Ride to the ride - Home to P1

Inspired by last week's adventure at the Hill'n'Dale Hundred, I crafted a new challenge for myself. A review of Google maps revealed that my favorite nearby mountain bike trail exists a mere 7.8 miles from my home. Probably 85-90% of that route is on a bike path. Not just any bike path, but the Ohio-to-Erie Trail: a multi-use path that connects the Ohio River with Lake Erie. I will mention that I live as far as 100 yards from that trail. My newly built Surly Ogre, in it's fully rigid state, just begs to travel on a mix of pavement and dirt. As luck would have it, despite days of rain, the mountain bike trails were open to riders, so I set out. I also made a point of testing out a homemade "snack bag"--a small zippered pouch attached to my top-tube and steer-tube, capable of holding snacks and things for easy access. Once I arrived at the Phase 1 mountain bike trail at Alum Creek State Park I opted to ride a loop on the 1.5 mile long "beginner" trail. Halfway back home I realized that I wasn't yet exhausted and how easy the commute was. What a shame that I had only ever driven there with my mountain bike hitched on the rear of the car. Total: ~17.1 miles.

Riding the Hill 'N' Dale Hundred

First, I want to thank my wife (C) for supporting me--both with moral support and physical support--for doing this ride. If she didn't agree to drive me up and convince me that she would be happy to entertain our daughters in the middle of Nowhere Ohio on a cloudy, windy, 40-degree day, I'm not sure I would have done it.  Knowing I had a ride to pick me up in a bad situation far from home was extremely comforting. I'm extremely grateful for the support C gives me even when I have a hard time finding confidence in myself.

And thanks to my mother- and father-in-law. They were generous enough to meet the girls in nearby Lodi to help entertain their granddaughters.  Just mentioning "Nanny and Jagee" is the magic password to transplant two young girls from cozy beds at 7:30 on a Saturday morning into cold car seats.
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Yesterday I participated in a ride called Hill 'N' Dale Hundred organized by Swallow Bicycle Works of Loveland, Ohio. A route of 100K (~62 mi) was mapped around Mohican State Park area, starting at Pleasant Hill Lake reservoir. This was marketed as a "choose your own adventure ride"--an unsupported jaunt where only a map and cue sheet were provided. More or less: every rider for him/herself. A few weeks prior to the ride, when it was announced, I realized it miraculously fell in a weekend on which we didn't have prior plans. The day I decided this was a fun idea I suspect it was 70-degress and sunny and I wasn't yet sick with a cold. This was the ride I've been wanting to do all year long.

Up until the moment I strapped my bike to the car I had unsuccessfully tried to talk myself out of the trip. In the days before the ride, temperatures plummeted, rain clouds took up residence, and I was coughing up loads of phlegm while binging on a smorgasbord of honey-infused tea, Ricola drops, and generic Tussin. At 7:31 am on the day of the ride, I told C I had decided not to ride. Without hesitation, C dismissed my lunacy. She reminded me of the alternative: staying at home all day without plans. That was all the motivation I needed.

We hurriedly woke the girls and packed for a day trip up north. Coffee from Starbucks (a grande bold coffee with an added shot of espresso for me) and breakfast from Tim Hortons were bought and we bolted up the highway. C and the girls dropped me off at the start point around 9:45am. The reported temperature at this time was about 38-degrees. Winds of 23 miles per hour accounted for a wind chill of 28-degrees. The sun peeked out as if to jump start our internal engines. A group of about 16 (?) of us bumbled around until everyone was mounted on their bikes.

To my delight we rode together as a pack the entire time. We would get spaced out slightly, but generally met up at points of interest or after nasty climbs. Grey clouds and increasing wind really started to break me. Around mile 20 I broke the news to a couple riders that I would be breaking away from the group at an alternative route on mile 30. I called C and told her of my plans, noting also my phone was low on battery [great planning!]. It was a fortuitous decision made not too soon. Around mile 23, I'd guess, we exited pavement for gravel back roads. Up hills no less. Pure brutality. Forsaking the group, knowing I'd be splitting off soon anyway, I walked my bike up two major gravel hills and cruised down their other sides. That's not to say I didn't try to bike up them, but my thighs started to spasm at the extreme effort so I opted out. My eyes began splitting time evenly between the terrain ahead and the odometer mounted on my stem.

