The Money Mustache Community
General Discussion => Throw Down the Gauntlet => Topic started by: yolfer on January 31, 2013, 02:29:59 PM
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Last month we had 35 riders and a collective 3,883 miles (6,248 km)! That's more miles than in December!
Also I'm psyched to report that we've logged a total of 14,737 miles (23,717 km) since the monthly challenges started! That's more than half way AROUND THE EARTH!
We've stopped over 7 US tons (6.7 tonnes) of CO2 from being polluted! All while getting fit, having fun, and saving $.
Here's the new spreadsheet for February:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Am8qaK8Qf80edERXRG15N19aOTBpRTQxR3ExZkFoRmc
If you contributed miles to the January challenge, you already have a page on the spreadsheet set up for you. Please let me know if you see any errors on the spreadsheet or need some help getting your name on there (for new riders).
Just to keep things interesting, names on the spreadsheet are organized by most miles logged in January (as of this morning).
How are everyone's biking resolutions keeping up? Let's hear it in the comments.
Lastly, we usually have a random biking question to answer on the Master page of the spreadsheet. Anyone want to add one? (in the past we've had "what's your bike" and "average temp in your location")
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Man, I like seeing the "Ever" stats. Good job!
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Also, I'm stealing your format for making a running challenge.
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Thanks Yolfer! I added the random biking question "Favorite/Most Beautiful place you've ever ridden (or would like to) ride". I was inspired by a quote from Louis L'Amour "Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen". Seemed appropriate for biking.
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Thanks for setting this up again. I wanted to commute into work again today on my bike, however after Wednesdays effort my arse is still bruised to hell and I can't actually sit on the bike. Hoping it's recovered by Monday so I can get on it again. Out of the 19 work days this month I'm hoping to commute by bike 10 times (arse willing).
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Thanks for setting this up again. I wanted to commute into work again today on my bike, however after Wednesdays effort my arse is still bruised to hell and I can't actually sit on the bike. Hoping it's recovered by Monday so I can get on it again. Out of the 19 work days this month I'm hoping to commute by bike 10 times (arse willing).
It sounded like you were pushing a bit too hard after a long layoff. Work your way up to it man. Anyone can hop on a bike and do 20 miles . . . few can do it comfortably three days in row without getting in shape. Do short runs to get groceries and run errands until your body is adapted.
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Thanks Yolfer! We should be able to go 'round the world in a calendar year - what do you think? This month has 20 weekdays...I'd like to go 20/20. Freezing rain is the only thing I'm not keen to ride in - hopefully there won't be any!
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I was MIA in January. Well, technically I was in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands for about two weeks. I did bike one day on vacation. I took a bike excursion that drives you up to just below the snow line on Cotopaxi Volcano then you ride down. Did that on my 40th birthday. What a ride! Didn't get to do the whole ride since my best friend took a couple of bad spills so I had to sit in the truck with her for a bit. She ended up breaking a wrist and getting six stitches. Yikes! I came back to kitchen renos and nasty weather so biking hasn't started up again yet. That starts Monday morning.
Edit: I just looked at the sheet and I'm not on it. Can you add me Yolfer? Thanks!
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Thanks for setting this up again. I wanted to commute into work again today on my bike, however after Wednesdays effort my arse is still bruised to hell and I can't actually sit on the bike. Hoping it's recovered by Monday so I can get on it again. Out of the 19 work days this month I'm hoping to commute by bike 10 times (arse willing).
It sounded like you were pushing a bit too hard after a long layoff. Work your way up to it man. Anyone can hop on a bike and do 20 miles . . . few can do it comfortably three days in row without getting in shape. Do short runs to get groceries and run errands until your body is adapted.
But, but.... I thought it would be easy.
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I was MIA in January. Well, technically I was in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands for about two weeks. I did bike one day on vacation. I took a bike excursion that drives you up to just below the snow line on Cotopaxi Volcano then you ride down. Did that on my 40th birthday. What a ride! Didn't get to do the whole ride since my best friend took a couple of bad spills so I had to sit in the truck with her for a bit. She ended up breaking a wrist and getting six stitches. Yikes! I came back to kitchen renos and nasty weather so biking hasn't started up again yet. That starts Monday morning.
