Come si cambia la ruota della nostra bici

Prima o poi ti capiterà di riparare una gomma a terra o di doverla sostituire. 
Ecco alcuni semplici passaggi da eseguire, ma prima di iniziare il lavoro, capovolgi il mezzo per distribuirne il peso sul sellino e manubrio.

1
Allenta i bulloni che collegano il mozzo al telaio. Se sono molto stretti, usa un lubrificante spray, come un prodotto siliconico o anche l'olio di semi. I modelli moderni non hanno i bulloni, ma un sistema di sgancio rapido che si apre senza difficoltà e ti permette di smontare la ruota.

2
Rilascia i freni. Se la tua bici ne è equipaggiata interferiranno con la rimozione della ruota. Ogni tipo di freno ha un sistema differente, ma dovresti essere comunque in grado di sfilare via il cavo del freno dall'apposito braccetto affinché tu possa rilasciarlo. Per alcuni tipi di freno potrebbe bastare semplicemente allentare la morsa che tiene stretto il cavo.

3
Togli la ruota dal telaio. Se si tratta di quella posteriore, dovrai anche sollevare la catena per staccarla dal pacco pignoni. Per procedere in maniera semplice, per prima cosa metti la catena sulla ruota dentata più piccola prima di allentare i dadi o il sistema di sgancio. Se devi lavorare sulla gomma anteriore, allora il procedimento è un po' più semplice, ma dovrai comunque sganciare i freni, se questi interferiscono con il processo.

4
Sgonfia completamente lo pneumatico premendo la parte interna della valvola.


5
Procurati un paio di leve per pneumatici (sono disponibili nei negozi di biciclette e in quelli sportivi). Puoi anche usare il manico di un cucchiaio o un altro attrezzo simile, se non hai le leve, ma sii molto cauto perché potresti graffiare il cerchio e/o forare la camera d'aria. Infila una leva fra il cerchio e il bordo del battistrada per sollevare ed estrarre quest'ultimo (stai attento a non rompere la camera d'aria). Ruota la gomma per circa 1/8 di giro e ripeti il processo con la seconda leva (senza estrarre la prima). A questo punto puoi far scorrere la seconda leva lungo il bordo del cerchio e il battistrada dovrebbe staccarsi su un lato.

6
Smonta completamente la ruota e il battistrada. Per estrarre la camera d'aria, potrebbe essere necessario svitare un piccolo dado alla base della valvola, se questa è di tipo Presta. Questo genere di valvola è molto diffuso sulle biciclette d'alta gamma, ma non sulle BMX. Praticamente tutte le bici da corsa sono dotate di valvola Presta.

7
Controlla la camera d'aria alla ricerca della foratura, valutando se il problema si trova sul bordo o sul lato della stessa.

8
Sistema il nastro che si trova all'interno del cerchio per coprire ogni zona protrudente ed estrai tutti i corpi estranei taglienti che sono rimasti incastrati (ad esempio del vetro) nel battistrada.

9
Puoi rattoppare la camera d'aria o sostituirla, oppure valutare di cambiare anche il battistrada.

10
Controlla la spalla dello pneumatico alla ricerca di una freccia o un altro simbolo analogo che indichi la direzione di rotazione. Alcuni battistrada hanno un disegno di superficie specifico che deve girare in un "determinato senso".

11Inserisci prima la camera d'aria in un lato del battistrada e poi gonfiala parzialmente. Ricordati di individuare il foro per la valvola che si trova sul cerchio.

12Controlla che nessuna parte della camera d'aria spunti all'esterno dello pneumatico.

13Comincia a lavorare sul bordo più vicino alla valvola e, con i pollici, spingi sull'altro lato del battistrada per inserirlo nel canale del cerchio. Per riuscire a incastrare l'ultima sezione di battistrada, potrebbe essere necessario usare le stesse leve che hai utilizzato in precedenza per smontare lo pneumatico.

