Carless In Tulsa - Living with no car for one winter month

Imagine a Carless Tulsa

2011-02-17T08:49:00.003-06:00

Check out this in depth research project done by OU-Tulsa Planning students. It examines the possibility of a car free downtown, Cherry Street, Riverside, etc.

http://tulsagrad.ou.edu/studio/nocar/nocarslayoutfinalpdf.pdf

Press: Tulsa Business Journal

2010-12-17T21:24:00.002-06:00

2/1/2010
Couple goes carless for 30 days

Nathan and KristinPickard are wrapping up a month-long cycling experiment.

by Holly Wall

Nathan and Kristin Pickard chose an unconventional way to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary. On Jan. 8, while most Tulsans were packing their cars with water bottles, flashlights and warm blankets — just in case the still-icy streets got the better of their vehicles — the Pickards planned the next 30 days of their lives without an automobile.
As chronicled on their blog, www.carlessintulsa.blogspot.com, the couple decided to spend a month without a car, using bicycles as their primary mode of transportation.
The plan came to fruition as the Pickards contemplated purchasing a membership to downtown’s new YMCA, at Fifth and Main Streets. The idea of driving to a gym to spend hours sweating on a stationary bike struck the couple as funny, and, rather than do that, they decided to challenge themselves to use vehicular cycling as a means of exercise.
It wasn’t an impractical feat. The couple resides in Brady Heights, just north of downtown on Denver Avenue, and Nathan Pickard, an internal auditor for the City, frequently bikes to City Hall. Kristin Pickard is a physician’s assistant at St. John Medical Center, at 21st Street and Utica Avenue, and less experienced at navigating city streets via bicycle, so Nathan Pickard escorts his wife to work daily and then rides back to City Hall.
The couple began their project Jan. 9 and will end it Feb. 9. Although it was 18 degrees and icy when they initiated their scheme, the Pickards said going carless has been easier than they imagined.
“The day we started, I didn’t know if we could keep it up if it was going to be that cold,” KristinPickard said. “But we made it OK at 18 degrees, and it’s been that much nicer since it’s warmed up.”
“I guess a lot of people probably think January’s an impossible month to do it and a reason not to, like, ever go without a car,” Nathan Pickard said. “So we wanted to see if it could actually be done all year ‘round, biking.”
Using the INCOG’s Web site as a guide, the couple familiarized themselves with Tulsa’s bike trails and Share the Road streets and planned a route that would keep them off main thoroughfares as much as possible.
“It’s a lot safer than you think,” Nathan Pickard said. “We actually do have a good system here in Tulsa.”
The couple said challenging themselves to go completely carless was integral to their plan to bike more often.
“I don’t think, if we hadn’t completely given up the car, we would have the discipline to do it,” Kristin Pickard said.
Blogging about their experience has served to inform others that, believe it or not, going carless in Tulsa can be done — sort of.
The couple has managed to do their grocery shopping, run minor errands and make it to church at 51st Street and Sheridan Road all on bike, but they’ve taken a break from restoring their historic home because, as Kristin Pickard said, “you can’t really carry two-by-fours on your bike.”
Still, they’ve considered what they’ve accomplished as proof that vehicular cycling is an option.
“We were really hoping to show that it is a transportation alternative in Tulsa,” Nathan Pickard said.
“Most people will say, ‘That’s a really cool idea. I could never do that,’” Kristin Pickard said. “I think they’re just too scared of biking in Tulsa. Either they live somewhere where it really is prohibitive, or they think the streets are too narrow or cars are too crazy, and they don’t think outside the box.”
The couple likely won’t continue to be completely carless following their project’s end. But they do think they’ll bike more often.
“Definitely anything less than four miles is really doable,” Kristin Pickard said.
“We’ve just been realizing we should have been biking to this event and this event because it’s so easy and enjoyable,” Nathan Pickard said. “Especially stuff downtown. Why’d we ever hop in a car?”

Press: Tulsa World

2010-12-17T21:19:00.003-06:00

29 days without driving a car

Couple successfully completes challenge

By MATT GLEASON World Scene Writer

Published: 2/18/2010 2:25 AM

Nathan and Kristin Pickard parked their white Scion xB in the driveway of their downtown Tulsa home on north Denver Avenue, then left it there from Jan. 9 to Feb. 7.

It was a challenge for the 27-year-olds: Could they survive without a car during a month when snow fell, ice covered the roads and temperatures plunged?

Yes, it turns out, they could. And they could document it, too. The Pickards blogged about their experiences at tulsaworld.com/carlessintulsa.

The challenge began as a way to avoid becoming cliches — the one that finds two young professionals driving miles to a gym, only to spend a half-hour riding stationary bikes.

Nathan Pickard didn't want that, so the internal auditor, who already rode his bike to work at City Hall, came up with the carless challenge. His plan included using saved gas money to pay for about $200 of warm clothing and bicycle gear. First, though, he had to convince his wife to join him.

Kristin Pickard is a physician's assistant at Oklahoma Oncology near St. John Medical Center. So, if she went along with her husband's idea, she would replace her eight-minute drive to work with a 25-minute bicycle ride. Nathan promised to escort his wife to work, and to meet her halfway for their ride home. Plus, they'd stick to riding on trails and through neighborhoods as much as possible.

Though Kristin initially figured the carless month was "maybe just a crazy idea," she couldn't really give her husband a valid excuse why they shouldn't do it.

Still, she had her reservations, which she blogged about a few days before the challenge began on Jan. 9.

"My hands and feet typically stay about 25 degrees below my body temperature anyway," she wrote, "so I'm not sure what is going to happen when I expose them to wind chills of -10 (degrees) while on a bike."

And she worried about how her ride to work would affect her appearance.

"Is my hair going to be all smushed down?" she wondered in the blog. "Am I going to have helmet hair? Is my makeup going to be all smudged from my face-mask?"

She finished that Jan. 7 blog post with a simple plea: "Cars. Please don't hit me. That's enough. I'm getting more nervous."

The first day of the challenge found the couple riding through patches of snow in 18-degree weather as they made a test ride to Oklahoma Oncology. It was cold and icy, but, as Kristin said, "We knew that if we did it in January, we could do it in any month."

Along the way, the couple didn't lose weight, but they put on more leg muscle. They also did their part to save the environment. Though Kristin said, "We're not fanatical environmental people, by any means." And her husband said, "We don't hook our bicycle up to our toaster, or anything."

Beyond the benefits of riding their bikes, a carless month offered a few obstacles, like how to carry their groceries home. But, eventually, Kristin Pickard realized she could stop by Petty's or the Med-X in Utica Square during lunchtime to buy a load of groceries small enough to fit in her backpack. Then her uncle provided an even better solution when he gave his niece a bicycle cart crafted from the remains of a wheelchair.

Looking back on the month, Nathan said, "We stayed under our grocery budget for the first time in several months." And his wife said, "You really focus on your consuming."

Often, family and friends came to the Pickards' house for visits, but the couple couldn't bring their church to them. So each Sunday morning, they started pedaling from downtown Tulsa at 8 a.m. to reach church near 51st Street and Harvard Avenue. They were sure to arrive early, so they could change clothes in the church bathroom.

By the final day of the challenge, Feb. 7, the couple had spent a month not only getting more exercise, but they also literally slowed down to enjoy the beauty of Tulsa and each other's company.

Nowadays, the couple occasionally rides to work. As far as giving up their car for another month, Nathan's already thinking about it.

"Naturally," he said, "I want to do it in August, which is the second-worst month of the year."

Will they blog about it?

A laughing Nathan sitting next to his wife at their dinner table said, "If I can convince her to do it."

We are still alive...

2010-05-12T15:25:00.002-05:00

Just in case you were concerned that maybe we'd been injured on our bikes.

I'm still riding my bike to work occasionallly. Not as often as I would like because of scheduling conflicts and rain and because I'm kind of a wimp. And sometimes just lazy. I don't like riding in the rain. (or tornadoes- that was my excuse the other day).

Nathan has been riding to work though. He's tough and doesn't melt in the rain.

This post is simply a public service announcement to encourage you to ride your own bike to work or school or anywhere. Bike-to-work week is celebrated next week! There's lots of cool stuff to do downtown before and after work. And it's free!

http://www.green-traveler.org/bike2work.htm

You know that Nathan and I won't miss the Cool Off party at Sound Pony. We'll definitely try to make it to the other events too. Hope to see you there!

I am a wimp...but it's really cold.

2010-03-03T09:39:00.005-06:00

My absence here can be explained by shame.

Shamed that I haven't faithfully rode my bike everyday since our 30-day challenge ended like I thought I would. Shamed that I'm such a wimp when it comes to cold. Shamed that I'm lazy and don't like to get out of bed to exercise.

Fortunately, winter seems to be leaving us finally. And I couldn't be happier. Few things are more motivating than knowing that it may actually reach 50 degrees outside when it's time to go home from work. I can get out of bed for that. What I can't get out of bed for is a wind chill of 15 degrees. That's downright painful.

I'm trying not to feel too bad about that after I read this article:

This winter ties for fifth-coldest in Tulsa

By ALTHEA PETERSON World Staff Writer Published: 3/1/2010 10:48 PM
This winter tied for the fifth-lowest temperatures for the season on record for
Tulsa, a National Weather Service meteorologist said.With an average temperature
of 34.9 degrees, Tulsa’s winter tied with the 2000-01 winter season’s
temperatures on city records that date back to 1905.
Although the vernal equinox occurs March 20, winter is already over, according to National Weather Service standards. The Weather Service defines the winter season as running from Dec. 1 through Feb. 28.Mark Plate, a meteorologist for the Weather Service, said cloudy skies caused by El Niño, and a lot of storms, caused the cooler weather.“It’s mainly been caused by a lot of Arctic air coming down from the north,” he said.
In addition to lower-than-normal temperatures, Tulsa also had 17.1 inches of snow during the three-month span. The normal snowfall for Tulsa winters is 9 inches. Tulsa also recorded 6.27 inches of rain, closer to the seasonal normal of 5.71 inches, Plate said.
What does this cold winter mean for the rest of 2010?
Other than March, which Plate said should still have below-normal temperatures,
it will be hard to predict based on the winter season alone.“When you get a
pattern, it will last two to three months, but things can change," he said. "At
this point, it’s hard to predict that far into the future.”