Edit: I just looked at the sheet and I'm not on it. Can you add me Yolfer? Thanks!
Added you! Welcome back to the biking challenge! Happy Belated B-day!
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Also, I'm stealing your format for making a running challenge.
Great idea! I'll join next month's running challenge, when I start training for a 1/2 marathon.
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Thanks Yolfer! I added the random biking question "Favorite/Most Beautiful place you've ever ridden (or would like to) ride". I was inspired by a quote from Louis L'Amour "Too often I would hear men boast of the miles covered that day, rarely of what they had seen". Seemed appropriate for biking.
Great question! That's a good quote. Gotta remember that when I start getting to serious on the saddle.
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Thanks Yolfer! We should be able to go 'round the world in a calendar year - what do you think? This month has 20 weekdays...I'd like to go 20/20. Freezing rain is the only thing I'm not keen to ride in - hopefully there won't be any!
Yes, I think we can do it! If we did 1/2 way around the world in 4 months, we can go the rest of the way in the next 8! Maybe we can try to go around the world twice!
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Just wondering, but any way we could get a cumulative yearly total of miles ridden in the sheet?
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One more month until my 1st anniversary of riding to work all the time! (well, close to it - I think it was the 2nd week of March last year that I started). Once I get there, this should be cake.
I made it through riding to work on a bicycle in January in Buffalo. I had to drive a bit, mostly due to wind! This week was bad and we're getting pounded with some lake effect right now. We'll see what February throws at me.
Also added to the mix - I'm doing a weight loss challenge at work again this year and one requirement is that if you don't lose 1% in a given week (which is mostly impossible anyways), you have to do 5 miles of extra cardio. Each month, 5 miles get added so soon it'll be 10 miles, etc. I've pledged that I will do my extra miles on top of what I ride as part of my commute. I don't have access to indoor cardio equipment, so it's out in the snow for me!
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I added a tab for myself but do not see where I am added on the Master Summary.
On the plus side, I just moved - bike commuting here I come!
Edit: I figured it out.
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Just wondering, but any way we could get a cumulative yearly total of miles ridden in the sheet?
Yes! Look at cell B54, "Total Distance EVER"
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Back in the saddle this morning. It was much more comfy and I knocked 4 minutes off the commute into work on the first ride last week. Feeling good.
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Just wondering, but any way we could get a cumulative yearly total of miles ridden in the sheet?
Yes! Look at cell B54, "Total Distance EVER"
I was actually thinking of an individual yearly total for each person. :P
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Pretty cold this morning, but not too bad. Bright and sunny. I had to blink a bit when I got to the train station and realized I'd have to fight for space on the bike rack. In February. In BOSTON. Climate change is totally real.
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Could you toss me on the sheet? Now that I have a bike and have discovered that I can make it a good percent of the way to work I'd love to contribute to the challenge :D
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Can you add me to the sheet? I'll be starting next week now that my health is improving.
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SwordGuy and norvilion, I added both of you. Welcome! Let us know if you have any questions. Have you seen the Winter Bike Commuting thread?
https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/winter-bike-comute/
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Thanks, and sure thing. I think I've glanced over the thread but haven't read it in full detail. Luckily it seems for the moment the weather is on an upturn over here, with it being a nice 42F tomorrow morning. Main thing I'm going to have to power through is my mostly-uphill morning commute ('twill be tough, but if I can make that I'll definitely be on the path to getting good endurance :D)
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Ugh, a bit pissed this morning, I was wanting to bike but the weather forecasted snow so I drove. Got to work, it's sunny with not a cloud in the sky. It better get baltic later otherwise I'm not going to be happy.
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The saddest sight ever - a bike on the front of a bus. Worse when it's YOUR bike.
Last night, just as my train pulled in, I realized I'd left my front bike light charging on my desk at work. The road I ride home from the station on is rough, lots of little potholes and cracks that can knock you over. I didn't feel safe riding without it, so I unchained fast and made it to the bus just as it was about to pull away.