14Prima di gonfiare la camera d'aria, usa i pollici per controllare che tutto il bordo del battistrada sia ben inserito nel cerchio e che non ci siano sezioni della camera d'aria incastrate e "pizzicate" fra le due strutture. Se gonfiassi una camera d'aria pizzicata fra il cerchio e lo pneumatico, questa scatterebbe immediatamente all'esterno, costringendoti a ricominciare da capo e a comprare una camera d'aria nuova.

15Gonfia la gomma lentamente e con attenzione, all'inizio, controllando costantemente che si dilati in maniera uniforme e che non ci siano zone "pizzicate".

16A questo punto puoi rimontare la ruota.

Soon or later you wil have to fix a flat tire or have to replace it.
Here are some simple steps to follow, but before starting work, flip the means to distribute weight on the seat and handlebars.

1
Loosen the bolts that connect the hub to the frame. If they are very tight, use a spray lubricant, such as a silicone product or even the seed oil. The modern models do not have the nuts, but a quick release system that opens easily and allows you to remove the wheel.

2
Release the brakes. If your bike is equipped they will interfere with removing the wheel. Each type of brake has a different system, but should still be able to pull off the cord from the brake arm so that you can release it.

3
Remove the wheel from the frame. If it comes to the rear, you will need to also lift the chain to disengage from the sprocket. To simply proceed, first put the chain on the smallest sprocket before loosening the nuts or the release system. If you need to work on the front tire, then the procedure is a bit 'easier, but will still need to disengage the brakes, if these interfere with the process.

4
Completely deflate the tire by pressing the inner part of the valve.


5
Get a couple of tire levers (available in bike shops and sports ones). You can also use the handle of a spoon or similar tool, if you do not have the levers, but be very careful because you might scratch the rim and / or puncture the inner tube. Thread a lever between the rim and the tread edge to lift and extract the latter (be careful not to break the air chamber). the rubber wheel for about 1/8 of a turn, and repeat the process with the second lever (without extracting the first). At this point you can slide the second lever along the edge of the rim and the tread should come off on one side.

6
completely Unmount the wheel and the tread. To extract the air chamber, it may be necessary to unscrew a small nut at the base of the valve, if this is Presta type. This kind of valve is very widespread on the high-range bicycles, but not on BMX. Practically all the racing bikes are equipped with Presta valve.

7
Check the tube in search of drilling, evaluating whether the problem lies on the edge or on the side of the same.

8
the tape system which is located inside the circle to cover each protruding zone and extract all sharp foreign bodies which have remained stuck in the tread.

9
You can patch the tube or replace it, or consider also to change the tread.

10
Check the shoulder of the tire to the search of an arrow or another similar symbol indicating the direction of rotation. Some have a specific tread surface design that has to turn into a "certain way".

11
Insert before the air chamber in a side of the tread and then gonfiala partially. Remember to locate the hole for the valve which is located on the circle.

12
Check that no part of the inner tube cues on the outside of the tire.

13
He begins to work at the edge closest to the valve and, with thumbs, push on the other side of the tread to insert it into the rim channel. In order to wedge the last tread section, you may need to use the same levers that you used previously to dismount the tire.

14
Before inflating the air chamber, use the thumbs to check that the whole of the tread edge is fully inserted into the circle and that there are no sections of the air chamber stuck and "pinched" between the two structures. If gonfiassi an air chamber pinched between the rim and the tire, this would take effect immediately outside, forcing you to start over and to buy a new air chamber.

15
Slowly and carefully inflate the tire, at the beginning, constantly checking that expands evenly and that there are no zones "plucked".

16
At this point you can replace the wheel.

Misura la tua performance!!!

Aprile – maggio 2017

Al tuo arrivo in hotel, in collaborazione con Biker Unit, potrai fare un test 

medico- sportivo di valutazione e ricevere un piano di preparazione 

sportivo – nutrizionale.

