Think outside of the car

By Times staff | Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Gasoline at $1.50 per gallon made biking to work an option for only a zealous cyclist. Who else would give up a comfortable car commute to save pennies per day?

Even at $2 per gallon, the daily savings of a typical Quad-City commuter would be $1 or less. Why bother?

At $3.60 per gallon, the equation begins to change. Perhaps that’s why the riders scheduled to gather to celebrate Bike to Work week this morning at Bechtel Park at the Davenport foot of the Government Bridge won’t all be lean Lycra-wearing athletes. This year’s observation is drawing casual riders who realize the bike-friendly Quad-Cities makes an easy commute on two wheels, at least for some.

Some still may be daunted by our community’s river valley hills, construction snaggles or stifling summer heat. That’s why we’ve recruited cycling commuters to share their experiences in a new QCTimes.com blog titled, “Think Outside of the Car.” Riders are sharing experiences, shortcuts, equipment tips and answering questions. We’ll excerpt their blogs on this page through the week to give readers a first-hand look at a two-wheel commute. Those compelled to join them can add comments as well.

Cooperative cyclists, cooperative weather and, regrettably, cooperative gas prices, make this the year to consider cycling to work.

“Think Outside of the Car” is a new blog for commuting bicyclists. Cyclist bloggers include:

Jeff Cornelius, Jeff Cozad, Daryl Empen, Ellen Madden, Dean Mayne, Dan McNeil, Bob Replinger, Rebecca Saunders, Daya Snapp and Heidi Woeber.

Here is an excerpt from the blog:

Long faces at the pump

Days like Friday make me wonder why anyone wouldn’t want to bike to work (or any place else for that matter). Zipping through the Village of East Davenport I saw a few long faces filling up at Kwik Shop before the next jump in gas prices. Crude just went up to $126 per barrel with no signs of slowing down.

Those who haven’t tried biking in favor of driving don’t know what they’re missing. I discover so many cool streets and neighborhoods on both sides of the river I never would have come across if I weren’t looking for safe parallels to Locust, Kimberly, or 23rd Avenue.

Jeff Cornelius, Davenport