BikeWalkLee: Biking your way past high gas prices

BikeWalkLee Column ‘Go Coastal’
The News-Press, March 24, 2022
by Ken Gooderham

Image: lerecycleur.fr

First came the pandemic, shutting everything down with a lurch and teaching everyone how to wash their hands properly (and a lot).

Then came this season, when everyone who bought all those homes during lockdown decided to move down and drive around all at the same time.

Now comes the gas crunch, as pump prices (and Big Oil profits) soar.

Have we convinced you to dig out and dust off your bicycle yet?

These three events (perhaps “challenges” is a better term, since “disasters” may be too strong) encapsulate the benefits of bicycles.

In the pandemic, we saw that cycling was the perfect alternative to shuttered gyms, golf courses and pools. It was socially distanced exercise on your terms and in your neighborhoods, and a way to see people without getting too close.

Starting last fall, when the snowbirds (new and returning) flocked southward in droves, we saw how cycling could be a good alternative to crowded roadways and frayed tempers. Road traffic may stall to a crawl, but there’s rarely a backup on the bike path.

Now, with gas prices on the wrong side of $4 a gallon (and rising) and the world’s petroleum producers scrambling to steady markets unmoored by Russia’s rush to war, let’s offer a reminder that bikes can get you where you want to go for less – much less – by using your energy instead of the liquid variety dispensed at your local gas station.

How can you transition from petrol to pedal? Start small and be creative.

Look at the driving you do in a typical week… commutes to work or school, running errands or meeting friends, everything else.

Which of those could be done by bike… either because they’re short and won’t generate lots of things to carry (possible on a bike, but requiring preparation), or because they are on or near bike paths or lanes that would make the journey less jarring for the new (or newly returned) cyclist.

Think about trying one of these jaunts on your bike rather than your car, to see how it feels. Start slow and build up, and you might be able to restrict your vehicular running-around considerably with a matter of weeks.

Think of the gas money you’ll save… and the calories you’ll burn.

If your bike has been taking a break, be sure to show it a little love before you get back on the road. Pump up the tires, lube up the chain and brakes, and ensure that all the parts that help you go – and stop – are in good working order. You always want to start out safely and do whatever you can to avoid breakdowns that can strand you far from home.

Make sure you have a good lock (to ensure your ride is still waiting for you when you’re ready to head home), and have some way to carry a few things with you (since it’s almost inevitable you’ll need to). A simple basket or bike bag may suffice; in a pinch, a backpack will do – but you’ll often be more comfortable carrying things on your bike than on your back.

The more fit (or fanatical) might be able to leave the car behind completely, but the rest of us will still need to drive for some of our trips. Still, any running around that you can do by riding around is that much less gas you’ll need to buy.

Why not give it a try?

Let’s bike to baseball!

With spring training making a late start this year thanks to the contract dispute between owners and players, the game schedule has been scrambled. Nonetheless, the games kicked off last week and will run into early April… just in time to coincide with our seasonal traffic crescendo that builds to its finale around Easter.

Thus, it’s a good time to remind fans that the stadiums for both the Red Sox and Twins are easily accessible via bike, with bike paths and lanes making it a smooth ride for most – and possibly a faster ride than being stuck in traffic. (In particular, there are a few days when both teams will host home games… and you can expect Daniels Parkway to resemble a parking lot even more than normal.)

So why not avoid the crowds (at least on the roadways) and ride your bike to the baseball game? It will make that ballpark beer taste all the better.

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EVENTS 

FORT MYERS TRACK CLUB (ftmyerstrackclub.com):

• Scope for Hope 5K & 2 Mile Walk, Saturday, March 26, Jaycee Park, Cape Coral.
• Lovers Key Turtle Trot 5K, Saturday, May 14, 8 a.m., Lovers Key Park, Fort Myers Beach.
  

GC RUNNERS (gcrunner.org):

• 10K Run for Music, Saturday, April 19, 7:30 a.m., Pelican Bay, Naples
• Tropicool 5K, Saturday, May 14, downtown Naples.
  

ELITE EVENTS (runeliteevents.com):

• Paradise Coast Half Marathon, Sunday, April 24, North Collier Regional Park, Naples.
  

OTHER RUNS

• Average Joe 5K Run (you finish in the middle of the pack to win it), Sunday, April 10, North Collier Regional Park, Naples (active.com).
  

OTHER RIDES

• Broken 100 ride, Sunday, March 27, from Winn Dixie at Colonial Blvd. and Treeline Ave., Fort Myers.
• Costco/CRBC Golisano Children's Hospital Benefit Ride, Saturday, April 2. 40-mile fund-raiser, a no-drop ride to Naples from the Gulf Coast Town Center Costco. $25 minimum donation.
  

The Caloosa Riders are offering member rides, but some are open to non-members (and it wouldn’t hurt you to join the club); check their ride calendar (caloosariders.org) for a description of the distance and speed, and to see if the ride is open to all.

SW Florida Critical Mass is offering their usual slate of family-friendly rides. Check out their line-up online (www.meetup.com/Biking-SWFL/events/) for details and times (and to make sure the ride is still rolling).

• SW Florida Critical Mass ride, first Friday of the month. A family-friendly slow night ride through Fort Myers. Front and rear bike lights required. Helmet and lights required, meet in the parking lot at 2180 West First Street, Fort Myers. 
• Sanibel Critical Mass night ride, second Saturday of the month. Gathers at Jerry’s Shopping Center, 1700 Periwinkle Way, on Sanibel. Lights required, helmets recommended.
• NE Lee Critical Mass ride, third Friday of the month. Gather in the Winn Dixie parking lot on Palm Beach Blvd. about five miles east of the Interstate; gather at 7 p.m. and roll at 7:30 p.m. for a slow ride through Fort Myers Shores.
• Cape Coral Critical Mass ride, fourth Friday of the month. Gather at the Southwest Florida Military Museum parking lot at 4820 Leonard Street for a family-friendly night ride through the Cape; helmets and lights required.
• Saturday Morning Slow Roll, fourth Saturday of the month. Meet-up at 2160 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers. Recommended for inexperienced/young riders. Distance is 6 miles, includes group ride instruction.
  

TRIATHLONS

• Escape from Fort Desoto Triathlon, sprint tri, duathlon, aquabike, Saturday, April 16, Fort Desoto Park, St. Petersburg.
  
• St. Anthony’s Triathlon, Olympic and sprint, Sunday, May 1,  St. Petersburg (satriathlon.com/).
• Heartland Triathlon, sprint and Olympic tri, duathlon and aquabike, Sunday, June 5, Sebring (heartlandtri.com/).
• Siesta Key Sirens & Merman Triathlon, Sunday, June 26, Siesta Key (run941.com/).
  

 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR RIDE

Have a favorite route you like to bike, or a unique walk you’d like to share with others? Tell us about it at info@bikewalklee.org, and maybe we can feature it in an upcoming column.

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Ken Gooderham writes this on behalf of BikeWalkLee, a community coalition raising public awareness and advocating for complete streets in Lee County — streets that are designed, built, operated and maintained for safe and convenient travel for all users: pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities. Information, statistics and background online at bikewalklee.blogspot.com.