I am often asked these days, "When does your year commitment end?" The simple answer would be June 25, the anniversary of the car for bike trade. But there is not a simple answer because I don't plan on purchasing another car. We'll still have our family vehicle which my wife drives, and perhaps I can once again drive it to fetch 50 lb. bags of lime for the yard, but overall I don't plan on changing my main way of getting around. Why? Because it is fun, cheap, mostly efficient, and just genuinely good (especially now when the weather is basically perfect). And on the worst weather days it is still very doable. Remember, "there is no bad weather, just bag gear."
One recent experience gives you a taste of the good part. I wa riding on Hillsborough Street on my way home when I saw a young man yelling at the bus that was picking up across the street. Of course the driver did not see him or wait (or saw him and didn't wait). Our eyes caught, I yelled "bummer" we both laughed and I pedaled along my way. That connection never happens in a car. If I am behind the wheel, that person barely exists. On my bike we are fellow travelers. Those connections are precious and they are humanizing.
May is National Bike Month. So be nice to the bikers you encounter on the road, or better yet, join them!
June 23rd is the next Durham Tour de Fat. Join the parade, bring the kids, take in the festival. And, just maybe, trade you car for a bike. You won't regret it.