The road on which I deviated from the planned route at least promised to drop me off in the town of Perrysville. Knowing I was nearing places of business was comforting even though the hills were long and car traffic was increasing. After a quick stop at a gas station I attempted to rejoin the planned route but was stymied by what appeared to be a wall of a road ahead of me. I literally couldn't see the top of the hill obscured by the trees in front of me. I shouted an expletive and backtracked to yet another alternate route that appeared to circumvent the damned hill. What I didn't account for was the exposure to winds in the openness.  I pushed hard against incessant headwinds, stopping at a farm to eat a Snickers bar.  To my chagrin the thing was FROZEN hard. I made it to an inviting gas station that sat at a major intersection but I decided to keep moving forward. That is until--while trying to coast down a hill--I was hit with such a gust of wind I said "F*ck it" and hobbled back humbly to that store.  I grabbed a bottle of chocolate milk and sent C a text to tell her where I'd be waiting. I was slightly disappointed that I didn't quite finish the ride, but was proud that I was able to participate in such an adventure. I biked about 42 miles, averaging 11 mph (with a maximum speed of 33 mph), over a total time of 3hr 44min.

I looked back at the weather data from Saturday. It was reported that at Mohican State Park, a high temp of 45-degrees was reached at 3:05pm. Wind speed was recorded as 27 mph, gusting up to 48 mph.

What I wore:
Long-sleeve merino wool baselayer
Short sleeve cycling jersey - I stashed one of 4 water bottles
Mountain Hardware Epic rain jacket (never took it off)
Pearl Izumi Cyclone gloves
Bib shorts
Pearl Izumi thermal knee warmers
Tall wool cycling socks
Toe covers (worn over top of my cycling shoes, purchased the day before the ride)
Buff-style neck warmer
Cotton cycling cap
Giro Reverb helmet

What I ate:
3/4 of PB&J sandwich
Shot Blocks - one pack
4 Water bottles
1 Snickers
1 packet of Scratch drink mix
(+ 1 bottle of chocolate milk to celebrate)

Alum Creek P1 Video

This is one of the two trails I ride as often as I can, Alum Creek's "Phase 1" Trail. Someone recorded this hi-res video of an entire 6 mile lap, though they finished in just under 30min. I think a good lap time for me has been closer to 40. At 13:00min you can see a pretty awesome boardwalk section that usually keeps me nervous, followed by a wicked rooty descent. And the section after 23:00min, just after the trail dips back into the woods from the road, is a pretty fun, techy part. Because the camera is strapped to the rider's chest, it's hard to tell when he is climbing and when he is going down. The elevation gain/loss is not crazy, but it is very much like a roller coaster in my opinion.

Alum Creek P1 whole lap on Pinkbike

a review: the burley encore

Earlier this year I got excited about warm weather and the fact that our youngest daughter was getting close to that One Year tally mark that signifies, above all else, an appropriate age to be strapped in a seat with wheels that travels 15 miles per hour in a relatively bumpy fashion while wearing a helmet. What with having two of these young'ns, a bike trailer was the way to go.  After hours of deep consternation, pouring through internet reviews, images, and videos, I had narrowed my choices to those of the Burley variety.  Coincidentally, our neighbors had a new (2012) Burley Encore AND a two-year old they were willing to lend me.  So with their kid and one of mine all strapped up, we set off on a ride around the block. Ellie enjoyed it. That's all I needed to know. I decided we would go with the same model, as reviews of the more expensive deluxe model (the D'Lite) were mixed and I'd rather keep the difference.

Well, this thing has been a treat. It's light weight, has a good amount of storage capacity, and has made my life better. The handlebar that folds forward to double as a roll bar offers me some peace of mind and adds to the perception of it's safety.  The large 20" wheels appear to offer a fairly stable, cushy ride for the girls.  Granted, our two kids are young (14 months and 29 months) and small, and they don't seem to mind being in such close quarters, but they are pretty much shoulder-to-shoulder.  My one complaint is really that, at such a young age and short stature, my daughters' helmets get pushed forward by the back of the seat. This accounts for the most common reason for fussiness between them.