Spring is just around the corner. I can't wait.

Sometimes your blog thoughts end up in the local paper.

2010-02-18T19:11:00.004-06:00

A big thanks to Matt Gleason for the excellent article in the Tulsa World today. We chatted with Matt last week and had a fun time talking about our adventures last month. He was a nice guy.

We took pictures with a Tulsa World photographer a few days ago at Centennial Park, one of our favorite places to ride past. It was cold, of course, as it has been for the past 45 days. (Why was I expecting anything different?) We basically rode back and forth on our bikes a few times while he snapped some pictures.

Contrary to what the picture displays, we do actually enjoy riding our bikes. Nathan doesn't usually look that serious in real life. He forgot to smile.

Day 30+4.

2010-02-11T12:31:00.003-06:00

I was so proud of myself. We actually rode our bikes to work yesterday even though we weren't under some bizarre self-induced exercise torture/challenge. Yes, it was cold, arguably even bitter cold, in the morning but we stayed warm enough with an extra layer.

Now my advice to those of you who may be considering bike-commuting: If you happen to be like me- that is, a little on the lazy side when it comes to getting out of bed in the morning- it is best to make up your mind about riding the night before. Because if you are laying in a comfy bed under nice warm covers and know that it is several degrees below freezing outside, you basically have no chance of opting for the bike. The warm bed will always win in that argument.

Unless you have a spouse that loves to get up hours before the sun and is always in a great mood in the morning and is willing to pester you for at least 20 minutes to get out of bed and is always looking out for your best interest. Things actually get done around our house in the morning solely because of him.

I actually got some exercise yestereday only because of him. He's the greatest.

____________

In other news, we are honored to be nominated for a 2009 Okie blog award in the catergory of Best New Blog of 2009. I've just been tickled pink at what has come from this crazy idea of Nathan's.

We've had such a great time both completing our adventure and sharing about it here. We've learned quite a bit about biking, commuting, buses,walking and blogging. One of our favorite parts has just been taking in all of the beautiful sights that Tulsa has to offer.

But I'll tell you my favorite part of this whole shin-dig: I've really enjoyed being with my husband. I've loved our bike rides home together, talking about the day and just unwinding. I think it has helped us feel more like a team, helping us to solve problems together and to accomplish a common goal. I think he's just the greatest husband any girl could ask for.

So if you are an Oklahoma blogger, head over the the Okie blog awards to cast your vote by Sunday. If you've enjoyed our blog, then vote for us.

Day 30+2: Reentering the automotive world

2010-02-09T18:25:00.004-06:00

We drove to work the past two mornings. Yesterday because we were expecting up to 6 inches of snow during the day. Today we drove because it was just darn cold- 16 degrees.

I'm not going to lie- it was nice to be in a warm car. The sun was out today which would have made for a more pleasant ride but when the temperature dips below 20 degrees, bike riding can be plain painful. Mainly because my nose gets so stinking cold. cold nose= miserable ride.

I went to the grocery store after work. When you go to the grocery store with a car, you don't have to strategically plan what you need to buy. With a bike, you calculate the weight of the item along with the cost of the item. Then you see if there are any alternatives that would be lighter weight, cheaper and smaller. Space becomes a commodity. Typically, your grocery bill benefits from this planning.

Today, however, I found myself having to remember that I don't have to carry the potatoes or apples in my backpack and physically cart them home myself, making them a viable option for purchase. I bought laundry detergent without a worry and even 15 pound bags of dog food, a purchase we had been avoiding the whole month (my dogs have not been starved however- don't worry). All of this did not benefit my grocery bill, to my husband's dismay. Though secretly, he is glad to have all the food.

I tried to explain the exorbitant bill to Nathan. It went something along the lines of comparing myself to a post-Depression-era woman who is hoarding all the available food for fear that she may not be able to get it in the future.

He didn't really buy it. At least that's what he said as he enjoyed his favorite chips that I bought for him.

After two days of not riding my bike, I now feel kinda lazy. I'm ready for winter to make it's way north so I can have some nice days to ride.

Kristin

Savings Summary

2010-02-09T06:57:00.008-06:00

There is a great website for all kinds of alternative commuting: www.green-traveler.org. It matches you for carpools; tracks your biking, walking, busing; and then gives you a summary that tells you how great you are.

And according to them, we were pretty great last month. This is just my summary, Kristin's is still to come. So according to them I saved $200 bucks in car expenses.

Poll Results for "What keeps you from commuting by bicycle?"

2010-02-09T06:20:00.002-06:00

Thanks for joining in the poll everyone. The question was "What keeps you from commuting by bicycle?" The answers were:

- 3 - Have to use car during work hours

- 9 - Live greater than 4 miles from work

- 2 - No place to clean up at work

- 3 - Too dangerous in Tulsa

- 4 - Would take too much time

- 0 - Can't balance

- 0 - Afraid of dogs and/or people on trails

- 1 - Too lazy

- 7 - Other

I would like to ask those who do bike to work how they deal with these challenges. I know one commenter who goes by Cap definitely lives more than 4 miles away from work. He has an interesting blog at byk2wrk.blogspot.com and is clearly fearless about commuting by bicycle.

Day 30!

2010-02-07T17:33:00.004-06:00

We did it! I can't believe it. We are done with 30 days!

This has likely been the craziest thing I've ever done in my life.

This and marrying my obviously equally crazy husband.

Of course, our last day fell on a Sunday which meant one more 20-mile round-trip ride to church. Fortunately we had a new toy to lighten our load. Well, at least lighten my load and maybe just add to Nathan's load.

I have this uncle. He tinkers. He was basically the king of recycling and reusing materials long before it was fashionable. He has saved many treasures from a long painful death in the junkyard. He recently made a bike trailer from an old wheelchair, a milk crate and some scrap metal. Impressive.

We loaded up the trailer with my backpack and Nathan's bag of clothes for church. It connects to the bike essentially the same way as a children's cart does. This time, Nathan took his road bike so he was able to carry the cargo load. It fit all of our stuff in there pretty snuggly.

We stopped for lunch at Whole Foods on the way home and bought some milk and bread.

Here is my mom helping me get my groceries into the trailer. And making sure I was warm enough. Thanks, Mom.
Now, I'll admit, we did get a few strange stares and did quite a bit of head-turning as people realized that we actually were pulling part of a wheelchair behind a bike.

We are grown-up about it though. We can handle it. Heck, people have been looking at us funny all month. And it doesn't even matter how many weird looks I get as long as I don't have to shove a container of milk into my backpack.

It was actually one of the first times I've ridden without a backpack. I now realize how much that was hurting my back. It was so much more enjoyable without it.

As we were getting closer to our destination this morning, I asked Nathan what he thought of it, pulling some extra weight and all. I expected him to say something like "Well, it slows me down some," or "My legs are hurting pretty bad." Instead, he says "I think this trailer helps to even us out pretty well." Meaning "You're pretty slow. So having this extra 30 pounds behind me at least gives you a fighting chance of keeping up with me."
I tried not to take it too personally.
We are pretty pleased with my uncle's cart. Our only modification right now will be to tape up some of the metal pieces since it clangs around a bit.

But we are finished with our 30-day experiment. And just in the nick of time. Another snow storm is rolling into town tonight with another 3-6 inches of snow. And cold- more cold.

We'll be writing a few more posts over the next couple of days, drawing some conclusions about our adventure. We'll also be giving our muscles of few days off. And hoping our car actually starts in the morning.

Kristin

Day 28

2010-02-05T22:00:00.001-06:00

No drizzling today. No long trains. No ice on the ground.

Not much sun either but you can't ask for everything. Overall, a much better day for riding than yesterday.

We didn't write anything about Wednesday's ride to work this week. In retrospect, there probably shouldn't have been a ride actually. We figured since most of the snow and ice was gone that it would be safe to ride.

We didn't factor in that the temperature was hovering slightly below freezing and the weather man was saying something about "freezing fog." Whatever that is, apparently it is kind of dangerous.

Our first clue that we probably should be walking to the bus instead of being on our bikes was when we encountered some ice on our own driveway. All that melted snow leaves water around and that water had froze in places overnight. We were pretty cautious the whole way there, making our trek longer than usual.

We were almost to my office and passing through a parking lot. Nathan was going up a little incline to get onto the sidewalk when we both realized he was riding on ice. Just as he stopped and started to get off, his bike slipped out from under him and took him with it. It is such an awful site to watch someone fall and not be able to do anything about it. He landed on his backside but fortunately didn't hit his head. He was able to get up alright and just complained of a little wrist pain afterward but that resolved.

That's my side of the story. Maybe he'll share his version another time.

In other news, WE'RE ALMOST DONE WITH THE 30 DAYS!

Tonight we walked down to the Brady Arts District for the Brady Arts Crawl which happens on the first Friday of the month. We watched a glass blowing demonstration at the Tulsa Glassblowing Studio. We ventured down to Living Arts for the opening night of their modern quilting exhibit. Quite fascinating what someone can do with some fabric.

It was kind of chilly walking but we were pretty bundled up. We grabbed some food at Mexicali Cafe (where they might just have to best salsa in town). It felt good to walk a little after eating too much.

Rumor is that there are some big plans for the Brady Arts District which we are mostly excited about. Looks like it will make it a very walkable, bikeable community.

Day 27. Cold and wet

2010-02-04T19:57:00.005-06:00

Wow, kind of a rough day.

At least it was above freezing. That's always nice when it's drizzling and cold. Freezing rain is painful.

And at least is was just drizzling. It could have been a steady rain that got us REALLY wet.

I'm trying to be optimistic here. It's a lot easy to do in hind sight while I'm sitting in a warm dry house. Much more difficult to be in a good mood when I'm riding in the cold and wet. And when my glasses are fogging up from the inside and are all wet on the outside.

