No Vehicle - Conclusion and Progress Pictures

Almost a week has passed since the "No Vehicle" challenge has ended.  I'm happy to report that i've ridden the bike to work every day with the exception of one occasion when it was raining and once when i had to run an errand.  If riding the bike was a viable option, that's the option i chose.

I find it much more enjoyable going to work via bike than car.  It's something to look forward to, i get exercise, and it energizes me for the rest of the day.

Speaking of exercise, here are the latest BODY stats:

Slowly but surely.  I have to keep reminding myself that it's a marathon and not a sprint.  

I will almost certainly continue riding my bike to work as often as possible, although i'm nervous of the impending summer heat wave.  On to the next one!

No Vehicle - Day 21

Today is the final day of the 21 Day No Vehicle challenge.  I had baseball practice so i slung my bat bag over my shoulders and pedaled to practice as a schoolboy would.  It felt good.  The ride isn't difficult at all but i had never ridden my bike to practice before.  This challenge has definitely shed some light on how often i rely on my car, whether it's warranted or not.

I'm happy with the way this challenge went down.  Progress pics and a conclusion to come shortly!

No Vehicle - Day 20

Today i participated in the Roll Beyond Coal event in Asheville.  A group of activists got together and we took to the streets on our bikes to protest coal and promote clean energy.

It was a great way to meet some people and embrace the "no vehicle" challenge!

No Vehicle - Day 19

There was nothing out of the ordinary about yesterday so I'll skip that post.  I rode to work and back twice, as usual, equaling about 7.5 miles.

Today was the last day i was committed to riding to work and guess what?  I awoke to soaking wet roads.  Thanks for this one final test universe!

Anyways, i wanted to share with you the biking gear i purchased that made this challenge a little more bearable and easy to manage.

Shown in the first picture is the bike, a rain jacket, backpack with bicycle light, cleats, gloves, and a helmet.

Here's a shot of the pedals:

The metal piece on the cleats clips into the pedals:

So that's some of the gear that helped me with the challenge.  By no means did i NEED any of it (aside from the bike and the helmet) but they were all good purchases that i will continue to use.

No Vehicle - Day 16 & 17

Yesterday my buddy came into town again so i drove to drop him off.  He took a taxi in and it cost him $30.  Pretty ridiculous if you ask me.  I rode my bike to work as usual and after work we walked to the Wedge.

It seems as though karma gets the best of me as this morning the roads were soaking wet. My punishment for driving yesterday.  I arrived to work soaked and dirty.  All part of the game, though.

I'm confident that i'll continue to drive as little as possible upon completion of this challenge!

No Vehicle - Day 15

Back to work, back on the bike.  I rode the normal 7.5 miles as i do each workday.  My thighs were especially sore this evening.  Probably the worst they've felt since i began the challenge.  Must be my karma for driving yesterday.

I also fell again.  On some side alley tucked away from everybody?  No, in front of a popular restaurant at lunchtime.  Chalk another one up to the clip on pedals.  My chain slipped off and i hadn't realized it.  I tried to start pedaling, the pedal spun around in a half-circle, and i tipped over.  I'll spare the pictures of the bruise this time..

No Vehicle - Day 14

I drove today.  A good friend of mine is a truck driver and had a chance to stop at a nearby truckstop for the afternoon.  I could've had my girlfriend drive out and get him but that's defeating the purpose.  Further, the challenge was never about making life more difficult for other people.  

I chose to pick him up and since i broke the "no vehicle" rule i figured i might as well make it worthwhile.  We took a ride out to Brevard and hiked Looking Glass Rock. 

Just because i used my car today doesn't mean the challenge is over.  I fully intend to hop on the bike in the morning and pedal my way to work!

No Vehicle - Day 13

I still have yet to drive, but i rode along with my girlfriend to go grocery shopping.  At this point, i'm not confident that i could completely replace my vehicle.  It would be "less-than-convenient" to have to go grocery shopping multiple times per week because i can't haul a full load on my bike.

I also play adult league baseball and there's no way i'd be willing to ride to all of the games.  We play on fields as far as 20 miles away.

That's not really the point, though.  I am fully confident that at the end of this challenge i will be more likely to ride my bike to places i normally would've drove.  That will improvement enough for me.

No Vehicle - Day 11 & 12

Thursday went as planned.  I rode from home to work twice as usual but Thursday morning it was automatic to reach for the bike.  Up until that point, it was still a bit odd going for my bike instead of the car.  I felt like it was a turning point in the challenge.  The rest will be easy.

Friday i awoke to wet pavement which isn't the most pleasant way to ride to work.  I arrived wet and slightly muddy but that's why i don't wear my work clothes on the bike!

Two workweeks down, only one more to go!

No Vehicle - Day 10

Nothing extraordinary today.  The typical 7.5 miles that get me from home to work and back again twice per day.

I also strength trained this evening.  I worked out Monday as well.  Last week i didn't even want to think about lifting weights after riding the bike but this week my energy levels have been higher.

Although i thought this would be the toughest challenge so far, it seems like it's been the most beneficial.

Stay tuned!

