smog > smug

This summer, I've been driving to work.  I hate it.  I realized that when I bike to work, I feel smug about it because I feel like I am personally improving the air quality.

With the current wildfires in Santa Clarita, there is a considerable amount of particulate matter in the air.  Several biking events (626 Golden Streets, the Tour de Laemmle) have been postponed due to poor air quality.  It's one thing to blame the air quality on wildfires, but the truth is that there are many things we all do on a day-to-day basis that generate particulate matter.

Particulate matter affects human health, leading to asthma and chronic bronchitis.  Sources of particulate matter that we can eliminate include: agricultural (leafblowers) or construction activities which liberate mineral dust, combustion of fossil fuels and biofuels, electricity generation (via coal and natural gas).

Smog is visible air pollution made up of NOx, SOx, ozone, smoke or particulates.  The air quality in Los Angeles County is pretty bad year-round but we really notice it when we can see how bad it is. Lately, all you need to do is look up in the sky.  Angelinos have been asking each other, "are those clouds or just smoke?"

Surprisingly, two sources of indoor particulates are hair dryers and curling irons.  Our vanity might be making us sick.  I had heard that clothing dryers were a major source of particulates in the home, but it turns out that hair dryers and curling irons are 17 times worse than a clothes dryer.  The other major source of indoor particulates is cooking.  Spending time in a restaurant is almost 7 times worse than sitting in traffic on the freeway.

Yesterday we had the great opportunity to attend LA Rooted Youth Organizer Led Art Exhibit: Movement for the Earth.  It really got me thinking about how to: Masticate, rely on Ancestral wisdom, be Intentional, and aim for Zero-waste (MAIZ).  We had a great time biking to the event and the themes presented by the youth really resonated with me.

When possible, I will get back to biking to work.  And I'll try to be less smug about it.

Slow Mo

I had the best time on my birthday, on foot, taking public transportation.  I took the Glendale Beeline bus to Glendale Community College and walked up Sunshine Drive.  It was a steep hill.  I walked through winding neighborhoods, eating Animal Crackers.  I ran downhill to just miss the NoHo to Pasadena express bus, which was okay because I got a sandwich and ate it while waiting for the next bus.

I boarded the bus at its Glendale stop and got off at Memorial Park in Pasadena just 6 minutes later.  I walked down the staircase to catch the Gold Line and had a nice chat with a friend who also happened to be waiting for the train.  It was only 2 stops to Allen station.  I got off the light rail and walked down to Pasadena City College campus.  I was out all day, and I got a headache from either stress relief or dehydration, but in the end I was glad that I gave myself the time and invitation to slow down and enjoy life for the day.

Last Friday, I took the Metrolink to California State University Northridge.  I rode with a guy who was taking Metrolink for the first time in his life.  He had a career as a limo driver and knew the freeway system better than most people.  In his opinion, the current freeway system cannot accommodate the population of Southern California.  The best we can do is exercise imminent domain, paying market value for people's houses and businesses, to add one or two more lanes to the existing freeway systems.  This will, in his experience, never be able to address our growing population.  The answer, as he sees it, is to get more people taking buses, light rail, and trains.  He also had his bicycle on the train and was planning to get off at Van Nuys and ride about 5 miles to Sherman Oaks.

It was so refreshing to see another person taking transit that seems to "get" the situation like I see it.  I didn't tell him anything about myself, he just let loose with his life experiences.  It was refreshing and part of the reason we think it's so important that cyclists have a dedicated bicycle car on every train. Those recent transit adventures reminded me of Kelly Kearns, who gave up her car for a full 60 days. There's nothing like it to help you appreciate mobility, two legs, two arms, two ears, two eyes, two lungs, and one heart all working together to get you around town.

I've been reeling over a set of maps published in The Washington Post showing our world's natural resources and the effects of climate change.  Los Angeles is part of the SF-LA megacity that drives the gross domestic product (GDP) of the entire United States.  We absolutely need to continue investing in the transit infrastructure to prevent our city from pollution, gridlock, and health issues.  I was meditating this weekend and the only concept that helped me reach a calm, peaceful state of mind was the color green.

Fostering more gardens and less concrete, biking more and driving less, recycling and conservation; these are all ideas that can help us live more sustainably on this planet.  I'm not saying we can reverse the damage we've already done, but I think that there are things we can all do to enjoy what we have now.  We watched the movie Valley Uprising this weekend, about rock climbing in Yosemite National Park.  We also watched some Huell Howser on Starr Ranch in Orange County.  It's difficult to imagine a changing climate that would drive out the plants and animals living in California. Prolonged drought and increased development will lead to such a future where the state I love is no longer habitable.

I hope we can plan an escape for Bike to your National Park day, September 24th.  If you're planning something, let us know where you're going.  Try to completely eliminate the need for a car if you can. Challenge yourself!  Take it slow, enjoy the journey.

