The indignity of bike tights as office wear

A couple of years ago I had a 24 mile round trip bike commute. I'd carry my clothes in a pannier, and after parking my bike in a space between my cube and the wall, I'd grab my pannier, dash off to the bathroom, and change into my work clothes. I was exposed to my colleagues for all of 5 minutes. At least that's what I did until a meeting I attended.

"Exercise is important, you need to find time to take care of your body. If you don't have time for the gym, you can ride your bike to work like Bob does, and wear those tight little ... shorts." My boss said this to a large group of people at a department meeting. I choked on my bagel, and laughed to lighten the moment. It was the last time I arrived at our office in bike gear.

The next time I rode, I stopped at the bathroom, parked my bike outside the door, and changed. I then took the elevator up to my floor, and hung my bike clothes out sight in my cube.

A couple of days later, a colleague stopped by my desk with a question, and asked if I was doing my laundry at work. I had to get a better plan. I was also getting strange looks in the bathroom as I went in to change. I had to change my game - again.

My next concession was to ride to a local gym, and shower and put my work clothes on there. I'd arrive at the gym in the morning, check in, use the shower, and then ride my bike the last 3/4 of a mile to the office. In the summer, I'd still be warm, and my sweat would often come through my shirt, causing some temporary dampness to show through. I'd then hang my bike clothes under my desk, on the back wall of my cube. All was well. Except I now had to add 20 minutes to my ride time to compensate for a shower and the last leg of my commute.

We then moved closer to my job, and I suddenly had a 17 mile round trip commute. I started to research my clothing options. My honey and I had ridden in Holland a few years before, and people just rode their bikes in their normal clothes. They didn't ride hard or fast, but they all rode. As I researched the options related to this kind of riding, I found a new term - cycle chic. This style of riding makes it okay to just get on your bike and ride. In whatever clothes you have on. Just like we did when we were kids.

At this point, I had lost almost 25 pounds, and needed a new wardrobe. My honey and I went shopping for machine washable clothes, with the idea in mind that I could just wash the clothes after I wear them (okay, after I wear slacks a couple of times). This different style of riding had me shopping for a new bike, one that was more upright so I wouldn't have anyone confusing we with a racer.

With my new bike and new way to ride, I just ride slower so I don't get as hot. My fast bike commute was about 35 minutes, with 20 minutes of shower time, for a total of about 55 minutes. My cycle chic ride provides me a commute of about 45 minutes. The difference in commute time is negligible, but the logistical simplicity of already wearing my work clothes and not needing to shower, made cycle chic a much better option for me.

Here is my advice (in no particular order) for determining what to wear for your bike commute:

• Watch the weather within a few hours of your ride to make a determination if you are likely to get wet
• There are two ways to get wet - from perspiration, or from rain. Wearing rain gear may make you just as wet from perspiration as not wearing it. If you are likely to get wet from rain, make sure you can keep the water warm by wearing a vented and breathable outer layer. Wind from your forward motion combined with wet clothes can put you in hypothermia real quick.
• For cold weather, use layers, and wind protection
• If your ride is long, you may be better off in bicycle specific clothes instead of cycle chic
• Be sensitive to your colleagues and what may bother them if you show up at work in your tights
• Few people will develop body odor from 30-40 minutes of exercise, so don't shower "just because". The old "where will I shower?' question is a lame excuse not to ride.
• Choose clothing that breathes, and in warmer weather, will move vapor off of your body without soaking your clothes. 
• Rolling clothes will prevent wrinkles, and allow you to put them in a pannier or basket
• Be flexible, and experiment

Did I miss anything? Please add to the comments if I did.

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Bike commuting - all you need is a bike!

I'm back to my bike commute now that the snow has melted, and am loving it. I was thinking about how much has changed since I started what was an occasional bike commute several years ago. My commute from Pomona, NY to Woodcliff Lake, NJ had some scary stretches, and I'd stop riding once the school buses took to the roads. Since our move to Oradell, NJ, I have been bike commuting much more frequently. The ride is primarily suburban, with a few small downtowns to keep it interesting.

