A while back I suggested that I would start riding my bike to work. At the time it didn’t work out because I have to be in the factory at 7 am 5 days a week. I have a hard enough time getting up in time to drive to work let alone getting up early to ride to work. A few weeks ago I started back on a compressed work week schedule which means I work Sundays. Since I didn’t need to be in at exactly 7 am, I got a chance to try out biking.

I was able to find a path that almost completely avoids main roads. Rio Rancho (and Albuquerque) and not on the top of the list of bike friendly cities. Many of the roads don’t have sidewalks let alone bike paths. Those that have sidewalks only have them on one side of the street.

The 5.3 mile ride into work takes me about 25 minutes and it’s all down hill. This means less effort on my part and less sweating and I can avoid the shower and change of clothes. The ride home is much tougher and takes me 45 minutes. I learned the hard way that non cotton clothing is the way to go. Getting the sweat off my body is absolutely imperative if I don’t want to collapse on the way home.

This week my truck broke down (started overheating, it was the thermostat) and I had to ride my bike in 3 of the 4 days of my shift. I learned that I can get up in time to be in at 7 am. Even though my truck is supposedly fixed, I will try to ride my bike in again next week. I expect to save money of fuel but will I loose some of this fat off my body?

John Fleck posts today about a New York Times story on how the Saudis are afraid that by squeezing demand for oil they are going to put themselfs out of buisness.

While they are reaping record profits, the Saudis are concerned that today’s record prices might eventually damp economic growth and lead to lower oil demand, as is already happening in the United States and other developed countries. The current prices are also making alternative fuels more viable, threatening the long-term prospects of the oil-based economy.

It’s not your imagination, gas prices are higher than they were in 1918 when adjusted for inflation. Unless Saudis significantly reduce the price of gas and keep it down, the path is set to lessen our need and maybe one day eliminate our need for oil as a means of transportation.

My truck gets 15 MPG (when I’m lucky) and the last time I filled it up it cost me $68. When gas was about $2.50 a gallon, I looked at getting a Honda scooter that gets about 80MPG. Considering my truck is already paid off, the break even costs didn’t work out for the scooter nor is it likely to still work out to purchase a more efficient vehicle (I need to redo the math for current gas prices and I will publish it later). I still want to reduce my expenditures on gas so I’m going to burn fat instead of oil.

Assuming the weather cooperates, i will start riding my bike to work next week. I’m also working on resurrecting Project Maverick (my long languishing project car) and it will be electric. Both of these things I wouldn’t have done if it wasn’t for the high price of gas. Apparently I’m not the only one reducing my use of oil, Exxon is selling off it’s retail gas business because it can’t make enough money off it.

Finally my point is that once people get into these habits they are not going to fall out. The movement against oil has already started and will counter the oil producers greed.