going to just continue to get smaller.

For walking, assuming that a pair of walking shoes costs $90, and lasts 500 miles, it costs 18 cents a mile.
...
The accessories—basket, rack, panniers, bell, computer—make all the difference. I've thought about borrowing Sweetie's super-sweet bike to ride into to work, to see if I still feel decimated when I get home from the hills. But... his bike has no place to put my crap, and no way to signal to pedestrians and cars other than my voice. So I haven't ridden it.
...
Today I am very sore. Hmm, there was mat pilates on Monday and mat pilates on Tuesday, and oh yeah, bicycling both days, so I feel like just about every inch of me that could ache, does ache.

My panic at Portland to Coast continues to consume me. I need to just pack—it's not a big deal—I just need to pack. I'll feel better when I know that everything is done. And I may go tomorrow and drive the route. Maybe.

Posted at August 24, 2005

Comments

They should have a little countdown odometer on that thing where you put in the initial cost and keeps tallying the average cost per mile as you put more miles on it. :)

Yes! Go drive that route. You'll feel better, and I know the feeling of not wanting to go check it out, but afterwards it does feel better.

Posted by: Jon in Michigan at August 24, 2005 10:44 AM