When I first started my 24 mile round-trip bike commute from Pomona, I rode my Trek 4300 "hard tail" mountain bike (no suspension front or back), with knobby tires. After a couple of rides, I replaced the knobbies with a smooth and skinny tire. This decreased noise and resistance, and my ride speed increased.

In 2009, I purchased a Surly Long Haul Trucker, which is made for fully loaded touring. I began to commute more frequently, and my ride time decreased due to the better riding position, and more efficient geometry. It's long wheel base and steel frame smoothed out the bumps in the road. 

I would ride to the gym near work, where my employer pays for memberships, and shower. This would add a level of logistics to my ride that sometimes left me in a bad way. Once I forgot my business casual shoes, and ended up having to wear my SPD riding shoes at work. Not many people noticed. I'd also forget little things like deodorant, or a t-shirt. And yes, sometimes I'd forget the underwear. I'd shower at the gym, and my body would still be sweating when I arrived at the office in my business casual clothes. I'd then hang my ride clothes on clips stuck to my cubicle wall under my desk. Needless to say, this was not always good for air quality.

When we moved to Oradell, my commute changed to a 17 mile round trip. So I decided to try something new. I shopped for an urban bike, which would provide a more upright riding position, allowing me to see and be seen better. I had also been reading about cycling chic, which is basically riding in Dutch style. My honey and I did a bike trip there years ago, and no one rides dressed as Lance Armstrong. They all ride in their regular street clothes. The common consensus is that drivers are more tolerant of a bike rider who is headed to work on their bike than they are of a racer out slowing traffic. I would agree based on my experience. 

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After a bunch of research, I was having a hard time finding the right bike. I stopped at many bike shops, and the common recommendation was to purchase a tri-cross bike, which has the geometry of a road bike, but the components of a mountain bike. I wasn't impressed with the answers I received, all of which were focused on the bikes that were in stock. My honey ended up finding the perfect solution - a Gary Fisher Simple City 8. I will write a review of the bike as a separate post (as well as one about the death of local bicycle shop customer service), so I won't get into too much detail here. But it was perfect for what I wanted. It had an internal 8-speed hub with a chain guard, drum brakes on the rear, internally routed cables, a big basket in the front for my stuff, classic good looks, and an upright ride. 

I now have around 800 miles on the bike, and it is my primary ride. I use it for my bike commute, for heading to town for a haircut, to the library, post office, and to get warm croissants or bagels on weekends. When I bike commute, I ride to work in my business casual clothes, which are now all wash and wear. I roll up my shirt and place it in the top of one of my panniers. I carry my lunch, and often my computer. I have lights mounted, and lots of reflective tape. 

I love to bike. I experience everything around me much differently on the bike than I do in a car. A car propels you from one place to another, with all of the distractions of home. You can listen to music, talk on the phone, and do many things that keep you from noticing what is around you. The bike allows you to hear, see, and smell your environment. It provides you the opportunity to say hello to pedestrians, and other riders. It keeps your mind focused, and provides a nice low impact workout, which is right in the fat burning zone.

With rising fuel costs, and increased interest in fighting obesity, I am seeing more people riding their bikes during commuting hours. I often get asked by colleagues what they need to do to ride to work. I tell them to get out their bike, make sure it is working, and just ride in. People who live farther away can do a bi-modal  commute, where they park the car less than 10 miles from work, and pedal the last distance. No matter what happens at work, they will have a bike ride to remember from the day. 

Here are some resources to help you get started bike commuting:

League of American Bicyclists is an advocacy organization that has a Smart Cycling program, which provides education for road users, as well as certification for cycling instructors. 

Bike to Work is a Web site that was recently launched, and it contains great information related to bike commuting.

People for Bikes is an advocacy group which provides tools and communications around making bicyclists voices heard in our policy makers' offices. 

Bicycle laws vary by state, so I am linking NJ laws. The basic premise is the same from state to state. 