Ti proponiamo:

• 7 notti (8 giorni) in Super Mezza pensione (ricca colazione, pranzo a buffet fino alle ore 16,00 e cena alla carta)
• Camera doppia dotata di tutti i comfort e balcone vista mare
• Test medico – sportivo di valutazione e piano di preparazione sportivo – nutrizionale con Biker Unit
• Vino locale e acqua minerale durante i pasti
• N° 5 tour in bicicletta con le nostre guide esperte
• Servizi BIKE SUPERIOR all inclusive
• Wi-fi

Euro 735,00 a persona

Accompagnatore non ciclista € 525,00 a persona

TEST YOUR PERFORMANCE!

April-May 2017

In collaboration with Biker Unit  on arrival at the hotel you can do a sport- medical test evaluation and receive a training – nutritional plan.

We offer you:

• 7 nights (8 days) in Super Half board (rich  breakfast, lunch buffet until 4 pm  and dinner à la carte)
• Double room with all comfort and sea view balcony
• sports medical-test evaluation and receive a training – nutritional plan with Biker Unit
• Local wine and mineral water during meals
• # 5 bike tours with our expert guides
• BIKE SUPERIOR services all-inclusiveWi-fi

€ 735,00 per person

Accompanying guest non-cyclists € 525,00 per person

Epo

Ogni singola persona nei Paesi Bassi va in bicicletta; anche il primo ministro usa la bici per andare al lavoro. La bicicletta è parte della loro cultura da sempre.

Tuttavia non esiste una bicicletta olandese contemporanea conveniente: produrre una bici richiede molta manodopera, per questo motivo quasi tutta la produzione è stata spostata in Cina o a Taiwan. 

Epo fa rivivere l’industria locale riportando la produzione nei Paesi Bassi.

Nata come progetto di laurea di uno studente della Design Academy di Eindhoven, Bob Schiller, Epo è (o, meglio, sarà) una bici low cost interamente prodotta in Olanda.

Ispirata alla produzione delle auto, la bicicletta Epo è fatta da due fogli di metallo pressati in forma e saldati insieme. Ciò si traduce in un telaio resistente e leggero. Ancora più importante, la produzione è efficiente e riduce drasticamente il costo del lavoro, rendendo possibile la produzione nei Paesi Bassi.

Nella progettazione del telaio Bob Schiller ha voluto mostrare questo processo. È per questo che ha scelto linee affilate e bordi alti, che dividono visivamente il telaio a metà. Epo è una city bike, quindi deve avere una manutenzione facile: è per questo che le ruote sono montate su un lato in modo che, quando si cambia una gomma a terra, le ruote possono rimanere attaccate alla bici.

Al momento di ulteriori informazioni sulla bici ce ne sono poche e l’esemplare nella foto è solo un prototipo, realizzato appunto per la tesi. Se tutto va bene pare che il prossimo anno la Epo potrebbe arrivare sul mercato e si stima addirittura che basteranno poche centinaia di euro per portarsene a casa una.

Courtesy of domusweb.it

Courtesy of domusweb.it

Courtesy of domusweb.it

Every single person in the Netherlands cycles; even the prime minister uses his bike to get to work. Cycling is part of their culture and it has been for centuries.

However, an affordable, contemporary Dutch bicycle disappeared from the streets. A bicycle is a labour intensive product. For this reason, almost all bicycle manufactures moved  their production to China or Taiwan.

Epo revives the local industry and brings production back to the Netherlands.

Inspired by the way cars are produced, the Epo bicycle is made out of two sheets of metal, pressed into form and spot welded together. This results in a strong and light frame. Most importantly, its production is efficient and drastically lowers labour costs; making production in the Netherlands possible.

In the design of the frame Bob Schiller wanted to show this process. That’s why he chosed it for the sharp lines and high edge that visually splits the frame in half. Epo is a city bike so it must be easy in maintenance, that’s why the wheels are mounted on one side, when changing a flat tire the wheels can stay attached to the bike.

Epo is Bob Schiller’ graduation project at Design Academy Eindhoven and is still in development. The goal is to start the production next year.