I'm not very mechanically inclined, so figuring out how the bike rack worked in the two seconds I had before I had to use it was interesting. :)
The first thing I did when I got to work today was pop the light into my bike bag. I'm all set to go for tonight.
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It was drizzly with a threat of rain when I left this morning. I thought about turning back but didn't and was rewarded with a relaxing ride home.
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Dang! Had a four day weekend for jr. high school entrance exams so haven't been in the saddle for a few days! Gonna get back on it today.
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Nice rides yesterday and today. Had to pull out the winter bike again today because there was snow on the roads from an unexpected flurry last night. It was a gorgeous ride this morning, blue sky and white lawns, without a lot of ice on the roads.
I've pre-emptively declared Friday a work-from-home day, since we're expecting a nor'easter to drop about a metric ton of snow on us from Thursday night through Saturday. If it's bad enough, the company may close Friday altogether - we're pretty happy to declare snow-days whenever the situation calls for it. :)
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Driving to work tomorrow - my leg strength isn't quite up to par. I'll get there sooner rather than later but I want the habit to stick (although I'm pretty sure it already has, the thought of driving in tomorrow is depressing.).
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Twice this week for me so I'm happy,
Driving to work tomorrow - my leg strength isn't quite up to par. I'll get there sooner rather than later but I want the habit to stick (although I'm pretty sure it already has, the thought of driving in tomorrow is depressing.).
I can empathise with this. My leg strength isn't quite there yet, they feel tired and I'm starting to ache a bit. I'm offsetting the driving blues with the knowledge that even though I'm driving today and tomorrow, I've ridden more miles than I've driven.
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I never actually unpacked my bike from my car on Tuesday and worked from home yesterday. Getting in the car this morning I wasn't sure if I would bike or not, slightly chillier weather and possibility of rain later. As I drove down the high-speed/high-traffic roads next to my house I realized that I actually wanted to bike this morning so I altered my route slightly to park by the university football field and took my usual route.
It's rather nice, apparently I've gained endurance enough after just 2 commutes worth of riding that it isn't nearly so troublesome of an experience. Slow/low-traffic road to start out with, followed by a ride through the park, a good challenging stretch of uphill bike lanes afterwards and finish off with a mostly downhill stretch. The real kicker is that I get to the office at about the same time thanks to the time gained by not walking a half-mile from my parking spot to get to the building.
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Looks like 10 - 15 cm of snow on the bike home tonight. Glad I biked, as it takes me more time to drive in these kind of conditions.
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Reporting in from north of Boston, as we prepare for Snowmageddon 2013.
I didn't have to commute today - work was cancelled due to the oncoming storm. I had to drive my room mate in to the station for work, though (I hate her employers) so I was up at the crack of dawn. Then for the hell of it I went for a bike ride anyway, since I’m about to be shut in for two days!
It wasn’t all that cold -- I didn't even have to bust out the winter bike or the serious gloves -- and the snow was just starting to come down. I was out for about an hour, I guess, and found a new, less trafficky route to the train station. More hills, but less chance of death by crazy driver, so that's a win.
Everybody is seriously battening down for the weekend here -– I think I saw about fifty SUVs unloading piles of groceries and water bottles while I was out. I hope everybody in the area is tucked in safe and warm (and has their shovels handy!)
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I live 13 miles from work for now, and my work doesn't have showers (they do but you have to have a membership to the gym to use them - maybe the $16/month would be worth the savings, but I'm not sure I want to bike 26 miles ...).
I have decided not to use my car ... ever from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning. I started that mid-january and have biked ~50 miles since then. 20 miles last Saturday + ~5 on Friday. 3-4 the weekend before that. 12-15 the weekend before that. (plus short trips during the week).
Temperature started around 25 last Saturday, but I was in a light biking jacket and a t-shirt by the time it hit 45.
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No ride for me today. We've got about 25 cm of snow forecasted so the roads are pretty bad. It's been coming down steady since I got up this morning. I walk in these conditions instead. It's a nice walk.