Value Update

I wrote a post titled "value" about 3 years ago, and my views on the topic have evolved since.  Rightly so.  I was riding (one of) my bikes to school last night and thinking how privileged I am to be able to do that.  Not that I'm special, but "having the rare opportunity to do something that brings particular pleasure."  We were brainstorming the theme for Earth Day 2017 and we came up with "Biking is for Everyone."  Which is to say that everyone has access to the privilege of riding a bike.

$0.15 per week

I was thinking about the bikes that I ride.  The first is a 1987 steel MTB.  I've been riding the mountain bike since I could stand over the top tube, maybe like 1993.  Taking into account the amount my dad paid for it and the length of time I've been riding it, it's like he paid 15-cents per week for me to have the privilege of riding this bike.  I read an article about custom steel frames and this bike isn't custom to me, but I feel like it is because we are aging together.  In the article, the frame builder points out that the bike will often outlive the rider.  I hope to keep riding this bike until it costs $0.10 per week, which is only about 11 years from now.  By then, I'll have my student loans paid off.  Everyone has goals, right?

The red bike has had about 3 or 4 different seats, 3 or 4 sets of handlebar grips, and now has front and rear racks.  The picture above makes it look like the bike has front suspension, but it doesn't.  Instead there is a lovely curving front fork that is graceful and attractive.  Also the top tube is more horizontal.  Right now, the bike has 1.95 inch wide tires, which are a comfort on pothole-infested streets.  They are knobby on the outer edge and smooth where the rubber meets the road, causing some people to say, "hey your tires are bald," but the tires were made like that.  In the past, I've bolted a milk crate to the rear rack, which was fantastic for carrying things like textbooks and birthday cakes.  This bike has only one water-bottle cage.  I have a cup-holder that could be attached to the handlebars, but it's not on there now.  I use a dog hiking backpack as a mini-pannier toolbag when we go out on group rides.  Also, I have a sweet flag mount that fits on the rear wheel quick release, and we ziptie the flag to the rear rack to prevent it from flapping around too wildly.

$0.61 per week

The blue bike is a repurposed mountain bike that I found on Craigslist back in 2010.  It was made in the late 1990s, and is branded Performance M505.  It's a steel frame, but some components are aluminum (like the handlebars).  It's a fantastic city bike.  The bike has a sturdy rear rack that I hook panniers on, or bungee my backpack on top of.  Of the time that I've had it versus how much I paid for it, it's cost me 61-cents per week.  It easily fits on the rack of a bus.  I rode it from San Francisco down to Salinas loaded down with camping gear.  I ride it back and forth to Pasadena, loaded down with textbooks and homework.

I've been looking for pedal toe clips and straps to make climbing easier, either new or vintage, but for now the bike has platform pedals.  This bike has two water bottle cages. My coffee in a 40 oz hydroflask is bungeed to the rear rack while milk and an empty coffee mug are in the bottle cages.  Perfect for work.  I am considering a handlebar bag.  I had one on a bike that I rode as a kid, and totally loved it.  What would I put in there?  My new big smart phone, which is too big for the old seatbag that I used to put my old phone in.  I always carry a pump, spare tube, tire irons, and a patch kit in my backpack.  By the time the price of this bike comes down to $0.10 per week, I will be 68 years old.  I could still be riding a bike then!  Why not?

$3.40 per week

The road bike I have is the only rack-less bike.  It's great for traveling ultra-light, with the exception of two water bottle cages.  I include a pump on the down tube and a seatbag with tire levers, spare tube(s), patch kit, and an emergency phone.  This bike has clipless pedals.  On a recent layover at LA Union Station, we had 2 minutes to run from the Metro Red Line to the Metrolink Orange County Line.  On the marble floors, my shoes made quite a horrible noise.  Maybe I should get some shoe covers.  I would have to live to be 336 years old for this bike to cost $0.10 per week, so I'm guessing that won't happen.  But I do think of this bike as a gym membership.  We pay $40 to use the YMCA per month, and after owning this bike for over 7 years, it has been cheaper than paying a monthly fee for gym access.  When I belonged to Bella Fitness, that was $80/month and so it would have worked out to pay for the bike within 2 years (in case you're looking to justify buying a new bike).

We're going down to the beach this weekend for a pre-4th of July LACBC Sunday Funday ride. I'm considering going to the party store to get some patriotic decorations and cover the bikes in stars and stripes.  Reminds me of the J. E. George 4th of July Parade that went through my neighborhood in Omaha, NE.  This year is the 66th year of the parade.  Although I won't be there, I really want to decorate our bikes with streamers and such.

Strava Heatmap

Speaking of my new smartphone, I'm starting to use Strava.  All the data from Strava users is put on a map, which city planners can use to justify adding more cycling infrastructure where people actually ride.  So I'm trying to ride where I wish there were more infrastructure and mapping it on Strava.  For other stuff like walks and regular commutes, I am still using MapMyRide.  No more Nike+ device, no more Garmin Forerunner 110, just one smartphone with GPS.

I tried to ask myself if I could exist with only one bike and one pair of shoes.  It would be difficult for me.  But we're definitely working to simplify our lives as much as possible.  As we're approaching an ideal level of space vs. clutter, I will try to make a vlog about our tiny house and post it/share about it here.