La prima bicicletta realizzata con utensili da cucina

Il mattarello è il volante, lo schiacciapatate è il pedale e il microonde è il portaoggetti:  Deliveroo la utilizzerà nelle consegne a Londra
Deliveroo, in occasione del lancio della nuova campagna #EccoUnaGioia – che vedrà protagonisti i momenti di socialità nel quale il cibo è un compagno indiscusso – ha realizzato un sondaggio internazionale condotto in 12 Paesi per capire qual è il nostro rapporto con la cucina e il cucinare.  
In cucina gli italiani utilizzano pochi utensili , 17 circa, e raramente (una volta a settimana), soprattutto nei giorni feriali. Diverso il discorso nel resto d’Europa, dove si cucina di più e avvalendosi di più strumenti: in Olanda, ad esempio, se ne usano mediamente 38.Ma spesso questi oggetti si accumulano in cucina e, quando diventano vecchi, finiscono inevitabilmente per accumularsi nella spazzatura – è stato calcolato che in Gran Bretagna ci siano 900 milioni di vecchi attrezzi da buttare. Deliveroo ha pensato anche a questo e ha deciso di dare una seconda vita, in chiave eco-friendly, a quanto non viene più utilizzato tra i fornelli. Insieme a Sean Miles, ingegnere di Design Works, ha progettato e realizzato una bicicletta costruita con alcuni gli utensili meno utilizzati nelle cucine del Regno Unito – trasformando, ad esempio, il mattarello nel volante; la griglia come seduta e il microonde come porta oggetti.
Ogni parte della bici, a parte freni e gomme, è costruita con un arnese che utilizziamo tra i fornelli. La bicicletta “riciclata” verrà utilizzata nelle consegne di Deliveroo a Londra a partire da giovedì 16 marzo 2017.

Courtesy of gqitalia.it

Courtesy of gqitalia.it

Courtesy of gqitalia.it

Courtesy of gqitalia.it

Courtesy of gqitalia.it

The first bicycle realized with kitchen utensils
The rolling pin is the steering wheel, a potato masher is the pedal and the microwave is the glove from today Deliveroo the use in deliveries in London
Deliveroo, at the launch of the new #EccoUnaGioia campaign - which will feature the socializing in which the food is a proven companion - has developed an international survey conducted in 12 countries to understand what is our relationship with the kitchen and cooking .

Italians using few tools, 17 or so, and rarely (once a week), especially on weekdays. Unlike the speech in the rest of Europe, inNetherlands, for example, they use an average of 38 tools.
Often these objects are accumulate in the kitchen and, when they become old, inevitably end up in the trash pile up - it is estimated that in the UK there are 900 million old tools to be thrown away. Deliveroo also thought to this and decided to give a second life in an eco-friendly, it is no longer used in the kitchen.

With Sean Miles, an engineer of Design Works, has designed and built a bicycle built with some of the tools used in the kitchen less UK - transforming, for example, a rolling pin in the steering wheel; the grid as a seat and as the microwave door objects.
Every part of the bike, apart from brakes and tires, is built with a tool that we use in the kitchen. The bicycle "recycled" will be used in deliveries Deliveroo in London starting from March 16, 2017.

Bespoken

Il compositore e sound designer Johnny Random irrompe nell’industria musicale con composizioni originali realizzate esclusivamente da oggetti di uso quotidiano. 
Il suo singolo di debutto, “Bespoken”, esplora il potenziale di suoni generati dalle biciclette e dai loro componenti con i quali accantona il ruolo della strumentazione tradizionale come metodo convenzionale per la creazione della musica.



The composer and sound designer Johnny Random breaks in the music with original compositions created exclusively by everyday objects.

His debut single, "bespoken", explores the potential of sounds generated by bicycles and their components with which dismisses the role of traditional instruments such as the conventional method for the creation of music.

“La bicicletta è la soluzione bella e pronta a mille problemi; non ha controindicazioni, è semplice, alla portata di tutti e ha anche un suo strumento musicale: il campanello”.
Paolo Serazzi

Artistic cycling

L’artistic cycling è una disciplina nata nel 1888 grazie a un gruppo di acrobati circensi, ma oggi è diventata un vero e proprio sport competitivo (non ancora olimpico, ma confidiamo che presto arriverà ad allietarci anche in questa sede) e consiste in complicate routine singole, di coppia o a squadre, accompagnati da una poetica musica di sottofondo.