Bike Commuters Blog contains lots of inspiration for us bike commuters.

There are also some links on the right to assist you, and the Twitter feed on the right shows bike commute posts. I'll write more specific posts about bike commuting as time passes, but if you have any specific questions, please ask in the comments below.

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Automobile drivers may need continuing education

My commuting vehicle

I finally made my first bike commute for 2011 yesterday, riding my Gary Fisher Simple City 8 for the 17 mile round trip to my office. Last year I rode pretty consistently, leaving my car in the driveway for days on-end. Last night I had an interesting interaction with a driver. I was riding down Kinderkamack Road in Emerson (NJ), and traffic was light. The driver of the car approaching me from behind leaned on his horn, and crossed the yellow line, passing me (safely).

In the past, I may have yelled at him, or flipped him off. But one of my intentions this year is to assume people have the best intentions in mind, and keep that thought until proven otherwise. The traffic light in front of us turned red, and the cigarette smoking young driver of the Toyota Coroda (it was a rusting Corolla) stopped at the light. I rolled up next to his half open driver's window, and in a non-confrontational tone said "hi, you really shouldn't blast your horn like that behind a bicycle, you scared me". He responded "you are supposed to ride on the sidewalk, the road is for cars". I put on my quizzical face, and asked "do you have a NJ driver's license? Because that isn't the law, in fact the law says I have the same rights and responsibilities to the road that you do".

He suddenly became nervous, and said "I guess I don't know the law, I'm sorry, and I will go look it up when I get home" was his response. I thanked him, and rolled backward to the space behind his car. When the light turned green, we continued on our way.  As I continued on my way, I pondered how someone could have a license, and not know the rules of the road.

What value is a license or certification, if it isn't a guarantor of competence? Why do we license someone as a teenager, and only require more education when they have proven themselves to be real bad at operating an automobile? This started me thinking about other licenses, and the educational responsibilities that are attached to them.

I am a Project Management Professional (PMP), as certified by the Project Management Institute. In order to maintain my certification, I am required to complete 60 hours of continuing education in my three year certification period. There are many licenses and certifications that have this requirement. Some examples are Certified Public Accountants, and Practical Engineers. New knowledge and regulations must be absorbed in order to remain competent in the role.

In contrast, a 70 year old automobile operator was probably licensed in the mid-1950s. They have received no additional training since the license was issued, yet our vehicles, mobile communications, infrastructure, transportation networks, and laws have changed dramatically. I'm not stating this as a way to make a statement about old age, heck, many of the elderly are great drivers. I am pointing out how we can improve road safety for everyone by making sure people who operate a potentially lethal machine are aware of their responsibilities on the road as our laws evolve over time.

My own observations show that drivers ignore pedestrian rights in a crosswalk. If you disagree, please go for a walk tonight, and find a crosswalk to test this theory. I recently pointed out the lack of enforcement to my local police department, and they said they don't have the resources to address the problem. This was an admission that this issue is a problem, and since it is a problem, it should be addressed. It would only take an hour a week for a month, at different times of day to get much better compliance with the law. An option is to have local residents volunteer to hand out informational palm cards to cars stopped at the traffic lights in town.

Drivers often ignore bicyclists' rights to the road. I've had drivers blast the horn and yell for me to get over, thinking I have to move over to let them pass. This assumption is incorrect. I am not allowed to impede traffic, as long as I can safely ride on the right while cars pass. A lane that is less than 11 feet wide is not considered safe, and I have the option to block the lane to stay safe. I also don't have to ride next to cars that are parallel parked, since an opening door can knock me into traffic, or I can slam into the door. Either of these can hurt more than a swift kick in the groin, and often kill the rider.

A universal rule of the road is that the vehicle occupying the lane owns the lane, and anyone wanting to move to that lane must yield to the owner of that lane. It is a simple concept, and if understood and applied, would resolve many issues. Drivers often swing around the yellow line, and then come back quick, with their rear ends inches from me, and this is why it is important for me to control the lane in a restricted area. If I leave enough room for a driver to pass in a dangerous area, they will pass.

