{"id":9405,"date":"2010-08-23T11:00:23","date_gmt":"2010-08-23T11:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/planetsave.com\/?p=9405"},"modified":"2010-08-23T11:00:23","modified_gmt":"2010-08-23T11:00:23","slug":"so-hows-about-a-bicycle-going-green-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetsave.com\/articles\/so-hows-about-a-bicycle-going-green-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"So, How\u2019s About a Bicycle? (Going Green Tip #5)"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n By Chip Haynes, Clearwater, Florida.<\/em><\/p>\n Giant Bicycles used to offer a bicycle called the Iguana. It came in green, and I always wanted one so when people asked me what I rode, I could look them in the eye and say\u2026 \u201cI ride a Giant green Iguana<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to be quite that far out to go green with your bicycle- whatever you ride. Any bike you\u2019ve got will do. You just have to do a little planning, and maybe you can leave the car at home from time to time. Wouldn\u2019t that be nice?<\/p>\n Start by getting a map of your town. You\u2019ll want a map that shows the smallest streets, since those are the ones you\u2019ll use. If you can get a map that shows topography (elevation), that\u2019s even better! (No need to go uphill both ways.) Take that map and draw a three mile radius from home. That\u2019s your range on a bicycle. In a town with streets laid out in a grid, a three mile radius often means five miles on the ground to get where you\u2019re going, and five miles is far enough. No need to overdo it just yet.<\/p>\n To know what\u2019s out there and where you can go, you have to get out there, on your bicyclee, and really see what you\u2019ve been driving past for all these years. Bring paper and pencil. Make a list of the places you can get to, where they are and their hours. Stores, libraries, movies, you name it- if you can ride there on your bike, that\u2019s one less trip by car. Go team! You will be amazed by all of the stuff that\u2019s close to where you live- stuff you never saw as you drove right by.<\/p>\n You need to not think like a driver when you ride your bicycle. That is, don\u2019t ride your bike on the big, busy streets you usually drive. Take a good look at that street map of yours. Is there a way to get where you want to go without having to take the busy streets? That\u2019s the way you want to go, even if it is a little further. Trust your Uncle Chippie on that one. Back streets are better- if they get you there.<\/p>\n