Simili alle gare di pattinaggio artistico,  ma in sella a una bici. 
Ve ne sono diverse varietà: dal singolo al programma in coppia o con 4 o 6 atleti. E’ aperto ufficialmente a uomini e donne. In 6 minuti, l’atleta o gli atleti hanno la possibilità di compiere, a tempo di musica, delle evoluzioni scelte fra un “catalogo” di 150-200 possibili esercizi (il numero varia a seconda della specialità). 

All'aumentare della difficoltà degli esercizi presentati, aumenta anche il coefficiente di moltiplicazione del punteggio e quindi la possibilità di essere presenti nelle parti alte della graduatoria. Tuttavia, gli errori sono penalizzati.

The artistic cycling is a discipline born in 1888 thanks to a group of circus acrobats, but today it has become a real competitive sport (not Olympic, but we are confident that soon will come to cheer even here) and consists of complicated routines individual, pair or team, accompanied by a poetic background music.

Similar to figure skating, but riding a bike.

There are several varieties: from the individual to the program or in pairs with 4 or 6 athletes. And 'officially open to men and women. In 6 minutes, the athlete or athletes are able to accomplish, in time to music, developments choices between a "catalog" of 150-200 possible exercises (the number varies depending on specialty).

Increasing the difficulty of the periods presented, also increases the multiplication coefficient of the score and thus the possibility of being present in the upper parts of the list.
However, mistakes are penalized.

Volata Model 1c

Dopo il successo raccolto negli Stati Uniti, Volata Cycles sbarca in Europa, introducendo un nuovo modello studiato per il mercato del Vecchio Continente. 

La nuova Volata Model 1c è una bicicletta studiata per l’utilizzo urbano.
Il computer di bordo permette di visualizzare performance, meteo, navigazione turn-by-turn, battito cardiaco, notifiche dallo smartphone e altro su un display a colori inserito nel manubrio; un sistema antifurto informa il proprietario con una notifica se è in corso un tentativo di furto.

Un allarme si attiva se la bici viene spostata, e può essere localizzata grazie al GPS integrato.
Luci automatiche e clacson aumentano la sicurezza alla guida, mentre la trasmissione a cinghia e il cambio interno al mozzo posteriore riducono al minimo il bisogno di manutenzione. 

Infine, l’app mobile consente all’utente di consultare le proprie performance ed avere un controllo remoto del mezzo con cui attivare/disattivare l’antifurto, tracciare la posizione di Volata e molto altro. 

After the success in the United States, Volata Cycles lands in Europe, introducing a new model designed for the market of the Old Continent.

The new Volata Model 1c is a bike designed for urban use.
The onboard computer allows you to view performance, weather, turn-by-turn navigation, heartbeat, notifications, and more from your smartphone on a color display inserted into the handlebar; an anti-theft system notifies the owner with a notification if there is an ongoing attempt at theft.

An alarm is triggered if the bike is moved, and can be located with the integrated GPS.
automatic lights and honking increase safety at the wheel, while the belt drive and the internal gear rear hub minimize the need for maintenance.

Finally, the mobile app allows the user to check their performance and have a remote control of the means by which to activate / deactivate the alarm, to draw the Volata position and much more.

Bike & Food Tour

Dal 8 al 22 aprile 2017 unisciti a noi per un fantastico tour enogastronomico su due ruote!!!