Our ride to the nearest park is maybe 5 minutes by bike path. It also enables us to get to another cool park about 1.5 miles away without having to drive. Lately, as summer temperatures have cooled a bit, I've set out on a couple longer rides to the grocery store.  That trip turns out to be about 4.5 miles, round trip, exclusively on a bike path.  I'd say I fit about 3 canvas bags full of groceries in the rear storage area of the trailer.  There is a lot more vertical space back there, it just get's tricky trying to stack groceries.

In the past two weeks my two-year-old has fallen asleep in the trailer twice. I think that is about the best compliment a trailer could receive.  Big ups to Burley.

Good stuff: Basil

Besides being at the top of my list of favorite herbs, here's a fun fact about basil: plug a cut stem into some water and it will put out some roots so you could theoretically plant it again. This guy has been sprouting its new legs on our kitchen windowsill for the past week or two. Good stuff

Film: Riding The Long White Cloud

I'm in the middle of watching the coolest series of videos and it's blowing my mind. A bicycle tour of professional skateboarders across New Zealand: "Riding the Long White Cloud." I heard mention of this a while back, never had cable to catch it on TV, and recently thought to look into it. Well the film is viewable in a 5 part series (at thepredatorybird.com). Unfortunately our internet is pretty slow, so I've been struggling to get through the first couple of videos, but my excitement has helped me be patient. I don't usually have enough time to watch for more than a few minutes anyway. This whole concept is a dream to me and I'm in awe of the whole project.

It has inspired me to look deeper into realizing a goal I have merely considered in the past: biking across Ohio. Cincy to Cleveland; or, perhaps, Cleveland to Cincy. Whichever. Both. Not sure what is realistic in terms of how soon, not to mention how to prepare; to train. Maybe a solo trip (that is, if I can't convince C to get a good bike suitable for the trip!)... not sure. I'm thinking this is a couple years down the road, but maybe now is time to start planning.

I really think you, whoever you are, should watch at least one of these videos. Maybe it will inspire you, too.


Riding the Long White Cloud Part 1 from predatory bird on Vimeo.

Winter, Fabric, and Money

The author of a popular cycling blog recently wrote this: "For some reason, fall makes me start to look at touring and randonneuring bikes."

Well, in my life, plummeting temperatures makes me want to bundle up in lots of heavy duty layers and I don't care if that clothing is large, baggy, and so ill-fitting like every pair of Carhartts that are available in the USA. I just want to wear boot socks, long-johns, canvas work pants, and as many tops as will fit under my winter coat. Instead of visiting bike websites, I prowl for workwear. I dream of wool and windproof softshell.

It's outrageously dorky. I know.

I hope that, in anticipation of quitting my job and forfeiting our second income, I can get crafty and start making some cool stuff, like shirts and pants and hats and socks... maybe more baby clothes than anything. I've been sourcing crazy, technical fabrics. I bet C should be getting a headache from having to roll her eyes so much when confronted with some of the ideas I've been coming up with lately.

Anyway, we had a really short conversation about money last night. It didn't really get anywhere since neither of us had enough attention to pay each other; but we agreed that maybe we should give up an unessential expense each month, even if only for that month, to better understand our budget. This month, for me? How about, no buying clothes?

Pickin

Today we went with our family (including a caravan of siblings, a nephew, and a few cousins) to a pumpkin farm and orchard to harvest sundry things that comprise the cliche cornucopia of this season, including several pounds of Fuji apples (that we picked!), a gallon of cider, and a couple pumpkins.

It was the first time I had gone "pickin'" and will hopefully ripen into years of tradition.

This week we will fashion our Halloween costumes and maybe roast some pumpkin seeds while drinking pumpkin beer and consider the goal of eating pumpkin pie every day of November.

Brain dump: stress and a triathlon

Wow. It's been a minute, eh? If you're reading this I'm not sure why--I'm guessing it was by accident. My life has been "a hot mess," as they say, and busy, so writing has dropped way low in the priority list I lost a long time ago.

A couple recent political items have boiled my blood lately, including the overwhelming outcry against the proposed Islamic Community Center near Ground Zero. The hatred, ignorance, and bigotry against an entire religion that surfaced was appalling.

Oh, and I guess astronomers found a planet just outside our galaxy--3 times the mass of Earth--that has the potential to support life like we know it. News anchor, Brian Williams, made some comment along the line of "it's nice to know we have a place to go when we mess up this planet." Shit. He's right. Now there's a backup plan and I'm sure it's going to be a bloody race to get people there. It's a fantastic thought, and a terrifying one at the same time. Those sentiments sent shivers down my spine just to think of the (distant?) future of Earth and what sort of scary, corrupt, greedy things might come of having a second planet, a virgin planet, that is waiting to be dominated.