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It's going to be a while before I can get my bike back out to the road....
(http://i.imgur.com/yKrFgYel.jpg)
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Someone's being a complainy pants . . .
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Well, there's my first experience getting honked at on my way to work. I was indeed going a bit slower than normal (fairly tired this morning) but they honked as they were passing me with no oncoming cars. Mostly I was befuddled by what their problem was, and slightly amused by the fact that they were getting irritated at a biker while driving an Audi SUV in a bit of a rich neighborhood (with a red light right ahead no less, so I had plenty of time waiting there when I caught up).
Edit: Oh hey, I suppose this was a fitting post for me to go from the stubble title to bristles :P
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Well, there's my first experience getting honked at on my way to work. I was indeed going a bit slower than normal (fairly tired this morning) but they honked as they were passing me with no oncoming cars. Mostly I was befuddled by what their problem was, and slightly amused by the fact that they were getting irritated at a biker while driving an Audi SUV in a bit of a rich neighborhood (with a red light right ahead no less, so I had plenty of time waiting there when I caught up).
Edit: Oh hey, I suppose this was a fitting post for me to go from the stubble title to bristles :P
The only people I've had some stick from so far are colleagues driving past me on the way home. I've mostly only met really considerate drivers so far, or at least not met one that actively wants to run me off the road.
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Well, there's my first experience getting honked at on my way to work. I was indeed going a bit slower than normal (fairly tired this morning) but they honked as they were passing me with no oncoming cars. Mostly I was befuddled by what their problem was, and slightly amused by the fact that they were getting irritated at a biker while driving an Audi SUV in a bit of a rich neighborhood (with a red light right ahead no less, so I had plenty of time waiting there when I caught up).
Edit: Oh hey, I suppose this was a fitting post for me to go from the stubble title to bristles :P
When I get honked at I just give the driver a big smile and wave. Then they think that I think they were honking in a friendly manner which brings about one of two things:
- They get their head out of their ass and smile back at me
- They become filled with rage and jealousy, speeding away, never to be seen again
Either way, I win!
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Well, there's my first experience getting honked at on my way to work. I was indeed going a bit slower than normal (fairly tired this morning) but they honked as they were passing me with no oncoming cars. Mostly I was befuddled by what their problem was, and slightly amused by the fact that they were getting irritated at a biker while driving an Audi SUV in a bit of a rich neighborhood (with a red light right ahead no less, so I had plenty of time waiting there when I caught up).
Edit: Oh hey, I suppose this was a fitting post for me to go from the stubble title to bristles :P
When I get honked at I just give the driver a big smile and wave. Then they think that I think they were honking in a friendly manner which brings about one of two things:
- They get their head out of their ass and smile back at me
- They become filled with rage and jealousy, speeding away, never to be seen again
Either way, I win!
I got to remember to do this. Thanks for the tip!
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Someone's being a complainy pants . . .
LOL
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Well, there's my first experience getting honked at on my way to work. I was indeed going a bit slower than normal (fairly tired this morning) but they honked as they were passing me with no oncoming cars. Mostly I was befuddled by what their problem was, and slightly amused by the fact that they were getting irritated at a biker while driving an Audi SUV in a bit of a rich neighborhood (with a red light right ahead no less, so I had plenty of time waiting there when I caught up).
Edit: Oh hey, I suppose this was a fitting post for me to go from the stubble title to bristles :P
Congrats on the bristles. Whenever I get honked or yelled at, I always think of this article:
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/road.html
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Be careful out there! I know biking in the winter is badass, but it can also be incredibly dangerous, especially if you're so dedicated to biking that you don't give it up despite snow or ice (like I did last winter which caused a scary wipeout).
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On the Anti-badass front, Florida continues to have a gorgeous, mild winter. Temps today were 79, sunshine..I rode 30 miles to clear my head after an annoying day at work. :-)
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That must have been so awful.
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Awesome ride home tonight, we had a bit of a snow storm, which made it interesting. Snow really hurts if it hits you in the eye, so I mostly rode along with one eye open at a time.
Now I've ridden in the snow I've no excuse to not do it in any other weather type now.