Pedaleremo alla scoperta dei prodotti tipici e dei vini del nostro territorio:

• Alle Cesane per conoscere i prodotti Bio della Locanda Girolomoni
• A Mondaino per assaggiare il Formaggio di Fossa al Mulino della Porta di Sotto
• A Fiorenzuola per degustare i vini del San Bartolo alla Tenuta Carlini

Ti offriamo:

• 7 notti (8 giorni) in Super Mezza Pensione (ricca colazione, pranzo a buffet fino alle ore 16,00 e cena alla carta)
• Camera doppia dotata di tutti i comfort e balcone vista mare
• Vino locale e acqua minerale ai pasti
• N° 5 bike tour con le nostre guide esperte
• Servizi Bike Superior inclusi

Offerta speciale € 525,00 a persona

Accompagnatore non ciclista – 10%!

Offer valid from 08/04 to 22/04/2017

Join us for a fantastic food and wine experience tour on two wheels!!!

We will ride to discover the typical products and wines of our territory:

• Cesane to taste the Bio products of Locanda Girolomoni
• Mondaino to taste the Formaggio di Fossa of Porta di Sotto
• Fiorenzuola to taste the wines of  San Bartolo at Tenuta Carlini

Our offer:

• 7 nights (8 days) in Super Half Board (rich breakfast, buffet lunch until 4 pm and dinner à la carte)
• Double room with all comfort and sea view balcony
• Local wine and mineral water at meals
• # 5 bike tour with our expert guides
• Superior Bike services included

Special Offer € 525,00 per personAccompanying guests  non-cyclists – 10%!

Pedalare in primavera

Finalmente la primavera non è più un miraggio.
Le giornate si allungano e il buio dell’inverno è ormai alle spalle.
E’ possibile così programmare uscite impegnative, macinare chilometri e allenarsi per la stagione calda che verrà.
L’importante in queste prime uscite più toste è non trascurare un aspetto decisivo e che ha a che fare con l’alimentazione.La qualità di ciò che ingeriamo prima e durante, ma anche dopo l’uscita, è strettamente legata alla qualità delle nostre performance. 
Anche per chi non cerca traguardi precisi, come gareggiare, competere e superarsi ogni volta, ma comunque vuole garantirsi un livello di prestazione che corrisponda alle sue aspettative di ciclo-amatore nel vero senso della parola, bere e mangiare bene è determinante.

E' importante fornire al nostro corpo tutte le energie necessarie per affrontare l'allenamento senza appesantirci.
Frutta, verdure in grande quantità ma anche carboidrati (senza mai esagerare altrimenti otteniamo l'effetto opposto) per mantenere le gambe forti e scattanti.

Mangiare poco e spesso è la soluzione più indicata.

Consigliamo di portare sempre con voi delle barrette energetiche perfette per ricaricare le pile durante il tour.

Finally spring is no longer a mirage.

Days are getting longer and the darkness of winter is behind us.

Noe it is possible to programm hard bike tours, grind kilometers and train for the hot season to come.

The important thing in these first more tough bike tours is not to neglect a crucial aspect that has to do with nutrition.

The quality of what we eat before and during, but also after the tour, is closely linked to the quality of our performance.

Even for those not seeking specific targets, such as race, compete and outdo each time, but still want to ensure a level of performance which meets the expectations of cycle-amateur in the true sense of the word, drinking and eating well is crucial.

It is important to provide our body all the energy that we need for our workout without eating to much.

Fruit, vegetables in large quantities but also carbohydrates (never overdo it otherwise we get the opposite effect) to keep legs strong and snappy.

Eating little and often is the best solution.

We recommend to take with you energy bars perfect for recharging the batteries during the tour.

Bike + kids

Sabato mattina abbiamo testato questa nuova fantastica bici perfetta per portare a spasso i vostri bimbi.
Comoda e facile da guidare. 

E' possibile trasformarla in una e-bike per garantirvi il massimo comfort!

Sicura per i vostri bimbi con le pratiche cinture di sicurezza per proteggerli in ogni istante.

Saturday morning we tested this new fantastic bike perfect for carring around your children.

Comfortable and easy to drive.

You 'can turn it into an e-bike for the best comfort!

Safe for your children with the practical seat belts to protect them at all times.

Do you wanna try?

Why I ride a bike

Vi proponaimo questo bellissimo articolo  di  phred.org.

These reason for riding a bike are not given in order of importance, nor could they be.

