I have greatly reduced my dependency on oil!!!

[HondaTorneoSiR]

Like everyone else the GAS price shock has had too large of an impact on my family and I. We have always been frugal to the point that our extended family and friends have made fun us in the past. Now we are the fountain of information to be shared with all.

From everything to buying with coupons and saving an average of $25+ dollars per grocery shopping trip to hardly ever eating out and instead enjoying our own cooking with better quality food products that we know have been cleaned and prepared properly. My wife makes better food than most restaurants anyway. Now eating out is generally a huge disappointment. This has helped us in maintaining a healthy weight and almost perfect vitals. I haven't had McDonald's for years now and I don't miss it.

Anyway I live exactly 5 miles from work and I recently bought a nice new entry level Mountain bike "2008 Avalanche 3.0 with Disc brakes". Link of my exact bicycle.

Linky: http://www.gtbicycles.com/usa/eng/Pr...ard-Tail/#5599

Now after 22 miles I have lost 5lbs I feel even better and more healthy and I use zero gallons of gas to get to and from work. I have even talked my wife into starting to ride with me. In a way my standard of living has decreased but in actuality it has increased.

Now I feel like I am not a total slave to OPEC/ Oil companies/ Gas stations/ Bad energy policies/ Greedy politicians/ Lobbyist/ Bush and Chaney's oil administration/ our blindness to our country being sold right out from underneath us/ The redistribution of wealth/ Socialism/ Stat-ism/ Elitism/ Consumerism/ Bad trade policies/ the unlawful collection of taxes and much more but I will stop now.

Anyway I love the bike and I feel better because of the freedom from oil and all of the above.


-Nate

[HondaTorneoSiR]

Has anyone else started riding a bicycle too?

[civic lover]

I wish I could but I live 15 miles from work and about 20 from school. I know I could probably bike to work but after a 12 hour shift all I want to do is get home. Glad to see you invest in a bike, and stop the dependency.

[bobc455]

Wish I did, but a 45 mile commute (each way) even makes a scooter a difficult ride.

-BC

[101mpg]

CONGRATS on reducing your dependency! Keep telling us about it - you'll inspire more people!

Work prevents me from riding a bicycle to/from/during, as well as a permanent lower back injury. When I was in college I biked EVERYWHERE. Six years from getting my license to owning my first car, and I didn't get my license until 18. I saved a lot of gas back then because of it. I'd still bike if I could. I do for short trips around major cities if I take a bike with me though, mostly on flats for short periods, saves a lot of idling.

Looking to getting a folding bike to fit in the CRX when I'm out and about. Usually I park where it's free and then bike to my destinations in major cities. It helps a LOT.

Then again so does the CRX....

[oneinchsidehop]

Originally Posted by 101mpg

CONGRATS on reducing your dependency! Keep telling us about it - you'll inspire more people!

Work prevents me from riding a bicycle to/from/during, as well as a permanent lower back injury. When I was in college I biked EVERYWHERE. Six years from getting my license to owning my first car, and I didn't get my license until 18. I saved a lot of gas back then because of it. I'd still bike if I could. I do for short trips around major cities if I take a bike with me though, mostly on flats for short periods, saves a lot of idling.

Looking to getting a folding bike to fit in the CRX when I'm out and about. Usually I park where it's free and then bike to my destinations in major cities. It helps a LOT.

Then again so does the CRX....

Popping the front wheel off is enough to get a mountain (or road) bike into the back of a CRX. Even taking both wheels off is about as fast as collapsing most folded bikes. MUCH better ride IMO too. (used to work in a bike shop, and commuted by bike for @ 9 years total, doesn't work well in rural VT though.)

[jprich]

If I didnt live 30 miles from my job I would definetely ride my bike.

http://www.dahon.com/us/curved3.htm

Its wicked. It fits in the truck, back or front seat. People always ask questions about it and kids LOVE it. I recommend it to anyone. They make full size folders too.

When I change jobs and go back to school in the fall I will be riding it to the train station and back.

[Hodag'stiva]

I've taken to riding my bike or walking during the warm weather. Truth is, we live less than a mile from work and except for the fact that my son's school is on the other side of town, we'd all be walking/biking. Once he's in 3rd grade and in the neighborhood school, we'll see about ditching the car during the warm and dry weather altogether.

Winters here are on the brutal side, and even the hardcore biker in the office next door to me calls it quits by the end of October.

Raleigh frame, Dunelt name. Three years older than me and in much better shape.

[bowtieguy]

Originally Posted by HondaTorneoSiR

Anyway I live exactly 5 miles from work and I recently bought a nice new..."2008 Avalanche".

couldn't resist, but this is funny.

[GasSavers_ALS]

I dropped my gasoline consumption by at least half. I use to fill the tank (around 14 gallons) about once a week. Well with some Hypermiling techniques and careful planing of my necessary trips for work and pleasure I am down to filling up at a minimum every 2.5 to 3.0 weeks. That folks works out to around 300 gallons a year. My trips to Fl I use about 80 to 81 gallons round trip. That's twice a year so I'm using 162 gallons for vacation.
162 gallons over 2 weeks and 300 for the other 50 weeks
Hypermiling has increased my gas mileage from 19-20mpg to 22-23 mpg or a 14% gain just paying attention to what I'm doing. Almost all my driving short < 3.0 miles with very little highway. Most of it is under 35 mph with lots of lights and stop signs. So I'm really happy with my improvement in cutting my fuel usage.
I figure I cut at least 400 gallons of gasoline out of my yearly budget.
At $4.10 a gallons or $1,640 that is a lot of lettuce.