The bicycle dilemma

Do you know how sometimes, when you ride a bike, you feel so happy to be outside? You can smell leaves in the air or the flowers blooming. You can smell chicken cooking or a barbecue with hot dogs roasting as you ride by a backyard. You can see the ducks in the spring creek, sometimes even a beaver. There are horses scattered about so that at times you feel you are riding along the countryside. The sky might be blue and cloudless or gray and thick with clouds, but either way, you feel closer to nature. You're pedaling on your own power. It's good for you. It's good for the environment. Whether you are idly riding about on a Saturday afternoon or pedaling quickly to get to work, there is really no better way of getting about. As gas prices keep rising,we think more about conserving, and we realize more succinctly than ever that we really do need to figure out how NOT to drive everywhere, all the time. Bikes are the perfect answer right?

But then there are those days, when you ride your bike and it is so windy, you wished it were snowing because it would be easier to ride. You can't smell anything in the air. It doesn't feel healthy or good for the environment because you're just darned grumpy that you have to ride like you're in Nebraska during the dust bowl. Your hubby smiles at you, because he'll bike in whatever weather and he truly is an environmentalist. You know he's thinking, "Oh, isn't this fun? All 4 of us together, not in a car, not using any gas." You know he has the right idea. But really, you kind of just want to hit him for being so cheerful in such crap weather. Because he's always cheerful. Some of us have to work at it right? And I'm already working hard fighting the blasted wind! So how can I use more energy to smile back and yell over the roar of wind, "Oh, honey, this is great fun! I'm so GLAD we didn't drive the car."

There are those people, similar in mood to hubby, (I had to notice, usually older folks) driving along who look at you and smile thinking, "Ohh, they're so cute, this little family riding bikes on a Saturday. It must be fun."

Or they smile rather benignly, (if they are more like me. You know who you are) and you know that the blank smile means, "What a bunch of idiots! It's so windy, it must take them 3 times as long getting anywhere. I'm so glad I'm in my comfy car with Norah Jones playing and sun shining on me without having to feel the wind push me around like an enormous bully."

So this is the dilemma, right? I know hubby is right. I know we should bike places more. He bike commutes to work quite frequently. He never complains about the weather. I think it makes him feel so good that he's changing what's expected and normal for Americans everyday. He's embraced the change and that's wonderful for him.

But I don't always enjoy it. I thought I had embraced it but perhaps I'm still in denial about the massive change that needs to take place. And it really does, right? The price of oil is only going to get higher, yes? People in every other part of the world do not own and drive cars the way Americans do. It was set up that way for Americans. It's difficult to walk to work or bike your kids to school. The weather does factor in for me when we ride. I have to put aside more time when we bike, which can be challenging, especially with 2 little guys and a dog to consider. Also, sometimes, I worry about getting funny looks from other moms, if I pull my guys in yucky weather. This is a little embarrassing to admit but I'm going to do it anyway, I enjoy being comfortable in the car, when I've worn a skirt and I spent extra time making my hair look decent. I don't think I've embraced this change yet.

I suppose the question then is, as a woman and a mom, how to embrace the bicycle as a means for commuting and not just as an option for pleasure or exercise?