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September 22, 2005
Section: Arizona Living
Edition: Final Chaser
Page: E1


BIKING BREAKS CYCLE OF GASOLINE DEPENDENCE
Barbara Yost, The Arizona Republic

RIDING A BIKE: Ron Watkins shakes his head when he passes a gas station, watching the gas-guzzlers fill up. They must have money to burn, he thinks.

Watkins doesn't spend a dime on gas anymore. He sold his Toyota pickup truck and is selling his motorcycle. From now on, he's making pedal power his only means of transit.

"Bicycles should be transportation, not just recreation," says Watkins, a personal trainer at Flexibility First in Scottsdale.

Watkins is joining the corps of cyclists who commute to work on bicycles. Though their number remains small in Arizona -- just 0.89 percent of the Phoenix population and 2.28 percent in Tucson -- record-high gas prices could increase their fold, says Jim Gregory, co-owner of Bikes At Work Inc., an Ames, Iowa-based company that builds bike trailers (to carry loads) and pedicabs (to carry passengers) and compiles research on bicycle commuters.

Because Bikes At Work statistics are based on the 2000 census, response to recent leaps in gas prices are not reflected in the data, Gregory says. But hits on the company's Web site, www.bikesatwork.com, have more than doubled in the past month, from 400 to almost 1,000.

"This happens every gas crunch," says Colin Laing, 68, manager of Tempe Bicycle, who commutes 12 miles one-way to work.

The native of Great Britain says that in his home country it's considered common sense to pedal more than drive.

But in America, "People buy bikes, ride once and give up until the next gas crisis. Americans are marshmallows. They wilt in the sun."

Nancy Williamson is one cyclist determined not to wilt. Williamson lives in east Phoenix and commutes to a security job at Kierland Commons at Scottsdale Road and Greenway Parkway. At 7 a.m. each morning, she rides one of her three bikes to the bus stop, where she folds it up and hangs it on the bus bike rack or brings it inside.

She rides to a bus stop near Kierland and pedals the rest of the way, where she patrols the parking lot on her bike.

Williamson acknowledges that recent gas prices have fallen below $3, but says "It will never be like it was 15 to 20 years ago. In the future, prices will only go up."

She calls the price drop "a little reprieve."

"It gives people more time to get used to biking," she says.

$100 per month savings

Williamson took 25 years to make the biking commitment. While living in Denmark in 1980, she saw that Danes were rabid cycling enthusiasts. "I realized this was their way of life," she says.

Gas was pricey overseas then, and only rich people drove cars. The rest of Denmark depended on plastic bicycles that could withstand the country's rainy, slushy weather conditions that corrode metal bikes.

After weaning herself off automobile dependence, Williamson finally gave up her car last year.

"I don't think about the price of gas," she says. "I don't even want a car now. I feel good. At least one car isn't polluting."

Cyclists who stash their cars could save at least $100 a month on gas, says Bike Barn manager Mary Halfmann.

"And think of the health benefits," she says. "Save gas and your health."

Air quality would be healthier, too, if a significant number of cars stayed parked at home. That's one of Watkins' motivations.

"I wanted to make a commitment to the environment and my fitness," he says.

Watkins enjoys meeting wildlife practically at eye level along his 11-mile route to work. Near his house at 94th Street and Thunderbird Road in Scottsdale, he encounters coyotes, javelinas and birds waking up when he sets out at 3:15 a.m. "You notice nature a lot more," he says.

Gregory from Bikes At Work says more commuters might trade in four wheels for two if cities were committed to accommodating cyclists with bike paths or accessible shoulders. That's especially true in the Valley, where urban sprawl stretches commuting distances.

As roads are widened or resurfaced, Gregory says, "It's important to put in some allowances for cyclists."

Biking in comfort

The bicycle of choice for many bike commuters is the "comfort mountain bike," says Chris Coolman, a sales representative at the Bike Barn in Phoenix. The rider sits upright on a seat more padded than those on racing bikes, and tires are smoother. Some have backrests.

Another style seen on Valley streets is the recumbent bike, where riders sit leaning back and pedal in front of them. It has smaller wheels, a larger seat and a longer wheelbase.

Prices for comfort mountain bikes range from $219 to $600 and up, Coolman says. Recumbent bikes run around $550.