I've also had drivers attempt to get in front of me while I'm stopped at a traffic light, standing in the center of the lane, with cars in front of me. What were they thinking? I sometimes ask them this.. as they look back sheepishly. Hiding inside a heavy machine is impersonal. Staring at a living human being is personal. People can be shamed into compliance.

I've witnessed drivers putting on make-up while driving in chaotic areas, texting while driving (and sometimes not seeing the light turn green as they text, forcing me to impatiently ring my brass bell at them - now tha tmust be embarrassing), reading books, flipping me off while passing me, and yelling from their windows such silly things as "run Forest, run", "go Lance!", and the timeless "get off the F#$king road!". I once had a driver combine texting, horn, yelling, and flipping all at the same time, while trying to force me into the curb. She was truly good at it. I envy her ability to multi-task. I hope she isn't married for the sake of her potential spouse, and hope she chooses not to procreate. We have too many self-absorbed people on the planet already.

I admit that many bicycle riders also ignore the laws, so if you don't hold me responsible for all of the bad bicycle riders, I won't hold you responsible for all of the bad automobile drivers. Since most of the bicycle riders hold a drivers' license, they would also benefit from participating in continuing education on the evolving traffic laws.

The vast majority of drivers I interact with on the road are considerate, safe, and competent drivers. They don't terrorize me on the bike. They maintain a patient and safe following distance, and accord me all of my rights to the road. I will also say that the vast majority of holders of various professional licenses and certifications are competent at their jobs, but this doesn't change the fact that they must all continue to learn.

The incident last night is an example of the ignorance we end up with when the license doesn't indicate competence. Which made me wonder... At what point do we recognize that the changing systems and laws should require people to re-certify, or at least maintain some continuing education to keep them up-to-date? We lose around 40,000 lives in automobile accidents a year in the US. Maybe it's time we implement some solutions that we can all live with.

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Is it safe yet?

I often get asked if I feel safe when riding my bike on the road. The answer is “yes”. I practice good road bike riding, and manage the danger zones by using statistics to my advantage. I do have an occasional run in with a driver. All of these issues were related to rudeness, not bad driving.

But just because I feel safe, does that make it safe? In 2007, almost 700 bike riders were killed on US roads. More than half a million riders end up in the emergency room each year. Seven hundred bike riders dead… do you really want to ride on the road? About 90% of cyclists killed on our roads die as a result of a collision with an automobile. Contrast this with the 40,000 people in automobiles killed on our roads in the average year, and suddenly 700 riders sounds low. Although if I were one of the 700 killed, this statistic wouldn’t make me feel better.

So how do statistics help me ride? They show that 87% of bike accidents occur in intersections. This would probably send many bike riders around the block, only making right turns. But not this guy, I use statistics to keep me safe. I am especially aware and safe when approaching and traversing an intersection. That means I only have to deal with 13% of the risks. Wearing a helmet is a huge risk mitigator – Around 60% of rider brain injuries could be prevented by wearing a helmet. So I wear a helmet – and on the statistics go.

A couple of years ago I found that I may be tracking the wrong statistic. Scientific American published a story with a very simple metric to follow. What are the percentage of women riders in a geographic area? This may be the best indicator of how safe the riding actually is. My first thought was that this was just more male bashing. A feckless attempt to portray men as idiots without any risk meters installed. Never mind the fact that 17 years ago my wife – then girlfriend – opted to stay home instead of going mountain biking on a cold and slushy day. Ignore the fact that the emergency room had to reset my arm back into the shoulder socket, a pain I still feel, yes, even today. Of course I can pretend I didn’t ride my bike through Monsey, or Mordor as I lovingly referred to it, dodging minivans, pedestrians, and Spring Valley Taxis, arriving home to relate the stupidity of every driver who tried to kill me, as my wife stared blankly back. But that would be too easy. I needed to determine if this was the correct metric to answer – “is it safe yet?”.

