"When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race."

The good news: more and more states are moving towards bike-friendliness.

The bad news: Texas still ranks #41. On bike to work day I had a car pull up next to me and honk for no reason except, apparently, to see if he could get me to react. A friend had a truck pass him, pull in the bike lane, and suddenly stop just to try & make him crash. A cyclist in Alice was hit Wednesday and left on the road.

Do I deny that there are cyclists who don't follow the rules as they should? Definitely not; they are, in fact, one of the main reasons I usually ride alone.

But I beg drivers to think of it this way: if I'm on a bike, it means I'm not another car on the road. It means less traffic, so you get where you're going faster--and without speeding! What safety for cyclists really means is safety for everyone.

Also: It's 2MC season again! I've kicked it off with 16 miles the first week, hoping to bike more this weekend!

2 Mile Challenge Update

In the past week since starting the 2 Mile Challenge, I've biked ALMOST every day.

I did bail on my commute this morning as my cat did some things to make my life miserable this morning, delaying me to such an extent that driving was my only option. Am definitely hoping for better luck on Thursday!

ANYWAY! My Week 1 Total: 64.51 miles biked.

64.51 miles in one week.

Nearly 65 miles that I would've driven.

I don't think about it as I ride, but these miles--as few as 2 per day--really add up!

New goal: 400 miles biked by the end of October. And if I fall short...I'll pledge $100 to some sort of environmental charity (open to ideas in the comments). How about that?!

Challenge!

I may be a bit late with this, but I just discovered Clif Bars' 2-Mile Challenge.

I've signed up and will keep a running tally on my miles here per week. It sounds like a great way to a) encourage more biking b) reduce trips by car and c) make money for a good cause!

Two miles isn't as far as you think; they have a handy tool that lets you input an address and get a 2-mile "bubble" from that address. There is a TON of stuff within 2 miles of my house!