There aren't a lot of biking perks beyond the intrinsic benefits - the exercise, the fresh air, seeing more because you're going slower, being able to easily stop and say hi to friends and strangers, and knowing you're saving gas and not polluting, to name a few. There are nice bike trails through the woods and more bike racks here and there, but mostly bikes are an afterthought and cars are the first thought. For instance, there's construction on 36th and this sign for car drivers is put right in the middle of the sidewalk in the way of any cyclist trying to keep out of cars' way by staying out of the street. Pedestrians and cyclists really don't matter to these folks. Not only do are they blocking the road - necessarily I'm assuming to do the work - but they are blocking the sidewalk clearly unnecessarily because they just don't consider people on the sidewalks.
But there are perks. As I rode to the courthouse on Friday, a group of people were near the path waving for me to stop. I assumed there must be a moose on the path, but no, the
Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage were serving free coffee and muffins to people commuting to work by bike.
I've been biking ALL summer and LOVE it. I've only bought one tank of gas since school got out in May. The benefits are SO worthwhile, and I think you covered them. They may seem small, but they are all SO enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteToday, seeing the Blue Angels from my bike filled me with shock, awe, fear, and amazement. I am not all that fond of military might, but I am going to bike down to the base tomorrow and check the show out for my first time ever .. no point burying my head in the sand and acting like this stuff does not exist, I guess.
jessica