Cyclists seriously committed to using a bike as primary transportation can be well outfitted. Watkins has added saddlebags to his bike that neatly carry bags of groceries. He has lights that illuminate his path at night.

Williamson has a trailer that attaches to the rear of her bike. Trailers can carry everything from groceries to a refrigerator or a household of furniture, according to Bikes At Work.

Before you go riding off on your Schwinn thinking you're saving the world and pedaling your way to good health, consider the warnings of Jim Anderson, senior research scientist in the environmental fluid dynamics program at Arizona State University.

In order to clean the air, a large number of automobiles would have to be taken off the road, Anderson says.

In the meantime, it's not all that healthy to ride alongside traffic in a city the size of Phoenix. Riders are exposed to high concentrations of particulates, bits of soot, dust and other contaminants. In the summer, ozone is hazardous, especially during rush hour.

"You wouldn't want to be on a bike in peak ozone times," Anderson says.

The answer, he believes, is better mass transit, such as light rail, and hybrid cars with engines that burn cleaner and get better gas mileage.

"Higher gas prices," he says, "will nudge people into getting into these hybrids."

Then we can use our bikes to get into nature.


HYBRID CAR:

A few weeks ago, Janet Baltes bought a 2005 Toyota Prius. The hybrid vehicle costs half as much to fill up as the 1995 BMW she traded in. "It was a beautiful car (the BMW), but it just guzzled the gas," said Baltes, of Phoenix. She used to pay $50 at the pump to fill up, but now pays between $20 and $25. "When the gas prices shot up I was like, 'OK, that's it,' " she said. The hybrid runs on batteries and gas. When the driver presses on the accelerator the car uses gas, but when it coasts it uses the batteries. "I've been driving around a lot the past few days and it hasn't even come off full," she said. While Baltes doesn't commute to work each day, she drives around a lot, especially since her daughters and grandchildren live in the Valley. Since purchasing the car, people have approached Baltes in grocery store parking lots thanking her for driving a hybrid. "There's definitely an awareness about efficiency, which is great," she said. "It's an all around perfect car for me. I just love it."

CARPOOL:

Katie Frier has a 37-mile commute from her Ahwatukee Foothills home to work in north Scottsdale. That's 74 miles a day, 370 miles a week. To cut back on mileage and money spent for gas, Frier signed up for the Valley Metro's "Share the Ride" program in December. She carpools to work each day and said the benefits are two-fold. "Not only do I save each week on gas, but I have someone to talk to during the drive," she said. "Now that gas prices are above $3 a gallon, I'm really glad I decided to do this." Filling up her Oldsmobile Alero used to cost $20 to $25; now it's about $40. "I probably save about $60 a month," she said. Last week, a third woman joined Frier's carpool, in large part because of rising gas prices. "The prices really hurt a city like Phoenix because everything is so spread out," Frier said. "But in doing the carpool, it's nice because you have someone to unwind with after work."


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Paul L.

Loved it except for the last part. I heard it is actually worse to be in the car during high pollution. I never really had a problem on high Ozone days, just took the pace a little slower so I wouldn't breath hard. Drivers breath the same air I figure. Anyway, High Ozone days are usually so hot not many ride anyways so I guess it is a moot point.

The only solid truth is that bicycles are the only transportaion that can completely be run with renewable energy. Solar cells have to be made and wear out and have lots of nasty chemicals in the process, Fuel cells need hydrogen, electric cars need electricity. Bikes need food. Food is easy to make.

Anyway, loved it except for the pansy opinion of being scared to ride alongside traffic. Never had a problem with it myself.

noisebeam

Paul, I had the same reaction as you. Generally a good article. But it unfortunately ended on a discouraging note about pollution. I've cycled home on every work day this summer, high advisory, high heat, etc. and never had a real problem. My lungs have burned a tiny bit on the worst days, but its hard to know if its from the hot extremely dry air (117, 4%) or from the ozone.

(I don't see the 'pansy opinion' about scared of riding along side traffic)

Al

nitroRoo

agree with the others... that and the author doesnt seem to know how a hybrid car works

noisebeam

I didn't read, just quickly skimmed, the hybird part - I just did and yep, your right - kind of a funny mistake ('when it coasts it uses batteries') ha ha. (I own a Prius)

Al