In article <
[email protected]>,
[email protected] writes:
> This weekend I biked the 12 miles to work to see if it could be done.
> It took around 1 hour and a half, however, I noticed this is really
> not going to save me any money. The reason is the cost to replace my
> 1000 calories burned will be more than the $3 gas it costs me to get
> to work.
Okay, I just had to have one last peek.
Bill Sornson wuz right, gol' durn it!
So here's the deal -- you have to eat anyways,
right? Not just to power the bike, but to
power yourself and just get through the day.
You can't feed yourself while you feed your car
(unless you can metabolize gasoline.) But you
can feed yourself while you feed your bike.
Two double cheeseburgers from Rotten Ronnie's
costs $2.95. There ya go for a bunch of cheap
calories. Duffin's Donuts down the street from
me sells a dozen day-olds for $3.oo. I like the
French crullers.
There've been times of hard physical work on Empty
all day, when a bottle of Coke after work got me
12 or more miles home okay.
Actually I regularly do 12 miles on one of quick-cooking
oatmeal topped with a few scoops of plain yogurt and
a small can of crushed pineapple. And it's more like a
40-50 minute ride. That includes walking it over the
Knight Street bridge to gingerly avoid all the broken
glass and subsequent flat tires, not to mention falling
over the railing of the bridge into the murky depths of
the mighty Fraser River.
Lasagna is one of the most perfect cycling foods
for pre-ride load-ups. So is lamb vindaloo (on a
bed of basmati rice,) if you've got a good source.
A turkey clubhouse & a big pickle on the side does
the trick, too. So does a pastrami on soft light
rye dunked in hot brine and painted on top with hot
mustard (but it helps to have some Certs afterwards.)
> I can see the benefits if you are over-weight and need to lose
> weight. But someone if just fooling himself if they think they are
> saving any money by biking, no?
ha ha, I laugh.
Calories are cheap, and in continental North America one
would have to be in an extremely dire situation to
starve to death. Like, if they're overly concerned with
feeding their cars.
Your $3.oo of gasoline keeps your car happy for a short
trip, but where does it get you? The Dairy Queen on
the way to work?
Too bad cars don't run on donairs. OTOH maybe they
don't deserve such pleasant satisfaction.
You're gonna get yourself one of those elecric motorized
bikes, aren't you? I increasingly see those folks around,
and I've got a gut feeling that's where your post is leading.
As for overweight -- to really make good use of a bike
you want to be healthily lightweight.
So here's the deal: within urban confines, you can't beat
bicycles for getting around. Sure, you've gotta eat. But
you've gotta eat anyways. Even die-hard car drivers have
to eat. The food vs petrofuel argument is a flat-footed
canard.
--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca
