June 18, 2008
Why Bikes Faster than Cars
The model American male devotes more than 1600 hours a year to his car. He sits in it while it goes and while it stands idling. He parks it and searches for it. He earns the money to put down on it and to meet the monthly installments. He works to pay for gasoline, tolls, insurance, taxes, and tickets. He spends four of his sixteen waking hours on the road or gathering his resources for it. And this figure does not take into account the time consumed by other activities dictated by transport: time spent in hospitals, traffic courts, and garages; time spent watching automobile commercials or attending consumer education meetings to improve the quality of the next buy. The model American puts in 1600 hours to get 7500 miles: less than five miles per hour (4.68 mph, ed).
Ivan Illich (1926-2002)
Author of "Energy and Equity"
June 06, 2008
Grand Dame Of Recumbent Cycling in Words and Images
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Here from her factory in Santa Cruz, CA, we present the Grand Dame of the recumbent cycling industry, Melanie Vizzusi. With her company, Free Form Fashions, Melanie has been making apparel for cyclists and their bikes since 1982. HEAR how much fun Melanie has in her work as a high tech seamstress and you will know why her customers come back over and over again. |
