First, the RR has become a skier! Ok, I've only done it less than 10 times but I'm somewhat competently navigating down intermediate runs at Mount Rose and eagerly looking at snow accumulations to see when more runs will open up this year. As a season pass holder it's hard not to constantly eye the weather forecasts. Skiing is a whole different animal than cycling and a nice change of pace...though I still consider myself a cyclist first. The interesting thing is that my attitude about why I do these activities is the same...they're fun! I'm past the point of pushing myself on a bike because of some sort of make believe aspirations about racing or being the fastest. Likewise with skiing I'm content to just enjoy the views and the feel of gliding down a mountain. This reminds me of a recent article by the Eben Weiss on the subject of biking as environmental statement that my dad sent me. It was published in Outside Magazine and is a good reminder that while cyclist can talk a good game about how biking is better for the environment, the real reason to do it is because it's fun Excerpt: "...as environmentally friendly as cycling is, you’re not going to reap the benefits of that anytime soon, and the sad fact is that the planet is going to be just as fucked at the end of your bike ride as it was when you set out on it. Therefore, if your goal is to get people excited about cycling, it makes much more sense to emphasize all the great stuff it will do for them right now. Telling them to try it merely because it’s good for the environment is about as sexy as telling them to eat their greens. In recent years, some people have attempted to debunk the notion that cycling is better for the environment than driving. Some have even claimed it’s outright bad. I say: Let ‘em. Spend five minutes in a shopping mall parking garage and tell me that cars make the world a better place; spend some time cycling and tell me that bikes don’t. Oh sure, there’s a certain visceral pleasure that comes from car ownership, but if you want something you can polish once a week that makes a nice throaty sound when you start it up, then I recommend investing in a new toilet."
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AuthorFor over 12 Years I wrote the Reno Rambler Blog covering everything from Bicycle Advocacy, Reno Politics, Popular Culture, and my experiences as a long-time cyclist. Archives
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