SierraScape December 2007 - January 2008
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by Del Johnson
Executive Committee Chair
By now we all know the reasons for replacing the automobile with a bicycle whenever we can. The exercise is good for us, and it costs less than using the aerobic equipment in a gym. (Plus, if you ride to work, consider the saving in time: you can get in some exercise during the time you would have to spend anyway, getting to work and back!) And if we ride a bicycle we can cut way back on our gasoline consumption, benefiting our own pocketbooks as well as the health and welfare of our planet, as consumption of oil and the release of CO2 into the atmosphere both decrease.
As compelling as all these reasons are, we should note that habitual riders give another explanation as to why they pass up the automobile in favor of the bicycle: THEY ENJOY IT. It is a pleasurable activity that relieves a lot of the stress that goes with a busy lifestyle, as the bike riders we interview below emphasize:
Sherry Claggett |
SHERRY CLAGGETT regularly rides to work from her home in downtown St. Louis to Barnes Jewish Hospital, and affirms that it does indeed reduce the stress of the day, ( plus of course cutting way down on expenditures for gasoline.) Sherry says she rides in just about any weather, unless it gets really bad. (If she gets caught at work in an ice storm, she appreciates that she and her bike can both go home via the Metro.)
We asked Sherry about riding in cold weather. She stressed the importance of dressing in layers, and keeping the face as well as the head covered, also the hands and feet. Equally if not more important, in Sherry's opinion, is DRESSING FOR SAFETY, by wearing bright colors, for instance. Bear in mind that drivers sometimes might not see you, especially in the dark. She recommends wearing a belt with a strobe light, to make yourself distinctly visible from the rear. A helmet needless to say is essential. Bicycle shops and catalogs sell a wide selection of items such as this that can help keep you safe as well as comfortable.
Sherry's work schedule enables her to arrive for work early, and also to end her day before traffic on her route becomes much of a problem. She would like to ride in bike lanes, but finds that drivers of shuttles tend to park in this lane, often making it necessary for her to ride in the regular automobile lanes. She stresses the importance of bicyclists following the same rules required of automobile drivers. Some riders don't, she adds, thus giving them a bad reputation with drivers.
Sherry and her husband Ron both enjoy biking on vacations. For one such trip they rode the train to Sedalia, then spent seven days riding the Katy trail back to its terminus in St. Charles.
Karen Karabell |
As an enthusiastic bicyclist, KAREN KARABELL feels fortunate that her career in real estate management enables her to replace the automobile with a bike for most of her work related travel. Most of the properties she supervises are within a five mile radius of the office of her firm, SF Shannon, in the Central West End of St. Louis, though rides to locations farther away are occasionally required. She finds getting around by bicycle for short trips to be very practical.
Bicycling is a family activity in the Karabell household. Her husband Harold rides to work, though, as general manager of the same firm, he has less opportunity, or need, to leave the office. The couple has three sons, Gabe, Alex, and Eli, all of them active bicyclists.
Gabe, 18, is a student at North Carolina University. He took a bicycle along to college, one reason being that students on his campus are not allowed to have automobiles. Alex, who is sixteen, plans to get a driver's license in due time, but for now appears to be content to get around by walking or riding a bike. And Eli, who is eleven, also gets around by bicycle, including visits to his violin teacher, for example.
Karen points out that the family does not attempt to get along completely without motorized transportation They own three vehicles in fact, including a minivan and a light truck. But their goal is to keep them in their proper place, so to speak, using them sparingly, when needed. For example, their minivan is a 96 model whose speedometer has registered a total of 40,000 miles.
Karen reminds us of a report indicating that one fourth of the automobile trips we take in this country are for a distance of less than one mile. For the health of our bodies, and our planet, we need to do better.