As a young girl, I'd ride my bike everywhere - store, school, to see friends,
etc. Even in college you could catch me on two wheels. But as I grew older, I
had to go to work in an office and lived out in the country, so my bike fell into
disuse. I drove my car everywhere, and soon it felt as if I had traded my feet
for rubber tires.

I live in the suburbs now, and you'd think I'd be married to my car over here -
you know, the whole "suburban mom" stereotype of a woman with 2.5 kids,
a brick McMansion, and a large white SUV with soccer stickers glued to the
windows. Well, none of that is true. I live in an older suburb, with sidewalks,
a public swimming pool, the school, a grocery store, and a pharmacy, all
within easy walking distance. But I don't walk - I've begun to ride my bike
again!

I have a beach comber bike, with a basket and fenders. It's sturdy and wide,
so it's very durable on the road. I ride it in the morning and evening, when the
heat of the day is still bearable. My son follows me on his Mud Shark bike,
which we outfitted for about $40 to make it street ready. Of course, we wear
helmets, though they still don't substitute for the ultimate bike safety rule:
always believe that cars don't see you!

Many people believe that Texas isn't the greatest place in the world to rely
on pedal power. Granted, it is HOT, and many drivers in the newer suburbs
are not bike conscious at all. Thankfully, my town has no law against riding
on sidewalks...

I can now go ten miles on my bike on one trip with no problem, and my jeans
feel a little looser (not by much, though, because I still enjoy eating!). But
because I take my bike to the store, use a canvas shopping bag instead of
relying on plastic, and recycle as if it were my religion, I feel as if I am doing
at least SOMETHING towards good stewardship for this wonderful planet I'll
be leaving to my son.
My mountain bike, which I sold to get a beach
comber style (the mountain bike's seat was
WAY too hard). Also, I like handle bars that
allow me to set upright, not leaning over.

What kind of bike do you prefer? Send me a
picture and I'll post it here!
Remember to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!
What do you do to reduce your dependency
on oil? If you have any suggestions, I'd love to
share them! Just shoot me an e-mail!
Saving the
Planet on a Bike