I also had my first road rage driver wind their window down and shout something that I didn't hear properly, I was cycling a little more into the road than usual as the snow was building up at the edge and I didn't want to slip off and go under a car. I'll be cycling tomorrow so I hope it clears up a little bit.
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Definitely a good idea biking more into the road in that kind of weather. I know before I started cycling myself when bikes rode on the edge of the lane I was under the assumption that they were basically saying "You don't have to give me much room, I'll be fine if you stay fully in this lane while you pass me". Now that I've started biking I know that cars passing within a few feet of you can be rather intimidating, so I tend to ride on the right 1/3 of the lane. I figure if there isn't enough room for a car to slip by and still stay in the lane they are more likely to give me more room as they pass ("Well, if I have to get in the other lane for this silly slow bike I might as well go full out so I can zoom by with zeal").
You may consider some construction glasses for riding. They don't take away vision like sunglasses can and they double as safety glasses if you do any DIY work that would require them. A lot of them don't look half bad either.
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A comment to the money saved bit on the spreadsheets:
Since Im in a northern european country gas costs no less than 2.3$ per liter, around 9.2$ per gallon, which should almost triple my monetary contribution to the dollars saved section :)
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A comment to the money saved bit on the spreadsheets:
Since Im in a northern european country gas costs no less than 2.3$ per liter, around 9.2$ per gallon, which should almost triple my monetary contribution to the dollars saved section :)
I added my own calculations at the bottom of my page - gallons saved (based on my car's mileage) and amount saved (based on a conservative price per mile upkeep). It made the totals mean more to me, just a thought!
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First ride yesterday, a wimpy 1.5 miles. Legs were rubber afterwards. I'm going to ride on our compound at work for a week or so, the speed limit is low and there is very little traffic.
I need to build up my legs before I can bike 6 miles. Plus, I'm not really safe on the road yet. I'm not used to the gears and brakes yet. (I haven't ridden a bike in about 30 years and those brakes stop the bike a lot more suddenly than they did in the olden days.) I'm going to ride at lunch until I build up my endurance and can handle the bike in open traffic in a safe manner.
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A comment to the money saved bit on the spreadsheets:
Since Im in a northern european country gas costs no less than 2.3$ per liter, around 9.2$ per gallon, which should almost triple my monetary contribution to the dollars saved section :)
I added my own calculations at the bottom of my page - gallons saved (based on my car's mileage) and amount saved (based on a conservative price per mile upkeep). It made the totals mean more to me, just a thought!
I just did the same, though I've only calculated the fuel cost not upkeep. I was also not seeing much of a benefit looking at the $ savings. Turns out I've saved a fair bit of money this month, on track for £30 saving.
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A comment to the money saved bit on the spreadsheets:
Since Im in a northern european country gas costs no less than 2.3$ per liter, around 9.2$ per gallon, which should almost triple my monetary contribution to the dollars saved section :)
I added my own calculations at the bottom of my page - gallons saved (based on my car's mileage) and amount saved (based on a conservative price per mile upkeep). It made the totals mean more to me, just a thought!
I just did the same, though I've only calculated the fuel cost not upkeep. I was also not seeing much of a benefit looking at the $ savings. Turns out I've saved a fair bit of money this month, on track for £30 saving.
For me, the vast majority of my biking replaces public transit trips. A 30-day pass costs $100, so I'm saving $100... before you take bike expenses into consideration. The bike itself, maintenance, specialty gear (like my pannier, lights, etc), and so forth. So I'm certainly saving, but I haven't saved that much. The cost should go down with time, and as I learn to do my own maintenance.
But there's other benefits, like weightloss. When I started biking I made a number of other life changes, and now I'm down 45lbs, so that's nice.
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A comment to the money saved bit on the spreadsheets:
Since Im in a northern european country gas costs no less than 2.3$ per liter, around 9.2$ per gallon, which should almost triple my monetary contribution to the dollars saved section :)
I added my own calculations at the bottom of my page - gallons saved (based on my car's mileage) and amount saved (based on a conservative price per mile upkeep). It made the totals mean more to me, just a thought!