America is way behind the rest of the developed world in providing transportation alternatives to the gasoline powered wheel chairs that fill our roads. First, most of our dedicated bike trails and paths are in areas that don’t support riding as an alternate transportation method. Most paths are strategically placed in parks, where you can ride in circles around pedestrians and runners, after driving your car to get there (and to get back home). Paths don’t go from our homes to the shopping centers or places of work.

Biking in America as an alternate means of getting around accounts for less than 2% of all trips we make. In the Netherlands, 27% of trips are completed on bikes. Interestingly, in America, less than one third of the riders using bikes as transportation are women, and in the Netherlands, the percentage of women riders exceeds 55%. In Germany, half of all riders are women.

In the Scientific American article, women are referred to as “indicator species”. Sorry men, we aren’t indicator species. This title is relegated to the women. If women aren’t riding, it is probably not safe to ride.

So how do we get more women out riding as transportation? Studies show that a bike infrastructure increases the number of riders, since it is safer to ride in areas designated to ride. Another interesting statistic is that as the number of riders increase, safety exponentially increases for all riders. Tom Vanderbilt’s book Traffic attributes this to drivers’ not noticing a solitary bike rider, but once they see many, they drive more safely. 

Cycling is a sustainable transportation method, is green, fights the fat monster who has invaded our lives, and places us closer to those around us. Try nodding and saying hello to a pedestrian from your car while driving 50 miles per hour. It isn’t noticed. Conversely, I was mumbling under my breath at the car in front of me one day while riding the bike to work. A woman walking her dog on the sidewalk stared at me. I caught myself, and said "I forgot. For a moment I thought I was in my car and no one could hear me". She smiled and laughed as she continued on her way. I blushed in embarrassment, and rolled forward. 

So women, please ride your bikes, and take your men with you. As riding becomes more commonplace and safer, men can increase the risk by participating in other activities while riding – like counting the women riders.

Is it safe yet? If you’re a guy, you probably don’t know, so please go ask a woman. And if you like this post, share it using the buttons below.

Bike commute for The Declaration of Independence

For most of my life I've identified myself as a conservative. As a conservative, I thought it was my duty to actively fight environmentalists, and ignore any data that supported their theories. Over time I have learned that I have a lot in common with environmentalists, but I am still a cynic when it comes to their data. In fact, I am a cynic of most data.

Over the last several years of seeing the political pageantry of our "two party" system, I moved from a conservative mindset to a libertarian mindset. I believe in very limited government, and the rights of individuals to keep the fruits of their labor, free from government control, and with our individual rights intact.

So I am always surprised when I come across people who see me bike commuting, and immediately believe I am a liberal trying to save the planet. I was also surprised to see a conservative write a guest blog about how to talk to a conservative about bicycling for the "Commute by Bike" blog, written by a conservative bike advocate. He makes some very good points, but I don't like the stereotyping of bike riders, especially not utility riders like me.

There are many types of bike riders, and many reasons to ride. I am a utility rider. When I ride, I am embodying "Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" as our founding fathers outlined in The Declaration of Independence. What can be more liberty-minded than riding a bike? I get around on my own power, using common property - the roads, save lots of money and resources, and at the same time pay less tax by not consuming gasoline, decreasing how much of my money goes to OPEC dictatorships.

Riding has had a significant impact on my life. I dropped 25 pounds, 60 cholesterol points, 90 triglyceride points, and high blood pressure. My bike commute is much happier than when I have to take the car, and with all the benefits, my happiness only increases. I'd argue that there are more libertarians riding bikes than most would believe.

During my bike commute, I am sometimes forced to deal with ignorant morons in cars (no, I haven't seen Rush Limbaugh behind me on the road, he lives in Florida, and advocates running cyclists over with an SUV). They get behind me and blast their horns, waving at me to get out of the road. I try to smile and wave, pretending they are my neighbor. This sometimes gets the driver more irate. I hold my lane, and they eventually pass, telling me I am number one by using their middle finger to wave at me.