This weekend is the Little Miami Triathlon in which I will be teamed up with my dad to canoe, run, then bike our way toward Accomplishment. My "training" has been laughable, but I have faith that come race day I will muster up whatever awesomeness possible to finish in decent time. If nothing else, this whole thing has forced me to get out and run and feel a lot more healthy than I've felt in a long time.

Ellie is growing so much, eating food, and working on her balance. Words do no justice. Hopefully I'll get more videos up here soon.

Soak it up

The sun is out, the snow is almost gone, and neighbors have been appearing, shaking out the stiffness of hibernation. A few days of golden warmth to get us up and about before the spring rains wash the world and loosen up the ground. It's amazing: within two almost-warm days I've seen two neighbors that I didn't see all winter.

Other than preparing for the arrival of Baby Girl, my mind is focused on starting some seeds and cleaning up the yard. Maybe getting some mulch. So much to do!

I might wear shorts tomorrow just "because." The sun is lifting our moods and will hopefully help us kick the proverbial It into high gear.

Inspiration

Been reading my way backwards through this blog. This guy seems to be living a pretty charmed life--which is easy to say based on a condensed collection of beautiful photos and stories of amazing trips... Just a great inspiration to share...

Aaron Teasdale - Deputy Editor at Adventure Cycling Association
Click here: Aaronteasdale.blogspot.com

More snow

Yesterday I had the day off. The glaciers have been retreating and I was starting to feel the relief--able to take a deep breath as if all the snow on the roof had been weighing down my lungs. The driveway and walkways were all clear. Dry even. I went on a bike ride in the sweltering 36-degree temperatures. Only one pair of gloves and a cycling cap instead of a beanie. Last night I took an opportunity to wash down the bike with soapy water, clean the chain, and lube it up.

This morning? Snow. Not a lot, but enough to shock me. I wasn't angry as I had enough time to shovel the driveway and paths before any footsteps or tires pressed the light fluff into dense ice trails.

Anyway, we're supposed to keep getting snow through the week. I was really done with it all. I'm ready for Spring!

The religion of environmentalism

On an NPR-broadcast BBC news program yesterday I learned about a British guy who is suing his former employer for philosophical discrimination, based on the legal precedent of religious discrimination. The philosophy in question was centered around Climate Change and his relatively radical environmentalist ethics. Now, I don't know his whole ordeal, and I can't say I support his legal actions, but I was intrigued to think of environmentalist philosophy as a spiritual/religious ethic. The plaintiff said "my belief is underpinned by moral and ethical values comparable to many of the world's religions...it is crucially underpinned by ...overwhelming scientific evidence..."

One listener ("J.R." of Boston) responded to the story to criticize this guy's actions saying environmentalism was in no way similar to any of the world's faith-based "religions" which rely on faith in the unknown, whereas Climate Change has a scientific basis. [This is the best I could do to transcribe what was said:] "Religion is based on blind belief that notions established by others are purported to be the word of a higher being and that your own well-being will be enhanced by following and making offerings to those bringing you the Word. Climate Change is based on scientific evidence. How we are causing damage, how to avoid doing so, and the consequences of not making changes are not a matter of faith..." That is a terrible comparison. I can agree that religion is faith-based, but to deny a spirituality grounded by science is sad. And having to follow and make offerings to the ones bringing (i.e. interpreting) the Word? That statement really narrows it down to the blind leading the blind. [I'm not attacking religion here, but the choices of words used to describe Religion in such a myopic way.]

My thoughts? How cool it is that the ethics of environmentalism have a proof-driven, scientific basis! And it could be argued that there is plenty of unscientific faith and sublime wonderment in nature and environmentalism. For example, compassion toward animals is purely an ethical thing. A stance against pollution is comparable to a stance against murder or, more generally, a stance against Evil.  I love the thought of environmentalism as a spiritual, religious movement. It makes perfect sense. Everything one does to benefit the environment is a religious act; going on a hike (or a bike ride) is a pilgrimage...