1) Cycling is fun.

As a child, my bike was my favorite toy; it was my horse, my Fokker triplane, my motorcycle, and my race car. But it was also fun just as a bike. We kids played chase, performed stunts, and rode thousands of miles within our neighborhood.
As a young man in college, I thought of my bike as a magic carpet or seven league boots. With little money, I was able to travel all over Alabama and even to Northern Ontario.
After I returned to cycling at forty. I noticed that I was drooling a little while cycling. Part was due to having just quit smoking, but part was due to that little boy inside of me really enjoying himself.

2) Cycling is an opportunity to know a different world.

Is there anything more pretty than a ride late at night with the stars overhead and, from time to time, a falling star?
Is there anything more enchanting than riding after dark with your headlight lighting up the swirling and falling snow?
Is there anything more deeply satisfying than sitting next to a lake or stream, beside your tent, bicycle, and stove, and eating the food you caught and/or gathered?
Is there anything stranger than exploring a cave you discovered by the side of the road, using your somewhat dim bicycle light?
Is there anything hairier than traveling through a dark tunnel on your bike when you can't see either wall or the ceiling?
Is there anything more exulting than to be cycling in the clouds in the high mountains and to see the patches of green and the toy houses below?
Is there anything more humbling than a flat tire during a heavy rain with no shelter?
Is there anything more nostalgic than to be cycling down a road on a long bike trip and suddenly recognize where you are from childhood memories?
Is there any greater satisfaction than to return to the place where another trip had ended, and go on?
Is there anything more powerful than to realize after building up all summer that you can cycle all day and climb any mountain without getting tired?
Is there anything more wonderful than to turn your daydream into a reality?

3) Cycling is healthy.

In the middle of a hundred-mile ride, I was climbing a mountain when I noticed steps had been cut into a giant boulder to make a lookout. Just as I pulled off the road, a car stopped, and the occupants painfully pulled themselves out of their seats and looked at those steps. "I'm not climbing up there," the woman flatly declared, "I'm too tired from traveling, and those steps are too steep." At that moment, I had reached the base of the rock. I leaned my bike against it and ran to the top. It was good to have a chance to catch my breath! I ran back down, jumped on the bike, and started climbing again.
One day, returning to Alabama by bike, I stopped to wash my clothes in Roanoke, Virginia. Two fellows were also doing laundry. They admired my courage and physical fitness, and one of them said, "I'd like to do something like that, if I were as young as you are." "How old are you?" I asked. He said, "forty-three." I said, "I'm almost fifty-one."
When I started my first trip to Canada in 1966, I weighed 150 pounds; when I got back, I weighed 165, without a trace of fat. When I started my last trip to Canada in 1995, I weighed 193 pounds; when I got back I weighed a lean 165 pounds. My final weight is about the same on all long trips.
I never lift weights, I never condition my abs, I never stretch, I never diet, I seldom see a doctor, I just walk and ride my bike. My weight increases only when I am riding less than 100 miles a week. Cycling keeps me lean, fit, healthy, and happy.

4) Cycling is economical.

A bike doesn't have to cost much. Unlike a car, a chrome-moly bike will outlast the owner, and few parts will ever break or fail. Some parts will wear out: the tires, the chain, the cogset, the sprockets, the brake pads, and the bearings. The wheels will fatigue. Replacing the tires is the greatest maintenance cost. When I had little money, I was able to keep my costs to about a penny a mile by using tires and chains from discount stores and rear cogs from a flea market. My costs are greater now; I have paid $2,000 over ten years and 50,000 miles (4¢ a mile), but I still have my two bikes and gear in good condition.
On the other hand, the average car cost about $5,700 a year. These costs break down to $2,883 for depreciation, $724 for insurance, $696 financial charges, and 9.3¢ a mile for fuel, maintenance, and tires, for a total cost of 45¢ per mile. For some reason, these government figures don't include repairs, parking costs, or taxes. Nor do they consider the earnings necessary to save $5,700. Nor do they include a host of hidden costs, indirect costs, and costs passed on to others. If all costs are included, the total might be as great as $1.25 a mile.
An unmarried cyclist living in the South can live quite comfortably on that $5,700 a year. An apartment costs $200 a month, utilities (gas, electricity, phone, Internet, and water) from $100 to $150, and food from $60 to $100, leaving $300 to $1,400 a year left over for miscellaneous expenses, such as bike tires. Because of being a cyclist, I can save half of my income while I'm working, or I can afford to take a year off to go back to school or to write.
Some people have said that a cyclist has to buy special clothes or eat more foods. First, no special clothes are necessary, with the exception of a rain suit in place of an umbrella. Second, if the cyclist does buy special clothing and shoes, those items take the place of other clothing and shoes the cyclist would have to buy anyway. And cycling clothing lasts just as long as any other. Cycling clothing does not have to be expensive either. As far as eating more, I only eat more when on a long trip; then, I just add more rice or pasta to my diet.