And when you run into a long train.

Actually two trains. Can you see one behind the other there?

One was going at a pretty good speed.

The other, however, was not.

And of course, the slow train is the long train.

Nathan knows this is going to be bad.

And I mean the longest train in the. whole. world.

We could not see the end of it.

I didn't know trains could get this long.

We tried to find our way around it by going over a few streets and taking a bridge across the tracks. A plan that sounds good while you are sitting, waiting, watching a long train, and getting wet.

The plan however does not sound good when you are trying to get through a construction zone on a bike (The OneOk baseball field is looking great, though!) and trying to ride on a tight sidewalk up a hill with cars on one side and left-over snow on the other side, and then trying to navigate through heavy downtown traffic.

Needless to say, I don't think we gained any time with our "shortcut."

We both arrived later to work than we anticipated, a little wetter and little wiser.

Lesson learned: Don't try to go around a train, no matter how long, unless you have a very simple alternative path. Trust me.

Biking to Work Advantage #1

2010-02-03T14:13:00.003-06:00

I'll be posting about my first bus experience soon, but until then I would like to share one of the little-known advantages of biking to work.

#1. I have kept some clothes at work, primarily pants, so I don't have to carry my whole outfit in my backpack everyday (fewer wrinkles, less weight in my bag). I have a few shirts here as well, mainly the ones I don't wear anywhere else. This comes in quite handy when you need a new pair of clothes during the day. Say, for instance, you spill coffee completely down the front of your cream-colored pants- then you have something different to change into, instead of being completely embarassed all day long with stains ALL over your pants.

You don't even want to see a picture with this one. It's embarassing.

Kristin

Day 25: Bus day #2

2010-02-03T11:10:00.007-06:00

I've never ridden a public bus before. ever.

I didn't even ride the school bus when I was a kid because I went to private school. And in high school, my sister drove me.

Therefore, I am somewhat frightened of buses- it is the Great Unknown.

Until this month- now I have conquered my fear of buses.

The ice and snow on the roads hadn't quite melted by Tuesday morning so we decided that we would again walk to the bus station and I would ride to work while Nathan walked five more blocks to his office.

Walking to downtown.

Monday was my first official bus ride though. I admit, I was nervous. After checking the bus number and times about 17 times, I was confident that I was boarding the correct bus. It was filled with all kinds of people from students to elderly working people and even a few homeless.

Thankfully the girl in front of me had demonstrated the proper way to pull the cord to request a stop then exit the back bus door. The bus dropped me off next to my office building just a few minutes after 8.

It was actually nice to relax and not worry about wrecking my car on a patch of ice (which I have done before, I'm capable). I was relieved to know that this trip on the bus was only going to cost me $1.50 with no risk of having to file an insurance claim or pay a deductible if I ran into someone else with my car.

Again, after checking the bus schedule 17 times, I boarded my bus to go home at 4:45. The bus was a few minutes late, causing me to be petrified that maybe I had missed it. (But I couldn't have missed it because I was at the bus stop about 13 minutes early- again scared that I would miss the bus and be stuck at work).

There's my bus...way down there. It's coming, eventually. The stop lights at 21st and Utica are painfully long and slow.

The bus was actually pretty crowded so I made my way to the back of the bus. I nearly slipped and fell as the bus driver was taking off combined with my wet boots and a slippery floor. The only seat available was one that had a litte bit of water on it, so I had to sit carefully.

I rode back to the downtown bus station where Nathan was waiting for me. We walked the mile home as he wrote about yesterday.

On Tuesday, my second ever bus day, our walk to the station was a little easier and faster since more snow had melted. We didn't have to dodge large piles of snow on the sidewalk. I boarded my bus without a problem. We had purchased a 10-ride pass at the bus station before the ice started, so I don't have to find change when I need to get on the bus- simply swipe my card. I have been surprised that some of the Tulsa Transit buses offer free Wi-Fi.

This day I was a little overly anxious about pulling the cord to request a stop. Usually the bus driver will stop after we go through an intersection to let someone off. I pulled the cord a tad early and that made the bus stop about a block and a half too soon. I felt like such an amateur. So I just got off the bus and started walking. I have so much to learn.

As we've mentioned before, one of the great things about not being in a car but rather going at a slower pace is that you notice details that you've never seen before.

I've passed this fountain a thousand times. It's beautiful especially at night.

But you know what I discovered today. It MOVES! Some of those metal pieces teeter back and forth with water on them! Who knew. I would never notice that just driving by because it moves too slowly.

A local businessman- also enjoying the fountain.

I've conquered my fear of buses.

The end.

Day 24 - 26 Degrees

2010-02-01T19:37:00.004-06:00

A beautiful day for walking.

We started out at 7:15 and walked south on Denver for a mile to the Denver Avenue Bus Station. It was a nice walk and we made it just before Kristin's bus came.

We didn't like how the snow plows pile all the snow up on our sidewalks. That made it a bit difficult to walk quickly.

Kristin got on this bus and I walked a few more blocks to work.

On our mile walk home we noticed for the first time that the original building of the Borden Dairy had some art deco influences.

We also noticed one of Tulsa's most disturbing signs.

I have always liked the modern architecture represented by the county jail.

We talked to this young man on our walk home. He asked us if he was walking the right direction to make it to Vinita. I hope he finds a warm place to stay the night. He said it is hard to have to walk everywhere and Kristin asked him if he knew how far he was going to have to walk in order to get to Vinita. He said he did.

And when we got home there was a surprise waiting on our front porch.

Day 23

2010-01-31T17:30:00.001-06:00

We decided to take the safe route to church. Instead of biking ten miles, we walked across the street to Centenary United Methodist. It was a hymn singing service because it was the fifth Sunday of the month (a tradition they have), and we took part in a potluck afterwards. Everyone was so friendly and kind. I think there were about twenty attending. It is a beautiful church in our neighborhood with an aging congregation but a wonderful pastor who always gives our neighborhood association whatever we need and is super helpful. Our neighborhood meets in one of their rooms every month.

The pastor said that our neighborhood association reminds him of what a church ought to be - a bunch of people meeting together and helping each other out and just taking care of one another. We do live in one of the greatest neighborhoods in America.

We also have one of the best websites in Tulsa.

I took this picture out of our upstairs bedroom window.

Day 22 - Study Day

2010-01-31T17:14:00.007-06:00

Saturday was cold. Real cold. And just plain icy. As we've discussed before, bikes and ice just don't mix well. Cars and ice don't mix well either, so we felt justified in just staying home all day. It was a great chance to get caught up on cleaning, organizing, taxes, laundry, as well as sharpening my skills for the road.

Since the content is quite relevant now, I basically have devoured this book, Urban Bikers Tricks and Tip by Dave Glowacz. Nathan is the more seasoned biker around here so I've had some catching up to do.

I've learned some great tips about handling trouble I could encounter on the road.

Some are very practical:

- How to fix a flat tire. I learned that I can just patch a tire tube and not have to replace the whole tube if the hole is less than the size of a pinhole. Does that ever happen?

- The best way to lock my bike up so it doesn't get stolen. (one of my great fears in life)

- How to not get hit while riding next to cars. (Also one of my great fears in life)

- How to cross railroad tracks safely by going across them at a right angle.

- How to be visible while riding at night.

- How to rub a cut potato on your glasses to keep them from fogging up. (We tried this; it didn't seem to help)

- How to prevent helmet hair by #1) weaing a bandanna or scarf under your helmet or #2) getting a perm. No way on God's green earth am I going to get a perm.

Some information I will hopefully never have to use:

- How to ride up and down stairs. That sounds like a stupid idea.

- How to treat a bad scrape- by picking out any glass and debris then scrubbing it well. Yuck...

- How to dress for rain, cold and snow. Oh wait, I unfortunately already know how to do that.

- Managing to wear long dresses or skirts on your bike commute by tucking the bottom into a belt. Obviously, this book is written by a man. That's all I have to say.

He also has tips for the advanced or "sly" riders. I can't condone any of these.

- How to go through yellow lights

- How to "skitch" a ride from a vehicle by grabbing onto part of the car and letting it pull you up a hill or through wind. (Mom, I promise I won't ever do this)

- Handling conflict with motorists by throwing water in their face and hitting their windshield in a particular spot that would possibly shatter it. Also he describes how to run away from a car that is chasing you after you do those things.

So much information, so little time. I'm learning so much these days. Of course, the most ingrained lessons are those I'm learning from the School of Hard Knocks.

- Watch out for the asphalt chunks next to the potholes. Those will get'cha too.

- Always bike with someone who can change a flat. It's a long way home walking.

- There is an amazing difference between 20 degrees and 35 degrees. Either your fingers can fall off or not.

Kristin

Poll Results for "Are you required to use your car at work?"

2010-01-31T07:33:00.006-06:00

Thanks for joining in on the poll everyone. The question was, "Are you required to use your own car at work?" The answers were:

- 3 - "Yes, at least once a week."

- 4 - "Yes, at least three days a week."

- 3 - "Yes, never sure what day I will need it."

- 13 - "No, I would consider other forms of transportation."

- 3 - "No, but I want to drive to work anyway."

Out of 26 respondents, fifty percent are not required to use their car for work and would consider other forms of transportation. So my next question is, "What is keeping you from using a bicycle to commute to work?"

Most Efficient form of Transportation

2010-01-30T21:21:00.007-06:00

That would be... the bicycle. Just how efficient is it? Well, Robert Hurst has a whole section describing how they come up with the following calculation, but for time's sake let's cut to the chase:

Comparing gasoline's kilocalories to the range consumed in exercise, we find that a bicyclist could easily achieve the equivalent of one thousand miles per gallon, even at a relatively brisk pace.

So there it is - 1,000 miles per gallon. That is pretty darn efficient. The nice thing is that most of us, with our super sized meal portions, already consume enough energy to transport us to our daily destinations. So you really don't have to plan on upping your grocery budget. Our grocery budget panned out quite nicely for the month of January according to our month end financials (not yet audited).