I just did the same, though I've only calculated the fuel cost not upkeep. I was also not seeing much of a benefit looking at the $ savings. Turns out I've saved a fair bit of money this month, on track for £30 saving.
For me, the vast majority of my biking replaces public transit trips. A 30-day pass costs $100, so I'm saving $100... before you take bike expenses into consideration. The bike itself, maintenance, specialty gear (like my pannier, lights, etc), and so forth. So I'm certainly saving, but I haven't saved that much. The cost should go down with time, and as I learn to do my own maintenance.
But there's other benefits, like weightloss. When I started biking I made a number of other life changes, and now I'm down 45lbs, so that's nice.
Good ideas all around! Actually money saved on public transport makes more sense for me as well since I've driven to work a grand total of one time in 6,5 years in the same place. Bus one way is $3, a monthly pass is close to $100. I'm also not in this for the money saving, but for the way it makes me feel and relate to my work in the mornings especially. A world of difference in the mornings spent on the bus versus the ones spent on the saddle!
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I'm going to throw down a mini-gauntlet to myself: thus far I have made it to the 18th using a little more than half a tank of gas (I last filled up on January 28th). I challenge myself, and anyone else able to join at this late hour, to go the entire month of February on one tank of gas.
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In...
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I know I'm new here, and this is my first post, but I can't think of a better way to start. :) I'd like to contribute my mileage, too. I started riding to work the beginning of last August, and have used the car or motorcycle to commute less than a handful of times since then (hard to carry a wife and 6 month old daughter by bike ;) ). Often I'll work from home one day a week for whatever reason. It's a 33 mile round trip to work, sometimes I'll add some miles on by going to Costco or another errand on the way home. Since August, I've commute by bike 87 days, so about 3000 miles including side trips, not including recreational riding. This month it's been 11 bike commute days, the rest were work from home or taking a day off.
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Since August, I've commute by bike 87 days, so about 3000 miles including side trips, not including recreational riding. This month it's been 11 bike commute days, the rest were work from home or taking a day off.
Awesome! I started biking around the same time, but you've put on 3X the mileage :-) It's been a real life changer. When I started I had to stop at least 2 times on my commute home to catch my breath and now I'm trying to find ways to extend my ride! Feel great too. Lost 15 lbs (230 to 215).
What have you noticed since you started biking in August?
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What have you noticed since you started biking in August?
That's a great question! I've always used the bike as a commuting tool; although before MMM I tended to bike only 40-50% of the time. Since mid August 19 (6 months ago) I've biked a total of 92 days or 1470km for commuting purposes. I've done much more including biking and mountain biking as a hobby.
I didn't drive at all in Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov. I drove 3 days in Dec, 7 days in January and 3 days in February. The rest of the days were vacation/holiday/sick etc. Most of the days I drove in were due to freezing rain or being sick.
I have lost ten pounds of weight (down from 184 to 174). This could also be due to the pushups and squats challenges I've been doing to. Also, we've made alot of changes to our diet. This includes the total elimination of bread and traditional cereal.
What have I really noticed though? I notice the beauty in falling snow, invigorating wind, sunny days, rain on my face, biking in the dark, reducing stress and much more!
I've also noticed cars idling in driveways with nobody in them (due to the use of the most anti-Mustachian device I know - a remote starter to 'warm' up the car). People hunkered down, freezing their asses off, while sitting in their cars at red lights. Subsequently, the same people telling me I must be crazy to bike in such cold conditions.
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What have you noticed since you started biking in August?
That's a great question! I've always used the bike as a commuting tool; although before MMM I tended to bike only 40-50% of the time. Since mid August 19 (6 months ago) I've biked a total of 92 days or 1470km for commuting purposes. I've done much more including biking and mountain biking as a hobby.
Woah! August 19th was 6 months ago today! That's actually the date of my first adult bicycle ride. I rented a bike from my LBS and recruited 2 of my co-workers to teach me the ropes.
