There are many reasons Tim and I have decided to ride our bikes everywhere instead of driving. The more we ride, the more reasons we add to the positive column.
To name a few:
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health (for us and for all of the asthma sufferers in this world)
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environmental (blah blah blah – you’ve heard it before)
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it’s a lot faster than the bus
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to build community – (being outside and interacting with people on a daily basis)
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traffic (no vein-popping stress for us)
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financial (less car driving means more money for new bikes)
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to set a good example for our kids (there is another way than the car way)
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and the fact that we both have grown to loathe cars and all of the stuff and maintenance they require
A big reason for me lately is: it’s just fun and I want to mix things up a bit.
Quite frankly the day to day tasks that go along with keeping a household going – grocery shopping, kid schlepping, and home maintenance can get a little tedious. Riding my bike to get around makes it less mundane. It’s fun to get outside and ride: I get some exercise, breathe fresh air, smell the smells, see the sights, slow down – stop and notice things I couldn’t possibly see from a car. Yeah, it takes a little longer sometimes (not always) but I really don’t have a time crunch most of the time.
When I drove everywhere, my life was filled with a lot more dread. Now – it’s a lot more fun. The kids really like it too. Bombing down the hills while sitting on the snap deck is a lot like riding a roller coaster. They love it.
– Anne
Anne & Tim
Tim King
Anne
cfdgirl
Tim K
Car Free Days 
Good for you. You better watch out for the Earth-loathing greed-monkeys in their SUVs though, they can be a real pain.
I haven’t been able to ride in a while. I recently moved and my bike was attached to the front of my car on a trailer and the straps came loose. The bike ended up getting dragged for I don’t know how many miles. I have to get a new rim and tires.
Good for you, in reality great for you and all those around us. I used to commute from Issaquah to Capitol Hill on a regular basis, 20+ years ago. And then from Federal Way to Covington for a few more years. Do not ride much now but walk most places instead. I feel that there is room for everyone. It gets tiring for me to hear drivers whining about bikes and cyclists whining about cars. As a veteran of many thousands of miles commuting by bike, training rides and long distance events as well as ride support for most of the major rides in this area, I think there is plenty of blame to go around, everywhere. If we all would just try to improve our own piece of the world and not worrry so much about others I feel that alternative transportation would become much more viable and accepted.
Keep up the great work.
Thanks for the comments johnnypeepers and John.
I agree – whining does no good at all. It’s better to just be out there riding and having fun. If it looks enjoyable, perhaps more people will give it a try. And the more people out on the road will make it safer for all of us. Anne
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