Even when the Prius evolves into a fully electric plug-in green machine, weaned from the petroleum teat, driving it will still be inordinately consumptive of energy and tremendously inefficient compared to riding a bicycle. Conversely, the bicycle-and rider amplifies the human engine's power with levers and gears and wheels, while adding very little extra weight. Human legs that pack only a tiny fraction of the Prius's punch still have more than enough to move the bicycle-and-rider at speed.

He goes on to write that biking is four times as efficient as walking. I don't know if he is taking hills and wind into consideration on that one. I can actually visualize an efficiency gauge on our handlebars (like the gauge in a hybrid) plummeting as we are riding into that north wind.

Nothing--not commuter rail, biofuel buses, Prii, or pedestrians--can approach the efficiency of the bicycle. Bicycling stands completely above other transportation modes in that regard.

So next time you see that goofy little smart car, just remember that the smug little driver is not as smart as he or she might think. There is a smug little cyclist out there somewhere who is way smarter in the end.

Day 21 - Nate's Report

2010-01-30T07:13:00.009-06:00

Last night we were feeling the cabin fever and needed to escape. We called up some of our favorite neighbors and they wanted to walk to the Brady District with us.

Brady Heights neighborhood is just north of downtown and is within walking distance to many great things like the Cains, John 3:16 Homeless Shelter, and the jail. Being close to the jail is really a benefit. You know how when you get booked for the night and they let you out at 2 am with no way to get a ride. Well, it sure helps if you can just lace up your walking shoes and take a little short walk to your nice warm bed. Everyone should live close to the jail in my opinion.

We walked south on Boulder under the I-244 overpass to the Brady District. It was unusually quiet. No shady business going on and not even very many cars traveling the highway above us.

As we were approaching Cains, we were surprised to see a whole lot of teenagers who still came to watch the Eli Young Band. There was a giant sea of plaid before us as far as the eye could see. We decided to patronize the Crystal Pistol Saloon next to Cains. It was quiet and cozy and they still have the cheapest Guinness in town.

Hunger struck at some point and there is a great place to get late night food - the Hunt Club Pub and Grub. If you have never been there, you should check it out. There are more dead animals on the walls than there are back in their kitchen, but the tasty ones are definitely back in their kitchen. It was nice to be able to walk home and not have to worry about destroying our car or someone else's. We just had to make sure we didn't twist an ankle or get attacked by the abominable snowman.

- Nate

Day 21- Walking

2010-01-29T17:18:00.003-06:00

Some days you are just so much more grateful for the little things in life- like electricity. I was so relieved to wake up and still see that my cell phone was charging. Despite our ice-covered power lines, we still have power. It was beautiful.

Thankfully, neither Nathan or I had to go to work today. Our friend Casey who has been solely biking for over a year now says that the physics of biking are not compatible with ice. At least that's what I heard- Nathan doesn't remember that. I think that is at least true if you don't have studs on your tires.

Either way, it's not too safe out there in the roads whether you are in a car or on a bike, so we stayed in for the day, except for a little trip down the street to Nathan's brother's house. We bundled up for the five block walk and were glad that we had our rain-proof biking pants to wear in the snow.

There is at least a quarter inch of ice on everything and snow was falling. It was amazingly quiet on our typically busy street. A great day for walking.

It's so nice to have winter weather that's not incredibly destructive.

It didn't look nearly as bad as the ice storm two years ago.

I'm afraid our little car is feeling neglected. We don't feel sorry for it though.

Nathan is practically waterproof.

And I'm thankful for a day to rest my muscles. They were getting pretty weary.

Kristin

Day 20

2010-01-28T18:41:00.005-06:00

We woke up this morning prepared for the worst but, as Nathan said, "it was as dry as a bone." No rain, no sleet, no freezing rain and no snow. We were completely ready to take the bus to work. But the cloudless sky was just begging us to ride our bikes into work. How could we not continue on this crazy challenge of ours if the weather was perfectly fine out there now?

At least that's what Nathan said.

I, on the other hand, I was thinking that surely just as soon as I popped my head out the door, the freezing rain would start.

I was also thinking how great it would be just to stay in bed all morning. But I knew that sadly wasn't an option.

The radar was completely clear and the precipitation wouldn't be around for another few hours. So we packed up and headed out, but not without an extra layer. I arrived at work a little late and actually a little hot from the extra layer.

The rain/sleet/freezing rain started slowly about noon. I was planning on taking the bus home but was able to leave while the rain wasn't too heavy. And because I have the best boss in the world, I was able to head home after I had finished all my work for the day. Fortunately, no one else wanted to come in for a doctor's appointment after the rain started. So I packed up and left about 12:45. But this time without my extra layer, which I would later regret.

As I have been learning this month, there is a first time for everything.

- First time to ride in rain

- First time to ride more than 10 miles

- First time to balance three bags of groceries on my handlebars

- First time to hit a piece of asphalt in the dark and fall on your bike and be bruised for two weeks (yes, large bruise on my leg is still very much there)

- First time to accumulate freezing rain on your gloves

- First time to freeze a helmet but still remain amazingly dry.

- First time to think that I really might be just a little bit crazy. My husband, however, is truly crazy- I have no doubt about that. This was all his idea.
But we are now home safe and sound and hopefully not leaving for some time. The ice is beginning to accumulate on the trees and streets and, unfortunately, powerlines. Just another one of life's adventures.
Kristin

Health Benefits of Biking Outweigh the Risks

2010-01-28T17:42:00.009-06:00

Cycling provides efficient transportation while giving us exercise that is critical to human health. In The Cyclist's Manifesto, Robert Hurst writes that even when accounting for the extra danger of cycling as opposed to driving, the bicycle is still safer than a sedentary lifestyle.

A British researcher, Mayer Hillman, found the health benefits of bicycling to outweigh the much celebrated risks by twenty to one. Researchers studying a group of factory workers found that the regular bicyclists among them were as fit, on average, as non-bicycling factory workers who were ten years younger. What it comes down to is this: If you exercise, you're much less likely to get some horrible disease or have a heart attack and die. And bicycling is good exercise.

Kristin and I have exercised more over the last 20 days than we have in the past 6 months. We tried many different ways to get exercise, but we never stuck with any of them because they were outside the norm of our everyday lives. Exercising for a purpose makes a huge difference. Compare riding a bike on a dinner outing with running on a treadmill and going nowhere.

Hurst makes the argument that exercise also helps mental health. He quotes from Dr. Paul Dudley White, who cared for President Ike after his heart attack.

Physical fitness includes the health of the brain... physical labor is one of the best antidotes, perhaps the best, for emotional stress or mental fatigue.

So all you basket-cases out there can go to your local bike shop and find a little freedom from what ails you. I know several people who say that if they don't get any exercise during the week, depression is sure to follow so I guess this doc is right.

In conclusion, Hurst says,

The consequences of not exercising are far more dire than the consequences of bicycling in traffic. America has been going downhill. The citizens are working harder and longer, and off hours are more likely to be spent in front of a television or computer screen, scarfing Cheetos. Obesity is epidemic. Spare tires have grown in an inverse relationship to spare time. This presents a dilemma, but thankfully one with an easy solution. If you need to exercise, and you need to get around, why not do both at the same time.

Day 19. 11 possibly very cold days left

2010-01-27T20:24:00.007-06:00

Did we say 30 consecutive days?

I don't remember writing that anywhere on this blog.

If there is anything that may put a little damper on this 30 day challenge, it would be The Ice Storm of 2010. There are no weeks of my life more embedded in my mind than the Ice Storm of 2007. And none that I would like more to forget than that week.

But just so we won't forget, here's a few reminders.

This is not supposed to look like a Christmas tree. It's supposed to look like an oak tree.
Plants are resilient though. These little suckers actually popped back up and did great the next year.
Everything. covered. in. ice.

No damage to the old rusty truck. That tree just tore everything else up including the neighbors power line. And that is our power line at the top of the picture- not where it should be.

Apparently, there is something called the Ice Index and Tulsa is going to be in the "4" zone tomorrow and Friday. That's 4 out of 5. Keep in mind that 5 is the black zone, meaning you're-not-going-anywhere, you-have-no-power-for- 2-weeks.

I promise if we have to drive our car to save our lives anytime in the next 5 days, we'll tack that day on the the end of the challenge. Deal? I haven't run this by Nathan but I'm sure he'll understand.

Any advise from all you seasoned commuters?

Kristin

Day 18- Am I crazy?

2010-01-27T06:00:00.002-06:00

That's the question I've been asking myself over the past 24 hours.

Thursday, January 28

Tulsa, OK
	Hi: 27
	Lo: 34
	Ice/Snow
Sunrise: 7:28 AM Sunset: 5:45 PM

A major winter storm is possible with significant accumulating ice and snow. Temperatures will fall into the 20s by Thursday afternoon/evening and lower 20s Thursday night. Wintry precipitation is possible Thursday through the evening/overnight hours. Significant travel problems will likely occur from late Thursday through the day Friday.

Wind: NE 15-25 mph

Friday, January 29

Tulsa, OK
	Hi: 24
	Lo: 20
	Snow
Sunrise: 7:27 AM Sunset: 5:46 PM

Snow likely during the morning hours before ending from west to east late in the day. Gusty northerly winds, wind chill values likely in the single digits.

What the heck have I got myself into?

Ironically, I absolutely hate the cold. As mentioned before, my hands basically reach frigid temperatures for most of the winter months. Ask my patients- they hate it too. And funny enough, sometimes on our bike ride, my hands become warmer than they have been all day inside.

In preparation, we will probably be taking the bus when the winter storm rolls through to see if we can actually go carless for a month.

That is, if I can figure out how to read a bus map.

Have you ever looked at one of those things? It took me 15 minutes to figure out which buses to take and another 15 minutes to figure out what time to be there. Not that it is that difficult but it just takes quite a bit of concentration.

I have a Master's degree and figuring out my bus schedule almost got the best of me. Not for the faint of heart, folks.