Cars don't have a "right" to the road. Rights are conferred by our Creator, and can't be trampled on by government or other individuals. Driving is a privilege, not a right, and this is why we must get a license, and our driving privilege can be revoked. Our right to walk or ride a bike can't be taken away, unless we are incarcerated for a crime. I will argue that freedom of mobility is a right. I am free to go about my business or pursuit of happiness without this right being taken away. The car driver has a right to mobility, but their right ends where it impacts my right to safety and security while I am mobile.

So ride your bike to satisfy The Declaration of Independence. The more of us that ride, the safer it is for all of us.

Nice day for a bike commute

One of my goals back in June when we moved, was to bike commute twice as much as I drive. I was doing well in attaining this goal until about a month ago. That's when my honey started a job with the same company I work for. I decided that I'd carpool with her for the first two weeks, and see how it goes from there.

It is hard to rationalize a bike commute when there's already a car leaving your driveway that's going to the same location. So I decided to start mixing some running into my cardio routine, and bike commute when my honey had after work stuff to do. This new approach has worked sort of okay, with my taking the bike about once a week or so.

Today my honey has her department holiday party and dinner, so I decided to ride in. I woke up to a thin white blanket of snow on the ground, and decided to not make a decision until I got closer to my cut-ff time. I had my morning coffee while painting the utility room floor in our basement, and then decided to ride. The last time I rode I left my snivel gear organized and accessible, so suiting up was pretty easy.

There are lots of people who bike commute and blog. They all generate lists of what you should do to keep warm, but I am pragmatic about this. Having lived in Alaska for a couple of years, trained by the Alaska Army National Guard (5/297) to survive in cold weather, the cold doesn't scare me. My honey and I have also cross country skied in very cold weather, and have some great gear for cold weather outdoor activities.

The idea is to find the happy balance between sweating and hypothermia. Either of these can potentially kill you. Anyone who is married knows that "comfortable temperature" is a subjective term. Men lay on top of the blankets sweating, as their wives are under 6 blankets, shivering, and asking if we can see our breath. In my office, some men wear long underwear to keep warm, and others set up fans under the desks to keep cool. So any specific recommendations on how to regulate your temperature between freezing and sweating, is fairly useless to anyone else.

With the above in mind, this is how I regulate my temperature. The key is layers, and strategically placed breathable materials. I always commute in my business casual slacks and shoes and belt that match. I don't want all of the extra logistics required if I have two sets of clothes. I roll up my shirt and t-shirt and carry in my panniers, along with my lunch. Today the temperate was around 20 degrees Fahrenheit, with wind gusts to 20 miles per hour. This combined with 15 - 20 riding top riding speeds, really pushes the wind chill factor. But wind chill only matters for exposed areas.

Starting with my base of slacks and shoes, I wear Boot Gloves (see picture on right) over my shoes. I picked these up for $10 at  a ski swap, and they work great to block the wind and keep the road salt off my shoes. They are made for snow shoeing, and other outdoor activities, and have two Velcro straps and no bottoms on them. Today I wore lightweight long underwear under my slacks, but won't wear them on the ride home. I wear a Terramar long sleeve shirt against my skin. This layer is to get the sweat off of my skin, and disperse it to evaporate. These are very inexpensive at my favorite outdoor store - Campmor. On top of the Terramar, I wear a fleece vest to hold warm air. My final layer on top is my US Army Physical Fitness jacket. It is not breathable, but it does have venting in the armpits and pockets to keep the humid air moving. It is also authorized by the US Army to wear as an individual item.

My hands are protected by Swix Split Mitts. They have three finger tubes, which allow my pointer and middle fingers to snuggle to stay warm, and the pinky and ring finger to do the same. The thumb, being opposable, is left to fend for itself. These work great, but limit the practicality of flipping off bad drivers -which is a bad thing to do anyway. I wear a tight cap under my helmet, and 180 ear warmers on top of that.