A BBC article on the story can be found here

The radio "programme" that includes the quotes above can be heard

here (at ~14 minutes)

Work, dirt

While it seems like I have more complaints about my job than one should, days like today make up for the bad ones, a hundred times over. Most of my day were spent establishing a prairie garden outside of the big wall-to-wall/floor-to-ceiling window that is the back side of our office. Alongside our intern, I turned over sod, loaded dirt from my house (stockpiled from our patio construction) in two trips, unloaded the dirt, spread it out, then planted a few preliminary plants. While we were loading dirt into the truck I was also able to let Aldy run free in the backyard and do his business. With the addition of some more flowers, we'll have a pretty impressive prairie garden blossoming below our bird feeder, to provide more food and habitat for native wildlife. It reminded me how inspiring my boss can be and how nice it has been to work for a small company that allows me to work on such cool projects.

Old Old-School

I was thinking about how some of the stuff that I think is cool is basically just regressive and nostalgic in essence. You know? I don't mean like mustaches or aviator sunglasses or popped collars or whatever. I mean like bigger scale, not-ironic kind-of stuff. For example, organic agriculture and small, family farms: like I said before, these are throw-backs to pre-War farming methods. What else? Cycling: essentially unchanged since it's invention in the 1800's (unlike the automobile which was developed around the same time). Environmentalism: basically a way of life before Industrialism. Whole foods: came before mass-production, processing, and packaging.

Strangely, all these things tend to connect, I guess under the umbrella of pre-Industrialism environmentalism. Straight up conservatism. 'Ism for shizzim.

Footprints, footsteps, pedal pushing

I just stumbled upon Lighter Footstep: a website about eco-friendly living. "The Daily Footstep" is short columns about small choices that make big differences. Brandi at Get Buck linked up the article It's Smart to Ride a Bike - and Riding Makes You Smarter:

A 2004 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that aerobic activity yielded up to a 20 percent improvement in pattern recognition and sorting. It also produced dramatic improvement in short-term memory.


While I may recognize patterns and be able to sort like a champ at 9 o'clock in the morn, I'm not convinced biking helps out my memory. It does get my blood flowing, however, and probably keeps the edge off on these days when I don't have coffee.

I should mention May is "Bike Month" and this week is the official "National Bike to Work Week." Columbus is doing it real big, with a website and lots of events: www.b2ww.org. On Thursday I intend on joining a group of local cyclists for an event called "Green Drinks: Bike Hop" which will travel down a bike path between a few local bars around Happy Hour. Should be fun as they predict scattered showers throughout that day. And don't worry - I'm developing a strategy involving drinking a lot of coffee before the event and not drinking a lot of beer.

Garden

3/12 - planted two rows of sugar snap peas (days are around 50 degrees; nights getting near 35, yikes!)
3/27 - planted lettuce, spinach, a 3rd row of snap peas (days between 50 and 60 degrees)
3/29 - put stakes along each pea row; started tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and creeping thyme in basement; C laid an awesome brick path to our garden spigot reminiscent of one found aside a quaint English cottage--preferably one with a thatch roof and a hobbit inside. I hope to plant some creeping thyme that might fill in the cracks between the bricks...
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4/4 - scheduled delivery of 3 cubic yards of pine bark mulch, 40 lbs of composted cow manure, and a bag of potting soil.
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Just contacted a guy selling white plastic 55-gal barrels... Gonna try to make a rain barrel for the yard. Yeehaw. Hopefully, when I get my act together, I will post photos and instructions! Woop

Nature Life

The goal of life is living in agreement with nature.
Zeno, from Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosopher
Greek philosopher (335 BC - 264 BC)
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At first I was satisfied by the perfect simplicity of this quote. The more I think about it as a literal, absolute truth, the more hopeless it seems for humans to attain such a goal. For probably as long as humans have been able to do more than just survive (i.e. be productive, be thoughtful, do work, profit, and be leisurely), the direction has been away from nature, or at least to capitalize on it, which to me seems to be in direct conflict, not agreement. Unless it is to agree to disagree.

Sure, like any other species, we choose to be efficient and productive and as long as we survive, we are selected and make offspring. But if we would like to credit nature with inspiring industrialism, it would be the opposite of what Zeno was thinking: sterile environments, box houses, automobiles, mass production--things that make our lives easier and more un-natural. What this has done is put us at the top of the food chain for now--which is evolutionary success, maybe. Unless we find out all our anti-bacterial soap really is creating a resistant super-bacteria that ends up extinguishing the prolific human species! Daaaaaag.