Today, we rewarded ourselves for making it this far in our challenge by again stopping by Sound Pony, the local bar just a few blocks from our house and on our path home. We enjoyed their Happy Hour specials which includes free hot dogs. Mmm, nothing like a free hot dog to finish out a nice healthy day of bikeriding.

Kristin

The Bicycle is Loaded - Filed under the big L

2010-01-26T20:38:00.001-06:00

Robert Hurst said that the bicycle has always been associated with different causes.

At various times the bicycle has been intimately associated with women's liberation, white power, political sneakiness, Asian communism, sabotage and spying and other rebel mischief, the Viet Cong, European socialism, illegal immigrants, serial drunk drivers, anarchy, privilege, anti-car fanaticism, and multiple manifestations of youthful antiestablishment activism. The mishmash of historical symbolism is now woven into the collective subconscious of the nation. The bicycle is loaded.

He also says it tends to carry the big L for "liberal, leftist, loon".

...bicycling is in fact the most conservative of all vehicles--using one man's definition of conservative anyway... In transportation, there's nothing more conservative than traveling under your own power. This is the transportation version of living within one's means, the guiding directive of the fiscal conservative.

The interesting problem is that every time we brand the bicycle, Hurst says some segment will become alienated from it.

Every time bicycling becomes associated with another cause, whether it be legit or wacko, right or left, more people are alienated from it than attracted to it.

So that is why Kristin and I are here to blog about biking. We are none of the things listed in the first quote. We are just a young couple that wants an enjoyable and peaceful way to get places that keeps us healthy and having fun. We are not extreme people, just the couple next door that is tired of sitting around all the time and the bike seemed like a good out.

Day 17- Figuring out grocery shopping

2010-01-25T21:07:00.003-06:00

Recently, my uncle passed this idea on to us about how to transport groceries. Nathan is trying to work out the logistics of how we could manufacture this bike, but we are just not sure it's going to work out.

We would probably have to steal a grocery cart somehow. Steering might also be a challenge.

Instead we borrowed a buggy for transporting kids.

It didn't attach well to Nathan's bike so I got the privilege.

We headed over to Braum's to stock up on groceries since it's gonna get cold soon. Real cold.

We didn't hold back.

I started to get nervous about my job of taking all these things home. Milk is heavy...

It fit! Five bags of groceries!! All in that cute little cart.

Needless to say, it was heavy. We didn't choose the easiest route home but it was probably the safest. Owen Park neighborhood has some pretty steep hills. And we were tired. I tried to start up it and I gave it a good effort but ultimately, the hill won. We walked up. But Nathan was sweet, of course, and he walked my bike with the load of groceries up the hill, while I walked his bike.

My legs are rebelling now from the work they had to do. I'm afraid they may not cooperate tomorrow.

But rest assured, we will not starve to death if ice and snow and another arctic front comes through.

A kids's trailer may be the best option for cargo loads. Cars seem to be a bit more careful around us, thinking we are actually carrying children. Nathan was a bit worried someone would call DHS on us for taking kids out in the freezing cold. One man walking commented, "That's a good way to put your kids to sleep." We didn't tell him it was just groceries. Hopefully he doesn't put his kids in a refrigerator to get them to sleep.

Kristin

Day 16

2010-01-24T17:29:00.008-06:00

Holy cow- North wind. I hate you.

And I love you too because you pushed me all the way to church this morning. But you made my ride home absolutely miserable.

I actually had to pedal down some hills because the wind gusts were so strong. Ridiculous.

I'll be honest- not to discourage anyone from riding or attempting to commute on a bike- but riding into the wind felt like I was torturing myself. Plus the fact that my legs were still pretty darn tired even after a decent rest yesterday. I secretly had thoughts that I might never get on a bike after this month was over, but those were fleeting. It was a sunny day and that helped the pain a little bit.

Nathan was so encouraging and tried so hard to get my mind off how hard it was to come home. You should be jealous because I have the best husband in the whole world. The other day he said that one of his favorite things about this 30 day challenge is being able to spend some quality time with his wife. Isn't that the sweetest thing you've ever heard?

Kristin

Day 15 - Cycling to Elote

2010-01-24T10:39:00.000-06:00

Last night, we met some of our best friends at the local Fresh-Mex restaurant Elote. Elote has some of the freshest local sourced food in town and has a great downtown restaurant atmosphere. It reminds me of the little restaurants in Seattle.

We came in with all our bike gear. It was a little strange to have all our gear for just a little ride downtown, but we are both a little paranoid about flat tires so we bring a pump and tools and tubes with us wherever we go.

Our waiter was a very nice guy who noticed our cycling gear and we got to talking and found out that he bikes to work at Elote from 51st and Peoria. No short ride. We also found out that he is good friends with Casey. We met with Casey as we were gearing up for our little adventure. He was a friend of some friends and he has been carless for a year and a half. It really helped to talk to him and to be reassured that normal people can bike through Tulsa's winters.

Day 15 - Half way there

2010-01-23T13:17:00.003-06:00

We made it past two weeks. Yee haw. Nothin to it.

Week one summary:

We decided that the first week was the longest week of our lives. Something strange happened and we cant really put our finger on it. Something about the pace of our life slowed way down. After work we used to rush home and start the life portion of our work-to-life ratio. Now we meet each other on the trail and ride home slowly talking about things and just looking at the scenery. It was like our body needed to adjust to not being able to fly down the freeway and get wherever we needed to go within five minutes.

Kristin is waking up much earlier than she previously did so that might play into the change she was experiencing. She is having to adjust her sleep schedule in order to try for seven or eight hours of sleep a night. I had to adjust to working five day weeks. I previously worked four ten-hour days. But I switched so I could accompany Kristin to work and back every day. Who would ever want to work five days a week? That is all I have to say about that.

Plus, we were both physically tired. Extremely tired. This is more exercise than we've had in a long time. It felt good to be sore, but the physical exhaustion plays a toll.

Week two:

Feeling better. I think we adjusted to the pace of life. Everything seems more peaceful and enjoyable with this pace of life. I think about things a lot more, rather than just running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Now, if I could just get rid of this blog :)

Physically, we have noticed some positive changes like rock hard thighs. I almost busted the thighs out of my jeans when I flexed on accident. We didn't get tired until Friday this week. We are enjoying our Saturday off to hopefully be rejuvenated for the long ride to church in the morning.

I am getting used to working five days a week - not really - I hate it. And Kristin will never adjust to waking up before the sun wakes up.

Bicycle caused the automobile - automobile caused lethargic living

2010-01-23T11:37:00.008-06:00

According to Hiram Maxim, one of the first inventors of the automobile, the bicycle created a demand for independent travel (instead of train) without the horse. But then the demand went wild and bicycle manufacturers started throwing gas engines on the things and the rest is history. So all us fuel burning lovers have the bicycle to thank for our addictions.

We have had the steam-engine for over a century. We could have built steam vehicles in 1880, or indeed in 1870. But we did not. We waited until 1895. The reason why we did not build mechanical road vehicles before this, in my opinion, was because the bicycle had not yet come in numbers and had not directed men's minds to the possibilities of independent, long-distance travel over the ordinary highway. We thought the railroad was good enough. The bicycle created a new demand which it was beyond the ability of the railroads to supply. Then it came about that the bicycle could not satisfy the demand which it had created.

It is interesting that at the end of his life he was kind of sad about the beast he created.

There is one thing which I regret. It is that the thrill I experienced when I rode my bicycle from Salem to Lynn that summer night in the long ago has gone.

He then goes on to tell about how he dreamed of a machine that will take you anywhere without using any human energy and how he was left dissatisfied with the realization of his dreams.

I used to dream of skimming over the country highways, up hill and down dale, with no effort except that of steering. Today the ability to do this is taken for granted; a motor trip has become as prosaic as a ride in a railroad train. All the hopes and ambitions of 1893 have been realized; but with their realization the sparkle and the thrill have departed.

Robert Hurst ends his book with a request.

What I'm saying is do more of your traveling in a mode that adds life rather than takes it away. Whatever mode you choose, make sure it gets you where you need to go in good time, but also choose a mode that makes you stronger and happier, that makes your soul smile and your spirit fly. If you can find a way to add some adventure to a mundane daily commute, I suggest you do that. Life is too short, my friends.

Day 14- 16 days to go

2010-01-22T18:26:00.009-06:00

We are getting tired.

I'll just be honest about that.

But we are still enjoying being out in the city and seeing things that we would never see if we stayed in a car.

Like this tree outside of a restaurant that is completely covered in teenager's signature. Poor tree.

The beautiful display of flowers outside a flower shop on a nice day

The crazy details of the Utica Square clock. kinda creepy, huh?

All completely worth it, don't you think?

Kristin

Day 13

2010-01-21T22:07:00.002-06:00

Not much exciting going on here today. And, when you are biking everywhere, that can definitely be a good thing.

That means no flat tires, no close calls, no need to go buy new bike supplies, no dogs...well, no dog attacks.

We did see the dogs again that chased after us the other day. We headed back to the Pearl Gallery since they are open till 7 on Thursday. We sat and observed the dogs for a while before heading down the street. I think they kind of saw us but, since we weren't moving, they got bored and walked away. We were able to ride by easily but now we clearly understand that 3rd street, just west of Peoria, belongs to those dogs. You've been warned.

We had a great time at the Pearl Gallery. We felt very welcome there and we got to look all around. We got to see some of Celeste Vaught's paintings from her Tulsa Brick by Brick series. They were gorgeous. I loved the painting of the Warehouse Market and Nathan liked the one of Claude's hamburgers.

We are still pretty fortunate to be enjoying good weather in January. Somehow I feel like I'm cheating since it really hasn't been that cold over the past week. I just checked the forecast though and I might just be kicking myself for saying that next week.

Day 12- Deflated

2010-01-20T21:19:00.004-06:00

I have a gift.

I can find invisible sharp objects on the road, ride directly over them and flatten a bike tire in seconds.

Flat tire #2 for me in 12 days.

This time we inserted "Mr. Tuffy."

It's a tough strip that goes into the tire that hopefully prevents sharp objects from penetrating the tube. At least that is what the package claims.

