Comments on: Blessing of the Bicycles http://blog.sojo.net/2009/05/28/blessing-of-the-bicycles/ A Blog by Jim Wallis and Friends Sat, 20 Mar 2010 10:33:14 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Ringer http://blog.sojo.net/2009/05/28/blessing-of-the-bicycles/comment-page-1/#comment-110269 Ringer Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:05:31 +0000 http://blog.sojo.net/?p=8949#comment-110269 A wonderful prayer for a wonderful idea. I sold my car last year after I bought a bike with my stimulus money and after gas hit $4 a gallon. Best decision I ever made. I don't miss the thing at all. I hope and pray that more folks start riding. I know everyone can't do it--and there are places or times when you do need a car--but increased cycling would help answer SO many of our problems: global warming, the rampant increase in obesity, air quality in cities, our dependence on foreign oil... The list goes on and on. A wonderful prayer for a wonderful idea. I sold my car last year after I bought a bike with my stimulus money and after gas hit $4 a gallon. Best decision I ever made. I don't miss the thing at all. I hope and pray that more folks start riding. I know everyone can't do it–and there are places or times when you do need a car–but increased cycling would help answer SO many of our problems: global warming, the rampant increase in obesity, air quality in cities, our dependence on foreign oil… The list goes on and on.

]]> By: Ringer http://blog.sojo.net/2009/05/28/blessing-of-the-bicycles/comment-page-1/#comment-88735 Ringer Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:05:31 +0000 http://blog.sojo.net/?p=8949#comment-88735 A wonderful prayer for a wonderful idea. I sold my car last year after I bought a bike with my stimulus money and after gas hit $4 a gallon. Best decision I ever made. I don't miss the thing at all. I hope and pray that more folks start riding. I know everyone can't do it--and there are places or times when you do need a car--but increased cycling would help answer SO many of our problems: global warming, the rampant increase in obesity, air quality in cities, our dependence on foreign oil... The list goes on and on. A wonderful prayer for a wonderful idea. I sold my car last year after I bought a bike with my stimulus money and after gas hit $4 a gallon. Best decision I ever made. I don't miss the thing at all. I hope and pray that more folks start riding. I know everyone can't do it–and there are places or times when you do need a car–but increased cycling would help answer SO many of our problems: global warming, the rampant increase in obesity, air quality in cities, our dependence on foreign oil… The list goes on and on.

]]> By: squeaky http://blog.sojo.net/2009/05/28/blessing-of-the-bicycles/comment-page-1/#comment-88687 squeaky Fri, 29 May 2009 17:00:35 +0000 http://blog.sojo.net/?p=8949#comment-88687 My car blew a head gasket when I lived in Washington State, but fortunately I had a bike. It was probably the most freeing 6 months of my life. I had a job with a 20 mile round trip commute, but only a couple days a week. Fortunately, my great aunt lived in the town I worked, so I was able to stay with her some evenings. I invested in panniers so I could have the cargo space to bring home groceries. I walked or biked everywhere I needed to go. It was really a pretty fun lifestyle, one I even miss a little. In a nation where obesity is epidemic, I would think more thought would be put towards investing in a bike commuter system. My car blew a head gasket when I lived in Washington State, but fortunately I had a bike. It was probably the most freeing 6 months of my life. I had a job with a 20 mile round trip commute, but only a couple days a week. Fortunately, my great aunt lived in the town I worked, so I was able to stay with her some evenings. I invested in panniers so I could have the cargo space to bring home groceries. I walked or biked everywhere I needed to go. It was really a pretty fun lifestyle, one I even miss a little. In a nation where obesity is epidemic, I would think more thought would be put towards investing in a bike commuter system.

]]> By: Ngchen http://blog.sojo.net/2009/05/28/blessing-of-the-bicycles/comment-page-1/#comment-88629 Ngchen Thu, 28 May 2009 18:16:35 +0000 http://blog.sojo.net/?p=8949#comment-88629 While the prayer is admittedly tacky, I don't see why a push for more cycling (which is currently the most energy-efficient method of transport known) can't be a part of creation care.<br><br>Bikes can be in a sense not only utilitarian, but also egalitarian. Sure, someone can always get a $1000+ model, but decent rides are available for much less. And the increase in mobility, especially for those living in the city, can be huge for those who can't/won't get a car (I know that riding ~12 mph is around the same speed on average that a city bus goes). In terms of health, cyclists frequently use their commute to skip the gym (and reduce health-care costs). In addition, the increase in mobility would allow more inner-city folk to eat healthier by being able to get the veggies and fruits that the inner city markets tend not to have.<br><br>When one considers the benefits, one has to wonder why more effort isn't made to fund cycling infrastructure in towns and cities (my city recently spent $190 million for a needed interstate intersection - with that kind of money, we probably could have made ALL the major cities in the state top-rated in terms of bike friendliness.) Cycling dollars so far tend to be the leftover scraps in the budget. While the prayer is admittedly tacky, I don't see why a push for more cycling (which is currently the most energy-efficient method of transport known) can't be a part of creation care.

Bikes can be in a sense not only utilitarian, but also egalitarian. Sure, someone can always get a $1000+ model, but decent rides are available for much less. And the increase in mobility, especially for those living in the city, can be huge for those who can't/won't get a car (I know that riding ~12 mph is around the same speed on average that a city bus goes). In terms of health, cyclists frequently use their commute to skip the gym (and reduce health-care costs). In addition, the increase in mobility would allow more inner-city folk to eat healthier by being able to get the veggies and fruits that the inner city markets tend not to have.

When one considers the benefits, one has to wonder why more effort isn't made to fund cycling infrastructure in towns and cities (my city recently spent $190 million for a needed interstate intersection – with that kind of money, we probably could have made ALL the major cities in the state top-rated in terms of bike friendliness.) Cycling dollars so far tend to be the leftover scraps in the budget.

]]> By: csmith133 http://blog.sojo.net/2009/05/28/blessing-of-the-bicycles/comment-page-1/#comment-88617 csmith133 Thu, 28 May 2009 15:19:44 +0000 http://blog.sojo.net/?p=8949#comment-88617 As a UU minister and avid cyclist, I love this. Thank you so much for sharing it. As a UU minister and avid cyclist, I love this. Thank you so much for sharing it.

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