Maybe Zeno is being more hopeful though (and not so literal): the goal of a human's life should be living to maximize harmony with nature. The goal of life is to be a part of it. Get connected.

Driving Report

Almost every day in the past two months I've ridden my bike past the intruding gas station marquee that advertises the current price for a gallon of gasoline. It has become my morning news; my ticker-tape for the state of the economy. As prices have been increasing, I've felt an increasing sense of pride that I've been driving less and biking more. The fear of economic depression and insecurity is looming, but hasn't gotten under my skin, yet. I was also proud to hear that driving has declined across America. Yesterday, Atlanta Business Chronicle reported this:

Federal Highway Administration data released Monday [shows] Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer miles this May than in May 2007, the third-largest monthly drop in the 66 years the data has been collected.

The May decline was 3.7 percent from a year earlier and continues a seven-month decrease in driving that has amounted to more than 40 billion fewer miles traveled since November 2007 compared with the same period a year earlier.

It is apparent that Americans' driving behaviors are changing dramatically and quickly, in response to increasing gas prices. This will have interesting effects in a society whose infrastructure has evolved in the past 50 years to accommodate almost exclusively the privately-owned automobile.

Very recently, gasoline prices have begun to recede slightly--presumably due to the decrease in driving (i.e., demand). I am wondering, if dramatic increases in prices will modify behavior as we are seeing, will the opposite be true, and in just as little time? My suspicion is that is will not. People's behaviors are also changing because our future is becoming less certain or predictable. Driving less is a result of economic fearfulness and we won't be quick to peek our heads out from under the comforter. [Any thoughts or comments on this?]

Perhaps driving less will force us to stay within and move around our neighborhoods, by bike, or on foot. Maybe this will at first feel like a trap or prison, with limited breathing room. I'll admit, I'm worried to think that traveling to Cincinnati or Cleveland, let alone North Carolina, will become increasingly difficult. But it's also exciting to think that maybe our communities will be better because of this new (potential) situation. Of course, new technologies and alternative options will become more available. One day we might find ourselves catching a solar powered (?) train traveling between Cleveland and Porkopolis, right down the middle of empty ol' Interstate 71.

Gas Problem

After suffering through exposure to numerous lists of how to survive the current gas-price crisis, through local news programs, newspaper articles, chain emails, and radio sound bites, I decided to write an entry expressing my frustration that I wasn't hearing what I thought should be the number one tip: don't drive! A quick internet search and it seemed like my frustration was going to be validated. In this list of "30 Gas Saving Tips," there is not ONE mention of "not driving" as a way to decrease one's spending on gas! I expected that if a list of thirty tips wouldn't provide the answer for which I was hoping, none of the more popular "top ten" lists would. Interestingly, the thirty-tip list included a link, immediately under its own article, to "45 Professional Tips to Cut Big Gasoline Bills." This would be the clincher--if I couldn't find a recommendation that not driving was the answer, I could rest (un-) easy that our society was mentally screwed by the automobile industry. Alas, the TOP TWO suggestions were these:

# 1. Before getting into your car, ask yourself "Is this trip necessary?"!
# 2. On short trips, try walking or bicycling. It's good exercise.

What a relief! This is the promotion I was hoping to see. To figuratively "pinch myself," I decided best-out-of-three would afford me real hope. Back in the search engine, I clicked the link to "Top Ten Fuel Saving Tips." After each tip, my heart sank a little lower. Was our country destined to be enslaved by the automobile? Finally, seconds left on the clock, in overtime, and the hail-Mary pass was received in the in-zone:

#10. Don't drive. Not a popular thing to say on a car site, I know, but the fact is that if you can avoid driving, you'll save gas...

It's not too often when I feel okay about being wrong. I'm glad to know that at least some journalists--more than I expected--are willing to slip in an endorsement that really tackles the bigger issues at hand. I'll admit, all of the lists--whether they promote alternatives to driving or not--are useful for helping to conserve gasoline and make driving more efficient which is relatively better for the environment. However, I "personally believe" that it's essential to promote alternative forms of transportation and really revolutionize the way our towns and cities are structured--to benefit communities and the environment, rather than cater to out-dated, out-of-scale industries.

(link)