Fortunately, I married a man with a gift that compliments mine. I flatten tires. He changes them.

We're a great team like that. I realized my tire was flat as I was strapping my helmet on to come home tonight. Fortunately, Nathan was on his way toward me already. He had a tube for my bike in his bag as well as the pump. I went with my flat-tire bike on a short walk to Tom's, a local bike store. We were going to stop there anyway on the way home but now we definitely needed another spare tube for the next time I blow out my tire (unless Mr. Tuffy comes through for us).

We changed the tube without any problems and we're home by dusk. Starving, but nonetheless safe and sound.

In case you are wondering- I haven't written about my first flat tire which was on Day 7. We were riding through downtown on the way to the grocery store after work. I wedged a small, extremely sharp piece of glass into my tire and it was flat instantly. At first I thought that we were just riding over some pretty big ruts in the sidewalk. But then I realized that I had my first ever flat tire.

Nathan, again, saved the day. Though I think, by now, I could change a tire by myself if I had too.

Kristin

Day 11- mild rain.

2010-01-19T22:27:00.007-06:00

We ran into just a little bit of rain on the way home today. I was riding pretty fast to try to meet Nathan and it started sprinkling about half way home. I met up with him at Centennial Park on 6th street- which, if you haven't visited that new park, is just a beautiful place and one of my favorite places to ride through. The pond is very pretty and the landscaping is wonderful in every season.

Just as we were getting into downtown, it started raining a little bit. Fortunately, it wasn't one of those horrible downpours that can happen in Oklahoma. Just some steady rain to keep us on our toes. My helmet kept most of it our of my eyes and my rain pants and jacket did a darn good job of keeping me pretty dry.

We made it through the rain fairly quickly and as we were coming into our neighborhood it stopped. I was surprised how painless it was.

Rain has been a fear of mine during this 30 day challenge. Nothing I hate more than being wet and cold. But it was a very mild day and the rain wasn't horrible, so feel like I've gotten my feet wet a bit and will be able to handle the next one. Which may certainly be tomorrow. shoot...

And now just for kicks, here is yesterday morning's gorgeous sunrise. This is one of those things I'm enjoying now since I'm actually out of the house early enough to see them.

Kristin

Day 10 - Dogs

2010-01-18T21:57:00.009-06:00

Our dog story starts off with me on my way to meet Kristin after work. I was riding down third street to the entrance of the Midland Valley Trail. As I was riding, this gentlemen yelled at me from the other side of the road to watch out for the dogs. He thought I was continuing on down third street. I could see the dogs in the distance and they looked none to friendly, but luckily I was turning onto the trail and didn't have to worry about them.

Unfortunately, I did not remember the stern dog warning as we were headed back home. We decided we wanted to stop by the Pearl Arts Gallery and see Celeste Vaught's work in person. We love what she is doing with her Tulsa Brick x Brick series. So instead of turning west at third we turned east.

Soon did we encounter two ravenous dogs that were hungry for legs spinning on the rotisserie. I yelled at them as loud and as mean as I could and they seemed to drop back, but then I looked again, and they were back on Kristin's tail. So I yelled again louder and they dropped back. We escaped unscathed.

Unfortunately, the gallery was closed on Mondays so we had to quickly return from whence we came. At this point of the story is something I am ashamed to tell you. We were talking about a game plan to make it back past these dogs. As we were talking a biker passed us. For some weird reason we watched him go by without warning him of the peril ahead of him.

Even as I write this the guilt is welling up. This poor biker proceeded on by us as if the world were his for the taking. He was plenty shocked by the ravenous dogs as he swerved to and fro and yelled and a car behind him honked as it nearly hit one of the dogs or the biker or both. The dogs did not hurt him, but we are so ashamed that we didn't warn a fellow biker on the road.

We made our escape down a road just east of Youth Services of Tulsa as the dogs were coming back from their last attack. They saw us but were too late to make the kill.

So biker man who we didn't warn, if you are out there, please forgive us for what we have done. We will do better next time.

Lesson learned: Always tell your fellow bikers of dangers that are up ahead.

Lesson learned:
How to deal with dogs:
I have been dealing with stray packs of dogs in my neighborhood for a few years of commuting by bicycle. Here are a few tips I have learned along the way.

1. Don't try to kick them if they are on your heels. They will grab your foot and it is going to be an ugly bike wreck.

2. You can't outride even the smallest of dogs.

3. As soon as you ride past them you are prey running in fear and the chase is on.

4. If they get that look in their eyes like they are seeing a giant hamburger, get off the bike immediately, turn the bike sideways in front of you, and start yelling at them as aggressively as you can. You look pretty huge to a dog when your bike is turned sideways.

5. Carry a can of mace on your bike and you will be bullet proof. I have never had to resort to spraying my mace because they always freak out from the sideways bike and the aggressive confrontation, but it is comforting to know it's there if I need it.

Cycling requires skills

2010-01-18T13:58:00.001-06:00

Frances Willard, leader of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and crusader against inebriation was speaking about herself learning to ride a bike as well as her injuries due to the learning process.

It let me out into a new world, greater, more mellow, more god-like, and it did me no harm at all.

Robert Hurst deals with the dangers of cycling in his book "The Bicyclist's Manifesto,"

The same feature that leads to a glorious sense of flight when everything is going well also causes the occasional topple when trouble arises… Those who really love to ride don’t like that fact about bicycling, but they won’t denounce the trade-off. They know there is no other way. Freedom, as they say, is not free… Bicycling demands coordination, fluidity of motion, and quickness of reflexes far beyond what is necessary for driving.

He goes on to list some of the things bicyclists must consider.

Bicyclists must contend with a large number of factors that drivers don’t need to consider, in particular many different types of road damage, debris, and surface anomalies. You can smack into a little pothole when you’re not ready for it and crash. Go around a corner too fast and wipe out on some sand. Wet railroad tracks become treacherous obstacles. Seemingly tiny cracks can displace the front wheel.

I would add to the list front wheels falling off randomly. When I was in college, I was riding down a bike trail and my front wheel just decided it didn't want to hang around anymore. My front fork dug into the asphalt and flipped me headfirst into the unforgiving pavement. I woke up in the ambulance some time later and spent some time in the hospital for trauma to the head. I broke my helmet in half and skinned myself pretty good. After a few weeks, I was fully recuperated and amazingly I still ride the same bike today with the same mutinous wheel (however, I do have a new front fork).

Lesson learned: Tighten the heck out of your quick releases for your wheels and check them often.

The truth of the matter is that there are dangers all throughout this life and if you put yourself in a bubble so you can feel safe, life isn't really worth living. Hurst says,

It is an undeniable truth that the bicyclist is more vulnerable to injury than the driver, but it is not reasonable to be paranoid about bicycling in traffic and then to climb into an auto without a second thought.

Truth.

2010-01-18T13:01:00.008-06:00

Well, I would feel dishonest if I didn't share about my little fall last night.

If we are really trying to portray what life is like riding around on bikes, we should probably talk about both the ups and (literally) downs of this lifestyle. It's only fair. But there will be no pictures of my bruised limbs, rest assured.

We were riding just a few blocks down the street last night for dinner at a neighbor's house. If there is anything we have riden numerous times, it is this path to our friend's house. I'm sure I could practically ride there with my eyes closed- though clearly, with last night evidence, I should not be doing that.

I'll blame the recent cold weather and numeous freezes and refreezes as well as the relative lack of light along this particular block. I'm not really sure what exactly happened, though I remember identifying the pothole on my left. Then I looked straight in front of me and saw something large and black on the street. My last thought before I hit the object was "That mostly looks like a rock."

It actually was a 5 inch piece of asphalt that must have come from the pothole. I hit it straight on and my bike kind of teetered side to side before I fell straight over, hitting my right knee and then my left elbow, and narrowly avoiding scraping up my face. I also ended up with a large bruise on my right leg and I think that's where my handle bar must have hit.

Mom- don't worry, I'll never do that again.

Just a little bruised up today but otherwise pretty functional. I was a bit sore riding in to work today and we took it just a little bit slower.

We'll be getting a brighter light for our bikes today so next time I will be able to identify the rock a bit sooner and spare myself some bruises.

I know there are safety risks when bike riding, but there are also inherent risks with any mode of transportation. When I drive to work, I have to cross fours lanes on a highway within about seven seconds to make it to my exit. I merge four different times on three highways within about four minutes to go to work, while I'm passed by cars going 65 mph. Danger is everywhere, you know. Just be careful out there.

Day 9- I'm exhausted.

2010-01-17T18:15:00.005-06:00

Talk about a long day of biking.
We left the house about 8 AM to be at church on time. (And to attempt to look presentable by the time it started at 9:15.) If the estimate is correct, Google Maps says that we rode 9.5 miles. We pulled into the parking lot and had locked up our bikes by 8:53. It was a bit chillier than I had expected and the sun was no where to be found this morning. But it was a very peaceful ride down Riverside. I've never seen the river so smooth. The geese were out and making some noise. There are some beautiful places in Tulsa and we've enjoyed seeing them at a slower pace this week.

We met my parents for lunch at Whole Foods. I was so proud of my mom for not worrying about us too much. I know this hasn't been easy on her. We enjoyed a nice lunch and it was a nice break in the ride home.

Nathan's bike resting at Whole Foods where the sun decided to come out finally.

His shoes are stuffed into that left side pocket

We stopped at Braums on the way home for a few groceries (again.)

We've noticed that our grocery spending has gone up a bit this past week.

We've been so hungry the past few days. I guess you have to buy "fuel" whichever way you get around town.

Nathan was kind and carried the milk home. I've noticed that some of my grocery decisions are starting to be made on how heavy the item is. I just couldn't bring myself to buy potatoes.

We are working on a better solution for transporting groceries. Small trips quite often make for very tired bikers. I need a little basket on my bike or something. Nathan is brainstorming as we speak.