We set out from my place and it took me 33 minutes (downhill) to cover the 5.6 miles to work. I know this because one of my co-workers had a bike mounted GPS unit. He later uploaded the ride to Strava. The return trip (uphill) took a ghastly 1 hour and 3 minutes. I nearly died ;-). That doesn't count the half hour break we took at work. I now routinely get home in under 30 minutes without trying.
I have a spreadsheet where I track all my rides (in addition to these monthly challenges) and have cycled 936 miles to date (gosh darn-it, so close to 1k).
Crazy.
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What have you noticed since you started biking in August?
I started in September after my summer vacation. Since then I've biked 2810 km or 1746 miles with 120+ days of riding (according to Runkeeper and Gympact). I've noticed that I have wayyyy more energy and sleep really well. I was having lots of problems with sleep before I started riding but now I'm like baby. I also am more trim. I didn't have a weight problem even before I started biking but I can tell my body is more tone.
Probably the biggest difference is in my mood. My stress levels have dropped dramatically and I feel like riding a bike is actually fun! I look forward to getting up and doing it.
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I'm looking forward to warmer days myself. It was -22 and windy this morning, and I can't help but think that not needing to bike 22 miles in skipants and a heavy coat will make the commute much faster.
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Since August, I've commute by bike 87 days, so about 3000 miles including side trips, not including recreational riding. This month it's been 11 bike commute days, the rest were work from home or taking a day off.
Awesome! I started biking around the same time, but you've put on 3X the mileage :-) It's been a real life changer. When I started I had to stop at least 2 times on my commute home to catch my breath and now I'm trying to find ways to extend my ride! Feel great too. Lost 15 lbs (230 to 215).
What have you noticed since you started biking in August?
That's awesome that you stuck with it, and that you've adapted to the physical part! I bet the weight loss is just one of the upsides you've noticed from cycling, there are more.
It wasn't really a physical thing for me. I'm 31, and started cycling heavily when I was 14 while my family was living in Germany, so it's nothing new for me. I did an ironman race in 2010 along with some other triathlons, run 5Ks and half- and full marathons, just enjoy staying in shape overall (not trying to toot my own horn, just giving some background).
The big reason was mental health. Since moving to Atlanta in 2006, I've commuted to work via motorcycle... and almost every single day I'd get to work stressed, frustrated, angry, or depressed because of the selfishness/carelessness/assholeness of the people around me. I'd be useless at work for 15-30 minutes. After a long day, arriving at home in the same state. I envy people who don't let idiots get to them... but try as hard as might to shrug things off, I get agitated. Anyway... we welcomed our first child into the world at the end of July 2012. I wanted to use my time efficiently and still get a workout in, so rather than running 7 miles or strength training over lunch, I switched to bike commuting. I'm guaranteed two workouts a day, save gas and wear and tear on the car, enjoy all kinds of weather, and most importantly, I get to work energized, and I get home with a smile on my face. While I still interact with traffic, it's different. I couldn't remove the drivers that were causing me stress, so I removed myself from them instead. Sure, people still do stupid things, but it's much easier to brush off when you only see the person for a few seconds, rather than having to be in their vicinity for miles. Anyway, enough rambling... that's the difference since August, I'm mentally healthier. :)
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Awesome ride this morning in a couple of inches of snow. I do however wish they would keep the cars off the road so they didn't make such a slippery mess. The snow is fine the slush sucks.
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Hey all--
This is for any federal employees. You can claim $20/month for every month you bike-commute to work 50% of the time. Its a reimbursement for bike stuff; bike, bike parts, bike clothing, bike maintenance, a gym membership (if you use it 'to shower' and 'change clothes' after biking!!) etc. For instance if you bought a bike in March, you could claim $20 worth of the purchase price each month till the end of the calendar year. Apparently it would be best to make your purchases early in the year.
Not a lot but definitaly a little icing on the cake--
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I wish we had something like this in Canada!!
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Hey all--
This is for any federal employees. You can claim $20/month for every month you bike-commute to work 50% of the time. Its a reimbursement for bike stuff; bike, bike parts, bike clothing, bike maintenance, a gym membership (if you use it 'to shower' and 'change clothes' after biking!!) etc. For instance if you bought a bike in March, you could claim $20 worth of the purchase price each month till the end of the calendar year. Apparently it would be best to make your purchases early in the year.
