Wohoo! I did 1066.4 miles in three (3) months!
I started my personal “Year Of The Bike” count on the first day of Bike Winter, which was February 2nd. I silently made a pact with myself that I wanted to ride an average of 6 miles a day for a year, which would equal 2190 miles total for the year.
I thought this would be a nice little motivation for me to do the local errands on a bike. But the problem is, once you are on a bike, you really can’t stop. It’s just so much easier to get around. I never look for parking. I don’t carry change anymore for the meter. I don’t worry about how long I can park. And when I see all the big cars hauling a lot of air that is protected by a big metal body, it just doesn’t make sense anymore, because I take up so little of a space and I can get around just as well.
Anyhow, I did a lot of riding on my bike. And now my average is 11.8 per day. Wohoo!
These are the places that I rode my bike to:
- Auditions
- My Theatre performances
- Other peoples live Theatre performances
- Film Festivals
- Photo jobs (I was shooting, so I hauled the gear on my bike)
- Film sets for my close up 
- Film screenings of my close up
- Rehearsals
- Coffee shops
- Grocery Stores (Trader Joe’s, local Mom-And-Pop store, Albertsons, Ralphs)
- City Hall meetings
- Bicycle Advisory Committee meetings
- LACBC meetings
- Visiting friends
- Parties
- Concerts
- Fun rides
- Library
- Visit family
- Women In Theatre events
- Meeting with clients for web design work
- Cancer Fund Raising event
- Workshops
- Museums
- Gallery openings
It was easy to ride to these places. Sometimes I didn’t want to ride and my laziness almost won over, but once I got on the bike I was very happy that I did. It is so much more fun to get on the road with the bike then sit in traffic in the car.
I know I don’t have a stereo (but I actually get to listen to far more music from other people’s stereos) and I’m not in an air-conditioned car (but I have real AIR conditioning.) I know I’m not having my hair all styled and sprayed and I might arrive a bit sweaty.
But people really don’t mind my hair being in a pony tail or just hanging loose. And nobody ever complained about me arriving sweaty.
In fact, I only get compliments. I get great conversations. I get smiles and wohoo’s and yeay’s and ‘go Enci’s.’ I get the thumbs up and I always get a hand wave on my way out and a cheerful “ride safe” good-bye.
I hope some of you will be inspired to dust of your bikes or build one at the bicycle kitchen or buy a new one and go on a ride. Join me sometimes on a fun ride with my friends. You will love it. I love every minute of it!!!
