Initially,
I gave up my car for one month for a whole lot of reasons,
but primarily to see if it was possible to navigate Los
Angeles, a city known for its freeways and traffic, on a
bike. At the time, gas prices were nearing two dollars a
gallon. I thought the price was fair, maybe even a little
bit low. We were heading into a war, which clearly seemed
related to an American oil addiction. And it just wasn't
something I wanted to be part of. So I figured I'd try to
be part of the solution instead of continuing on as another
gas guzzling freak. After a month on my bike, I didn't want
to get out of the saddle. Leaving the auto parked allowed
me to discover the city in a new and amazing way. Suddenly,
getting around town was exhilarating. Los Angeles became
my playground.
I
arrived at destinations sweaty and covered in city grime.
And the people I came in contact with always asked a lot
of questions. About routes, traffic, distances, etc. I got
sick of repeating myself, so I started Saddlesore, a journal
chronicling the humdrum adventures of an everyday cyclist.
Cycling
is much more addictive than gasoline.
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