5) Cycling is ecologically sound.

Each person that rides a bike rather than drives a car is helping to save our planet. Our civilization has been burning huge quantities of coal, natural gas, oil, and their byproducts, thus pumping carbon dioxide into the ecosystem. Living creatures absorb most of this carbon, but the excess accumulates in the atmosphere. The result has been 1) a longer growing season, 2) more hot days, 3) more rain, and 4) greater drying. Predicted but not proven results are: 1) more frequent violent storms, 2) drought, famine, and the destruction of forests, and 3) the flooding of coastal cities. Of all of our fossil fuel uses, automobile travel is the least defendable.
The amount of carbon dioxide which motor vehicles produce is enormous. The average car in the US burns about 650 gallons of gas, producing eight tons of CO₂ (total production is 20 tons per person). Although fuel economy has increased to 19 mpg, travel has reached 1.6 trillion miles a year, so (adding truck usage) we burn 338 million tons of gasoline and 246 million tons of diesel and other fuels each year. The world consumption of oil has now increased to 3.2 billion tons of oil, thus 10 billion tons of CO₂ are produced yearly from oil alone.
But 3/4rds of the automobile trips in the US are for distances of less than ten miles, and over half are for distances of less than five miles. By riding my bike on errands, to work, for weekend recreation, and on summer vacations, I have greatly reduced auto use, and I have had a better life.

6) Cycling is environmentally sound.

Ronald Reagan used to announce for GE, "Progress is our only product." People are often so committed to this ideal of progress that they fail to see that "progress" has been very destructive. We have sold our birthright and have little to show for it. Our forests have been stripped cleaned, our farms are badly polluted, our children are abandoned and carry guns, our cities have become slums, our countryside is a maze of freeways, our lives are empty, taxes and meaningless expenses eat up our salaries, the balance of trade and national debt have reached insane amounts, and our heroes are constantly in trouble over sex and drugs.
Henry Thoreau, speaking 150 years ago, foresaw the problems our civilization was headed towards. He did not attack change ("When one man has reduced a fact of the imagination to be a fact in his understanding, I foresee that all men will at length establish their lives on that basis."), but he pointed that we were not happy ("The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation."), that we had the wrong goals ("Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which it was already but too easy to arrive at."), and that we expected a free lunch at some point ("Men have an indistinct notion that if they keep up this activity of joint stocks and spades long enough that all will at last ride somewhere, in next to no time, and for nothing.") .
The solution, both for us as individuals and as a nation, is to quit following the piper and to rearrange our priorities. True improvement is not always outward ("The kingdom of heaven is within you"). We have to learn to value people over property, Nature over luxury, love and affection over sex and money, and meaningful experiences over financial success. While I recognize that riding bicycles can't solve all these problems, I think that cycling can help people begin making healthy changes in their own lives. Cycling, by itself, can be a good alternative to massive traffic jams, a million injuries and 42,000 deaths a year, high insurance costs, double bypass surgeries, high taxes, and mile after mile of sterile, God-forsaken asphalt.
I know that my own move back to the bike was the best decision I ever made.