Thanks, Braum's, for letting me double bag my groceries to make sure they all got home safely. And to the four people behind me in line, thanks for waiting while the checkout lady awkwardly tried to double bag my stuff.
- KRISTIN

Aliens on Two Wheels

2010-01-17T17:00:00.010-06:00

I am enjoying a section in "The Cyclist's Manifesto" titled The Bicyclist's Costume. Robert Hurst starts out by using a quote from an 1895 article about what bicyclists should not do:

Don't wear a clown's costume. It inspires facetious comment.

He goes on to prove that throughout the history of the bicycle, goofy costumes were never far behind. He calls the helmet an insect-head-like thing, biking an excuse for leg shavers everywhere. The spandex and lycra and crazy colors he says constitute an alien being.

Some go so far as to say they would never ride without their bike clothes... But a lot of the people making these claims have never really tried to ride in their normal clothes... How many folks want to dress up like a shiny superhero when they go about their daily business? The mistaken assumption that such a costume is necessary equipment remains one of the most persistent obstacles to wider adoption of the bicycle for everyday transportation purposes.

I think he makes a great point. One of the magazines I enjoyed subscribing to a couple years back was Momentum: The Magazine for Self-Propelled People. It does a good job of showing how bicycling is becoming the stylish form of transportation in many of the big cities in the world.

Kristin and I have travelled to several major American cities over the last five years including Chicago, Seattle, Boston, Austin, Portland, New Orleans (we also visited Dallas and Houston but they were horrible exceptions to this rule) and really were surprised to see this occurring first hand. The people riding bikes down the street weren't just the homeless folks, or the aliens, they were the young creative crowd that our city supposedly wants to attract. Here are a few of the photos I took along the way:

Chicago:

Above is a picture I took of a bike rack filled to overflowing next to an office building in downtown Chicago.

Random bicycle locked to young tree, or crazy bike wreck...

Taxi anyone?

Seattle:

Bicycle polo on Tennis court.

Tulsa:

Just over the last two years I have seen an increase in the young creatives on cycles in and around downtown Tulsa. All that to say I think what Robert Hurst is proposing is spot on. Until people see less of the aliens on two wheels and more of those who use it as a means of everyday transportation, the adoption rate is going to be slow.

Day 7: Groceries

2010-01-15T21:42:00.001-06:00

We needed some groceries on our way home from work, but the panniers on my bike were full and Kristin's backpack was full. We didn't want to go home and unload because our legs were too tired so we ended up at the Blue Jackalope and bought four bags of groceries. We put one bag on each handlebar and road slowly and carefully home through Crosby Heights and Owen Park neighborhoods.

We made it without breaking any eggs - amazingly.

This was really probably just two normal bags of groceries but we were trying to distribute the weight evenly.

Bicycle = Freedom

2010-01-15T06:01:00.010-06:00

In the late 1800s, the bicycle took part in women's liberation movements. In The Cyclist's Manifesto, Robert Hurst writes,

Bicycling advanced the cause of women's rights in many important ways in the nineteenth century.

In the late 1800's, for women, the bicycle stood for freedom from victorian dress and from everything that was supposed to stand for womanhood at the time.

The mere act of learning to ride was liberating, as the trick of balance had been something that many thought too difficult or just unsuitable for a woman.

The bicycle was a rich man's toy. But women began to show the men they weren't so special.

In 1896, the top endurance bicyclist in the state of Colorado was identified only as Mrs. A. E. Rinehart. Mrs. Rinehart rode almost twenty thousand miles during the year, including one-hundred-twenty separate rides of at least one hundred miles, and set the state record for the two hundred mile distance.

Pretty soon the bicycle became a symbol of the women's suffrage movement according to Susan B. Anthony in one of her famous speeches.

She said that the bicycle "had done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world" and that a female on a bike was "the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood."

Day 6 - Small grocery trip

2010-01-14T19:28:00.001-06:00

The cabinets are getting bare. Kristin went to Petty's yesterday during lunch break at work.

She bought one bag of groceries.

And stuffed it in her little backpack.

So here is what you can stuff in a backpack.

Lesson learned: Arrange groceries in backpack so that artichoke cans aren't stabbing the spine.

Day 6: Bad Tire

2010-01-14T19:10:00.016-06:00

It was a great morning for biking. The weather was mild, very little wind and the sunrise was beautiful. We only got to enjoy part of it before Nathan popped out his back tire crossing 11th street.

But luckily I married a man with some serious bike tire changing skills. Watch this...

He changed the tire in less than 15 minutes and we were back on the road before I knew it. It was his back tire, no less, and that is a little trickier to take off than the front one.

I was a little late pulling into work but still had time do get everything done by the time I started seeing patients.

Lesson learned: Always carry an extra tube and pump.

Kristin

Weather Conversations

2010-01-14T06:39:00.002-06:00

You know those annoying conversation starters that center on the weather. Well, we seem to be having a lot of those, but they are not as annoying when they are really for a purpose. They are required for preservation of life and limb.

It goes something like this in the morning:

How cold is it out there?
18.
Ahhhh man...
How about the wind?
10 mph from the north.
Well at least we will be okay going south to work.

This morning the answer was 45 degrees. Woo hoo. Wind direction 4 mph from the southeast. That shouldn't hurt us too bad as long as it is just 4 mph.

It is amazing how much of our lives are climate controlled and we never really get to fully appreciate the changing of the seasons. In Tulsa the weather keeps you young because it can change in a moment and it never lets you get into a rut. As soon as you suspect another dry day a storm comes out of nowhere. Lesson to be learned: Always keep rain gear on your bike. And also, weathermen are never to be trusted.

Day 5 Celebration

2010-01-13T19:37:00.001-06:00

We made it five days so we stopped by the biker bar for a little celebration.

SoundPony - Tulsa's only bar specifically for cyclists.

Check out all the bicycles hanging up on the ceiling. Some are for sale if you are interested.

A little picture of our own ponies.

And here is the world's best wife. I never thought she would agree to this five year anniversary challenge.

Location:SoundPony

Day 5: 32 degrees

2010-01-13T19:30:00.001-06:00

Well, this morning was a better ride to work. It was nice and dry. It seemed like there was more wind so even though it was 32 instead of 18, I still had cold feet. Thankfully, I just talked to a coworker who told me a good method to solve that problem. I will give it a try and let you know if it works.

I just finished the book "The Cyclist's Manifesto: The Case for Riding on Two Wheels Instead of Four." Robert Hurst says,

"Those wondering what society is all about could get some idea just by listening to it. It sounds like explosions encased in steel."

It really surprises you when you start riding and you learn that transportation can be so quiet and peaceful on a bicycle. And it really contrasts, all the more, how loud the automobile is.

The Midland Valley Trail uses highway right-of-way from 3rd street downtown to 15th and Peoria. It is amazing how loud the traffic is and what it does to you when you are outside and close to it.

I am riding by all these beautiful houses that used to have peaceful backyards until someone decided to blast out a highway 100 feet away. Now people come outside every day to the sound of trucks and cars. I bet the owners of these homes love the biggest blizzards and storms so they can go outside their home for a few days out of the year without the sound of explosions.

Sleet...ugh

2010-01-12T19:30:00.002-06:00

Weatherbug didn't tell me anything about sleet and drizzle this morning. It just said that it was darn cold, practically as cold as when we rode on Saturday. With a wind chill of about 11 degrees. But somehow it forgot to mention that there was a chance of precipitation. Overall, the sleet that I rode through this morning wasn't horribly uncomfortable (not nearly as bad as Nathan's small blizzard- see below) but quite inconvenient nonetheless.

I've learned that, for the greatest chance of being presentable at work, you should apply your mascara at work AFTER your morning bike ride through the sleet. There was a big smudge on my cheek as I arrived, and the rest of my makeup was just about to slide down my face.

Fortunately I brought some makeup with me and salvaged what I could. Lesson learned.

The ride back tonight was pretty enjoyable. It was around 39 degrees and felt great after the first few blocks. I met Nathan about half way home because we needed to be home a little earlier tonight. The ice is almost melted and I only had to brace myself once to go over a little patch. The rest of the week should be warmer so I think we are through the toughest part.

Kristin

Day 4 - 19 degrees - Sleet and downtown snow storm

2010-01-12T11:55:00.002-06:00

This morning was a bit rough. We started out heading east down the hill from our neighborhood and we realized we were in for a cold ride. Then the sleet started coming down and it wasn't long before our glasses froze over in such a way that we had to pull them down as far as we could and then tilt our heads so we could look over them as we rode. That meant some degree of sleet was hitting our eyeballs. What I would have given for some ski goggles and mini windshield wipers. Maybe a mini defrost system as well.

Oh well, at least you get a respect for weather and the outdoors and a feeling of how truly small you are in the grand scheme of things. Maybe you don't want a feeling like that and that is why you buy a hummer-to feel all big and unstoppable. Although even that didn't work out so well for the kid driving a hummer in the last snow storm who ended up overturned and killing people in a sedan in the oncoming lane.

After making it to Kristin's work, I decided to harness the pony and rest my feet for a few minutes in front of her portable heater. I wore two pairs of socks today and I did better than yesterday, but I don't think I could have made it another three miles to my office without a little frostbite.

The main problem today was that the snowy sleet covered the streets and path with a small layer of white. This was very effective at hiding the remaining ice on the roads. My rear back tire was better at finding the ice than my eyes were. We made it though without any falls-just some close calls.

When I got back into downtown, I found myself in my own little snowstorm. I don't know where it came from or where it went, but by the time I made it indoors, my dress shirt was so soaked I had to throw it over a chair to let it dry out. A guy waiting at the elevator asked me if I was the one he saw hoofing it through the snowstorm. He also wondered where that snowstorm came from.

Lesson learned: Always bring my rain jacket Kristin bought me for our anniversary, even if I don't think there is going to be a mini snowstorm following me on my bicycle.

Looking forward to a warmer ride to meet Kristin at work this afternoon.

...And no more personal snowstorms.

Day 3 - 28 degrees - Ride One of Two

2010-01-11T12:19:00.002-06:00

So we made it to work. We had to wake up at 5:45 and were out the door by 6:55. We arrived at Kristin's work (4 miles away) at 7:28. That is not bad considering it is generally up hill to get there and considering we had to walk our bikes over ice in several locations.

