Utility Cycling - A more relaxed weekend

It's Saturday and raining outside and I need to travel 4 miles to buy some clothes. There's a car in my driveway, but I'm avoiding using it... Still, I'll postpone my bike trip for a little. It might stop raining later.

One thing I notice about using a bicycle for transportation is that Saturdays are a lot more relaxing. There's no need to rush around town doing errands. Actually, somehow... most of those errands turn out to be unecessary. If the weather is nice, I get a very enjoyable bike ride while doing the absolutely necessary chores. If the weather is not nice, I might just read a book...

Anyone else notice a more peaceful existence w/o cars on the weekend?

Always! I just got done completing the rehab on a Huffy Baypoint 3 speed for one of the ladies at work and took it for a quick 2 mile run up the road. A surprisingly sweet little ride for what it was originally. I think it may have been one of the last ones made in the US before Huffy went offshore. I try to spend my Saturdays at home piddling or riding. I spend too much time on the road as it is so any time spent at home is quality time;) and if you add bikes to the equation it is approaching near nirvana:p

Aaron:)

I actually spend way too much time now looking for reasons to do chores on Saturday since I get to ride (rain or shine) and sometimes leave stuff that need to be done at home... darn bike..

Yeah I like your observation about how those "important" errands end up being unnecessary.
Less road rage too. I think something begins to happen to your whole approach to weekends when you decide not to drive.

Wife and I went out to dinner and drinks at a very nice restaurant (with the money saved by NOT buying gas). Took the bus to one one of the hubs. We read and watched CNN while waiting for the transfer. I had two glasses of red wine with dinner (don't have to worry about getting behind the wheel of a car, looking over my shoulder all the time for cops). We had a very nice time and probably will do that next weekend. It's just nice not having to depend on the automobile for everything and having a little more breathing room financially and enjoy some little luxuries for a change.

Absolutely! Holidays too. On Memorial Day I rode to a beach near my house and watched the cars lined up to pay for parking. It was too crowded there so I decided to ride around the MSU campus, a beautiful location that was almost like a ghost town on the holiday. I wished we had taken a picnic to eat on the banks of the Red Cedar River, but we ate at a restaurant insead.