Not a lot but definitaly a little icing on the cake--
I've heard of this but not all agencies have the bicycle transportation subsidy program (mine doesn't). Ours subsidizes public transit and vanpools etc but unfortunately not bicycles yet. Check with an HR person for your agency for details.
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dang, that's lame. I found it under our bus and vanpool program; it was almost hidden, not a lot of support...
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:(
I am unfortunately out of the challenge for the rest of this month and next month. I finally got the MRI results for my long-term achilles tendonosis, and it wasn't pretty - I've been put in a walking cast until March 21, after which I'll be re-evaluated to see if I can return to normal activity.
I guess there's a bright side - there's a chance, this way, that I'll be back on my bike by the time we start getting warm weather. But days like today that's not very comforting. We had a brief but heavy snow last night - the trees are all white from snow this morning, shining all pale gold in the sun, against a deep blue sky, and everything was all hushed and still.
It was lovely even from the car, but I hated that I was driving through it instead of riding.
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:(
I am unfortunately out of the challenge for the rest of this month and next month. I finally got the MRI results for my long-term achilles tendonosis, and it wasn't pretty - I've been put in a walking cast until March 21, after which I'll be re-evaluated to see if I can return to normal activity.
:-( Good luck with your recovery!
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:(
I am unfortunately out of the challenge for the rest of this month and next month. I finally got the MRI results for my long-term achilles tendonosis, and it wasn't pretty - I've been put in a walking cast until March 21, after which I'll be re-evaluated to see if I can return to normal activity.
I guess there's a bright side - there's a chance, this way, that I'll be back on my bike by the time we start getting warm weather. But days like today that's not very comforting. We had a brief but heavy snow last night - the trees are all white from snow this morning, shining all pale gold in the sun, against a deep blue sky, and everything was all hushed and still.
It was lovely even from the car, but I hated that I was driving through it instead of riding.
That's a major bummer. I can empathize since I've been battling very stubborn tendonitis in my elbow for the past year. My only advice is to be patient. I tried to continue to ignore mine and it only got worse. More recently, one of my achilles started to flare up after I increased my running mileage so I immediately backed off. Tendons can super difficult and heal painfully slow. Good luck with your recovery.
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Put some bar ends on my winter commuter and cut the handlebars down a bit (they felt really wide). Wow does that make a difference for the better!
I just had the most beautiful 18 km (11 mile) bike in to work this morning! Temperatures were finally positive (1 degree C!) and there was only a 15 kph headwind and with the lower position with the bar ends I was going much faster than usual (made the ride in a little under 45 minutes). Looking forward to tonight's ride home . . . should have a 40kph tailwind pushing me according to the weather network!
EDIT - 40kph E apparently means the wind is coming from the East, not going to the East. Sigh. Brutal headwinds home were unexpected. :P
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Hey Y'all,
It's been fun reading everyone's cycling adventures this month!
Here's a jump start on the March cycling spreadsheet for tomorrow:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Am8qaK8Qf80edENEMVh4ZkJEOC1SRm51S0hyWnRwZEE&usp=sharing
I'll start a new forum thread tonight or tomorrow morn, with cumulative stats and excited exclamation points!! Unless someone else feels motivated to beat me to the punch! Feel free.
As always, please check to make sure I got your name on the march spreadsheet, and you're ready to rock for the first monthly challenge that includes Springtime! We'll see if we actually get any spring-like weather!
Names are sorted by February's mileage as of a couple hours ago.
Let me know if you have any questions. Happy Cycling!
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Good work on putting this together. Can I get in on March?
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I somehow totally missed this thread last month! I wish I'd known as it would have been fun to track my monthly mileage. But I took the liberty of adding myself to the spreadsheet (hope I did it right). Looking forward to participating in March!
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dave1, I added you to the spreadsheet. You're in!
Andrew, you did it right!
Everyone else, I'm about to post the March challenge topic. See ya there!