No Vehicle - Day 9

I was able to experience my first night right tonight!  I met some friends for dinner and a drink (or two) and left around 9:15.  I was prepared with a headlamp and a flashing red light on my backpack.  I figured it would be best to wait until complete darkness as opposed to riding at dusk as my lights would be that much brighter at night.

I'll take a picture of my gear eventually but in the meantime here's this:

That would be my thigh.  This challenge hasn't come without a learning curve (or three).

I have clip-in pedals, which i'll cover in the "gear" post but basically my cleats attach to my pedals.  It allows me to "pull" up on the pedals whereas typically you can only "push" down on the pedals.  This allows me to do more work with the same amount of effort.  It also means my feet are attached to my pedals and that's not always a good thing when you start to fall.

It's a small price that i'm willing to pay.

No Vehicle - Day 8

I really wasn't looking forward to getting on my bike and riding to work this morning but i did it anyway.  The excitement of the first week of the challenge is gone and it almost seemed like a chore.

The feeling didn't last though.  I'm starting to notice some positive changes in my body including having more endurance than i did a month ago.  I'm still losing weight as well.  I plan to post a progress pic at the end of the challenge.  It's still hard to believe that i was 25 pounds heavier less than a year ago.  Noticing the incremental changes is enough to keep my ass on the bike for another 13 days.

No Vehicle - Day 6 & 7

I continued down my "vehicle-less" path this weekend but i did catch a few rides.  We took the puppy hiking on Saturday and went on a bike ride on Sunday.  Since it was my girlfriend's week to buy groceries, i didn't have to deal with that headache yet.

Here's a pic we took during our hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway:

Week two begins tomorrow!

No Vehicle - Day 5

Today went smoothly.  Did the same 7.5 miles as the other days.  The ride is getting easier as my body is adapting.

I rode in a car for the first time since the challenge began.  I wanted to ride my bike to dinner but that idea got shot down pretty quickly.

No Vehicle - Day 4

It wasn't as cold as i thought it would be this morning, but i also got wetter than i'd expected.  I bought a rain jacket specific to cycling which features a longer back to protect against road spray but it's not quite long enough.

I arrived to work to work with a cold, wet ass.

The ride home for lunch was cold and rainy but i was going home so it didn't bother me that much.

After lunch i headed back out into the rain only to be stuck at a railroad crossing.  I waited under a tree.  By the time the train had passed, the rain had all but stopped.

I'm hoping that today's weather conditions are the worst i'll have to face in the remaining weeks.  It wasn't fun but it wasn't that bad either..

It's kind of fun being the "idiot on a bike" in such conditions but I doubt i'll subject myself to too much of it in the future.

No Vehicle - Day 3

I like my new route downtown.  It might take a few extra minutes but it makes the ride easier and more enjoyable.  

Today i passed a bunch of people sitting in their cars waiting to get off of the highway.  It felt good getting to my destination quicker and in a manner that is better for the environment.

I've been imagining what it would be like if all the cars were bikes and vice versa.  It would be so cool to see hundreds of people riding into the city on their bike for work instead of riding solo in a car.

I'm only riding around 7.5 miles per day but that adds up quickly.  Simply not driving to work these next three weeks and i'll have saved over 112 miles.  If i was an environmentalist i'd tell you i saved around 4 gallons of gasoline.  If i was a penny-pincher i'd tell you i'd saved $14.  

Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy and cold so it's potentially the first time i'll regret not having a car.  Stay tuned.

No Vehicle - Day 2

Today was a similar story to yesterday except that i found an easier way to get downtown.  It involves walking my bike up a flight of stairs but it's much easier than tackling the Hill twice per day.

The feeling is probably just in my head, but i think my cardio is already improving in only a couple days.  I'm exciting about being in better shape.

I didn't ride outside of going back and forth to work twice, so the mileage was around 7.75 miles again today.

It's a weird feeling not having a car sitting in the parking lot.  A vehicle is something i've been lucky enough to take for granted for the past decade.  I hope that at the end of the challenge i won't rely on my car as heavily as i did in the past.

No Vehicle - Day 1

Today i rode my bike to work for the first time.  It was cold in the morning but when i got to the bottom of "the Hill" the cold didn't matter anymore.

The climb was tiring and had me huffing and puffing.  I got to work out of breath and sweaty.

I rode home for lunch and back again.  I took a different route.  This hill was steeper but shorter.  Similar result as the morning.  I arrived back at work sweaty and out of breath.

Total mileage for the day was about 7.75 miles and i didn't get in a vehicle!  Successful day one.

No Vehicle - Intro

I'm going 21 days without a vehicle!  I'm expecting this challenge to be the most difficult one yet as i've never done anything like this.

I've been riding my bike a little bit in preparation for the challenge.  I took it to the bike shop for a tune up and spent a couple dollars on Amazon on some gear.  I bought a helmet, shorts, gloves, rain jacket, a rear light, and a bike lock.

I figure if i start riding my bike even somewhat regularly, i will recoup those costs by way of using less gasoline and better health.

The ride to work is only 2 miles one-way but the journey there is quite a climb.  I come home for lunch, so i will be forced to tackle that hill twice per day unless i chose to take public transit.

Public transit and hitching rides is acceptable, i just won't be driving.  

The fun begins tomorrow!