The Greenest Transportation of Them All; Eco-friendly Bicycle

// June 16th, 2008

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I have a confession to make. I don’t have my driver’s license and I have not driven a car since 2001. This was much easier in the past since I lived in New York City, where having a car was more of a hassle than it was worth. Then in 2005, I moved to Miami Beach, where it was like a village and I got a bike instead. I had a beautiful periwinkle beach cruiser with a wicker basket and it definitely got some love from me. For rest of the country; it’s unfathomable to not have your own set of wheels. But in South Beach, where influx of Europeans, Cubans and beautiful South Americans resided; it was readily more accepted.

Not having a car meant, no car payments, no insurance, no worry about it being stolen or worse yet, an accident. It was freeing and I was happy to co-exist with my bike. It’s really environmentally friendly to boot. (You know I have to inject that in here since it IS a green blog) According to Eric Sorenson, author of Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet,

“People and Bikes were made for each other. The bicycle is a wonder of physics. It harnesses human muscle power directly to old time marvel-the wheel-and yields a vehicle more energy efficient than any other devised, ever, by anyone. Thanks to these awesome physics, the bicycle costs pennies per mile and less than a bus fare trip. It emits no greenhouse gases, local pollutants, or engine noise. “

For the rest of the world; it’s their mode of transportation. Bicycles outnumber cars two to one worldwide, and even in progressive, developed cities, like Tokyo and Paris, bicycles are favored more than the gas guzzling, Co2 emitting autos. OK, this is the part where everyone (including my EC) will start sputtering, I NEED my car; my job is 20 miles away ect… ect. I am not telling you to get rid of your car, but try to look at the bike as more than a plaything. Start with a trip to the convenient store. With the ever increasing gas prices these days; one day; it might become a necessity.

and check out my new green friend and fellow blogger, Gavin’s post on 17 Reasons Why Bicycles Are the Most Popular Vehicle in the World Today. and the EcoWorldly has tons, I mean tons of posts on bicycles this week. I am assuming they love their bike as much as I did. (They are actually doing a cycling series. Great minds think alike.)

So dust off that old mike and get rolling. Your wallet AND your body will thank you for it.

Image Source: Matze Meyer: stockxchng

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