Jefflog

With gas prices being sky high, I see more articles devoted towards tips to save gas. Among the usual “carpool to work”, “combine your errands”, and “drive the speed limit” tips, there’s inevitably some suggestion like “Walk or ride a bike for short errands.”

While I can’t argue that riding a bike for short errands will save you some gas money, it’s not going to be much. I’ve also found it’s usually not worth the routine of perhaps changing my clothes, then putting on my helmet and bike shoes, riding the mile down to the grocery store, take off helmet, lock up bike, change shoes, buy groceries, try to fit groceries in small pannier bags, change shoes, unlock bike, put on helmet, ride one mile back home, take off helmet, and change shoes yet again. Granted, this scenario would be better if I didn’t have those fancy schmancy bike shoes to deal with, but it’s still a lot of hassle for 10 minutes of exercise and a savings of 1/10th a gallon of fuel.

I think it’s the medium-length errands that pay off much more. Riding to the Wild Oats grocery store that’s 8 miles away gives me a full hour of riding pleasure and saves more than 1/2 gallon of gas, with no more hassle than the short trip.

Yes, I understand that not everyone is capable of riding for 16 miles, in which case maybe starting off with those short errands makes more sense. I’ll continue to do the short errands anyway, but that’s more because we’ve only got one car in the family and I don’t have any other choice if I need to go to the store during the week. Perhaps I’d get more satisfaction if I took the long way around to the grocery store instead.