We took the Midland Valley trail a good portion of the way. Not having to worry about cars is nice, although the majority of our ice walking was on this trail. Hopefully the ice will thaw out in the next couple days.

We packed my garment bag (which is made for a bicycle rack) with three pairs of dress pants for her and a coat for her to keep at work. I also stuffed my lunch in it, bike lock, pump, extra tubes, socks, etc. She had her sweater and another shirt in her backpack I believe. I already have my suit jackets and pants and ties at work so I just wore my dress shirt over my underarmour long sleeve shirt and t-shirt, and then under my jacket. I was worried it would be wrinkled but it wasn't. I think that is because I didn't wear a backpack (just used my garment bag pannier for everything).

I was wearing biking shoes with wool socks underneath and my feet were freezing. This is very interesting considering I wore the exact same thing on our trial run and my feet were perfectly warm the whole time. And it was 10 degrees colder on the trial run. I sat in her office for a few minutes this morning with my feet in front of her little portable electric heater. That warmed them up and they were just fine on the way back to my office.

My office is about 3 miles from Kristin's office. I am looking at 14 miles a day to ride with her both ways. I can't wait for the ice to go away so I can get on my road bike. My mountain bike weighs a ton.

Day 3. (27 days to go)

2010-01-11T11:45:00.001-06:00

I'm not a morning person.
If I had my way, I would never see the sun rise, but only get out of bed when it is light outside. Nathan, however, beats the sun out of bed practically ever morning. And he would also prefer to be asleep as the sun sets. (Despite these difference, we make our marriage work somehow).

That said, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed riding my bike as the sun was coming up. Riding through downtown at dawn was beautiful. I'll post a picture soon.

I was also pretty excited when I rolled over in bed this morning to see how "warm" it was out there. I've never said this before, but 29 degrees sounded great! Much better the 12 degree wind chill we experienced on Saturday - all relative, I guess.

My bike is in my office, mostly hiding behind my door. My hair didn't look too bad but it was a little sweaty under my helmet. My hands weren't frozen. I changed clothes and was ready for the day by 8 am. And it felt nice to have a little workout under my belt before the day started.

And we didn't get hit by any cars. Perfect.

Kristin

Where did the freedom go Houston

2010-01-11T06:03:00.002-06:00

In the book "The Cyclists Manifesto", Robert Hurst says "Through the twin stepmothers of congestion and control-licensing, insurance, rules, signals, lanes, speed traps, etc-our motorized steeds have been broken, hamstrung." He is talking about how the car, which used to be the symbol of freedom, has become the exact opposite.

And now a subculture is rising that finds freedom from the oppression of congestion and big government by dumping the car and hooking up with the cycle.

Day 2 - Super cold and uneventful

2010-01-10T23:51:00.001-06:00

We hitched a ride to church in the morning from our neighbors. It was 6 degrees and we didn't know if we could make it seven miles in that kind of cold. Other than that we stayed in for the rest of the day and read. It was a peaceful day and hopefully we are ready for a week of riding.

So did we fail our mission for thirty days without the car? Well, we have talked with two guys now who have ditched their cars in Tulsa and are traveling on pedal power. Both of them said that there are a few days in the winter where they will hitch a ride (either bus or friend). We would have preferred a bus (to stay more carless than riding with friends), but there was no bus heading to our church on Sunday. We are prepared to take the bus if there are any more blizzards during the workweek.

Trial Run

2010-01-09T13:25:00.001-06:00

We made it to my office! It is 18 degrees with a wind chill of 11. Nathan and I rode about 3.5 to 4 miles to get here and we didn't die!

Don't worry, I have all of my fingers. My hands were fairly cold for about 1.5 miles but at some point I realized that they were actually warm. I consider that quite an accomplishment and I'm pretty proud of my hands right now. My feet were not quite as warm but survived nonetheless.

It took us 45 minutes to get here. We were slowed down quite a bit by some patches of ice that we had to walk through, but no one fell. We also ran into a train crossing which took at least 5 minutes- basically the longest train ever or at least it felt that way when we were standing there in the cold.

Overall, a success. Nathan says my hair looks fine, but that it a debatable point. It's a little on the hat-hair side. I don't feel too sweaty at all and don't think I smell.

I still think we may have lost our minds but I'm going to give it a couple more days.

Kristin

Day One - Saturday, January 9, 2010 - 8 degrees, -1 windchill

2010-01-09T10:30:00.001-06:00

We have stayed home most the morning but are getting cabin fever so it is time to make our first trial run. Report from Kristin is that she is worried. Her mom and uncle reminded her that she has Reynaud's disease. I have no idea what that is, but it sounds like something that could make her finger fall off in her glove if she gets a sudden bout of the disease while riding. She asked if I would still love her if her fingers fell off in her gloves. I just laughed nervously.

Before I leave, a picture of our gear is in order:

Here is a list of what she is wearing:

From head to foot:

- Helmet

- Balaclava (bank robber head covering)

- Face mask from sports authority

- Clear glasses

- UnderArmour coldgear fitted long sleave shirt with hood

- Windproof, waterproof jacket

- Very thick biking gloves

- Pearl Izumi winter bike pants

- Waterproof pants

- Wool socks, another pair of socks

- Snow boots

Okay, I am burning alive in here so I better get out into that great big freezer in the sky.

I think we might be crazy....

2010-01-07T11:30:00.001-06:00

As the days get closer that we will start living without a car for a month, I am just baffled about how I agreed to this idea. I feel that it was pretty out of character for me to agree with this crazy idea. Usually, my husband has to presuade and prod and convince me to do anything out of the ordinary, but somehow I just agreed to this idea without much prodding. Must not have been thinking clearly. I don't think I had been drinking any alcohol that day.

I don't think I'd been too worried about this crazy idea if the weatherman would stop warning me of the dangers of frostbite. Luck would have it that the Arctic front moves into Oklahoma on the day we are supposed to start biking everywhere. My hands and feet typically stay about 25 degrees below my body temperature anyway, so I'm not sure what it going to happen when I expose them to wind chills of -10 while on a bike. (my husband sometimes thinks my feet feel like a corpse). What if my hands fall off?

Aside from the extreme temperature problem, I have quite a few other concerns. Here they are in no particular order:

- When I arrive to work in the morning on my bike, is my hair going to be all smushed down? Am I going to have helmet hair? Is my makeup going to be all smudged from my facemask?

- I'm not quite sure where my bike is going to go while I'm at work. My office is probably not the best idea, seeing as this is a professional medical practice and all.

- Is it going to be dark on the ride home? or on the ride in? Granted it is only about 4 miles but who likes riding in the dark?

- Am I going to be all sweaty from my many layers by the time I get to work? How professional it that?

- We are riding 7 miles to church on Sunday morning. Will I smell by the time I get there?

- Cars. Please don't hit me.

That's enough. I'm getting more nervous.

Kristin

Benefits of Biking

2009-12-30T11:17:00.001-06:00

According to Mia Birk, a transportation planner,

“Biking is a simple solution to a lot of problems. It has a transformative effect on cities and for societies problems such as stress, caused primarily by sitting in traffic; health issues related to living sedentary lifestyles; environmental and safety problems (the leading cause of death among young children is car crashes), and to economic and political problems such as our dependency on oil."

Save and Spend

2009-12-23T11:30:00.001-06:00

We are going to have to spend some money to be able to ride the winter out this January. There are obvious savings from parking the car in the backyard. Here is what money we have to spend on getting ready for biking this winter:

We budget $70 for fuel each month, and $50 for car repair. We also had $75 saved up in my bicycling envelope which is for my normal commuting to work.

Altogether that gives us $195 to spend on winter cycling apparel. We already have bicycles that we are going to use.

We ended up buying most everything from www.nashbar.com. They were having a great winter sale. We got Kristin some amazing winter gloves for $12.

The thought process

2009-12-22T12:18:00.002-06:00

My wife and I were talking about how we weren't getting enough exercise. We are both young professionals working 40 hours a week. There is a new YMCA opening downtown and we talked about checking into it.

I looked into the YMCA cost and was a bit surprised that it is $68 a month. That seems like a lot to me. We have a tight budget right now because we are trying to fix up our house and pay off student loan debt.

As I considered the YMCA expense, I began reading my favorite weekly email from Planetizen. Everyone who loves cities should subscribe to their weekly email. They sent me an article titled "The Absurdity of Stationary Bikes." It was making fun of all those people with gym memberships who drive around the parking lot four times to find the closest spot to the gym and then go in and ride on a stationary bike. I am also reminded of a picture I saw once showing an outdoor escalator going right up to the door of a gym while the view inside the windows was of people on step machines.

All that to say I asked my wife if she would be up for taking the batteries out of our cars and learning how to get by without the car for 30 days starting on January 8th - the day of our fifth anniversary. She said okay but that she would be much more agreeable to the idea if it were in April.

January and February are probably Tulsa's worst months to be biking outside. They are Tulsa's coldest months with ice storms and snow expected

That is why January 8 was so appealing to me. Is it possible for a couple to have no car during the worst months of the year in Tulsa without totally changing their lifestyle? If it is possible, what do you have to give up in order to do it? What are the challenges and obstacles to living life without the car in Tulsa? What are the benefits?

In some cities, people can truly work, live, shop, and play all within a walkable distance. For them it is no big deal to go without a car. Tulsa is not one of those cities. We have both sets of parents living in Tulsa city limits. One set lives 8.8 miles to the southwest. The other set lives 20 miles to the southeast of us. The nearest grocery store is 4.2 miles from us. My work is only 1 mile away, but my wife's work is 3.4 miles. Our church is 7.4 miles from us and we both are in charge of classes at 9:15 on Sunday morning.

Those distances are for cars. We don't want to use any arterial roads because the average lifespan seems to drop dramatically when riding on arterial streets in Tulsa. We want to use bicycle trails and neighborhood roads as much as possible.