The key to making all this work is to make sure that I open and vent before I get warm, and vary my effort as a way to control my internal thermostat. Once I get warm, it is too late, and I end up wet and cold.

I am still seeing bike riders during my commute, and hope that more drivers will take up this transportation mode. Each person who rides a bike has an exponentially positive impact on congestion relief on our roads. Drivers should be thanking us for riding. Here's a great story from NPR: Switching Gears: More Commuters Bike To Work : NPR.

Carjacked - book review

Okay, I admit I ride my bike. A lot. You won't catch me dressed as Lance Armstrong with 50 of my closest friends, riding wheel-to-wheel, blocking traffic, and blowing snot rockets (I do blow snot rockets, but not in a group of people, or around cars where children may pick up on this adult hygiene technique).

I am a utility rider. I ride to replace the car, and occasionally for fitness. I hear the dumb comments all the time - "is it safe to ride in traffic?", "Why can't you ride on the sidewalk?", "how come you don't ride on a bike path? It's safer!", and my favorite "bike riders just block traffic, have no right to be on the road, and ignore the law". If you want to debate these questions, it won't be today. Today is about the book - "Carjacked: The Culture of the Automobile and Its Effect on Our Lives".

I don't ride to save the planet. I ride for many reasons, which I will get into in another post. These authors are liberals. This obviously impacted how they wrote the book. The one author - there are two, and they are sisters - is a college professor. She thanks about 15 students at the end of the book for doing most of the research, and presumably some of the writing. Having people work for free for the benefit of the high-minded is typical of a liberal college professor. I wonder if the students feel "workjacked",  or if it was an "internship". But I digress...

There is no doubt that the automobile industry, which includes the oil industry, have had a major impact on the direction civilization has taken. The car has bred urban sprawl, mega parking lots, highway traffic, choking air pollution, a sedentary lifestyle, and many health issues we face. It has shaped our foreign policy, stoked wars, and kept us dependent on foreign energy.

This book is well researched, and very comprehensive. It is also very left-leaning in the conclusions it draws. One item that really piqued my interest was the assertion that since 1 of 5 car loans to subprime borrowers leads to a car repossession, and these loans are at 20% APR, this is a sign of the rich preying on the poor. They miss the other half of the equation, where 4 out of 5 of these low income, high risk borrowers are able to make their payments, and as a result can get better jobs. Looking at the risk pool of subprime borrowers, if  20% of people borrowing money at a rate of 20% APR defaulted, this would provide the investor who put the money out for the car purchases with a return on investment of 16%, which is hardly usury.

It also interspersed data with anecdotes, and the reader needs to be able to differentiate between the two. An anecdote is one person making a statement, data is compiled from research. Look critically at the data, because we know data can be presented in a way that affirms ones' own beliefs, but may not tell the whole story.

In the end of the book, the authors (or "interns", aka "workjackees") provide many great ideas for how to decrease dependence on cars. If each of us planned our car trips in advance, making sure we pack in as many errands as we can, there'd be less traffic, and cleaner air. Take mass transit when possible. I gave this a try a few weeks ago on my return from a business trip. I was pleasantly surprised to be able to walk off my plane in Newark Liberty, and take the monorail to NJ Transit, and NJ Transit to the train station in my town, requiring only 2 rides on NJ Transit - for the sum of $13.50. Use a bicycle to run errands. I do this all the time, including commuting by bike as much as practical. The days I don't ride, I carpool. Bergen County is tough to get around in a car due to the density of population, but a bike can keep up with traffic easily on most roads. I also try to utilize stores and services, including doctors, who are within a bike-able distance from home, or along my commute route. Park your car in the lot, don't drive in circles to wait for the perfect spot.

And please. Don't drive your kids to school. This is so lame. Let them walk, ride a bike, or take the bus. Some day they'll thank you for this.

Here are some other great books from this genre that I've read:
Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)
Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities
American Idle: A Journey Through Our Sedentary Culture (Capital Ideas Series)