So, we’re starting to make that plunge towards conserving our automobile use. As you may be aware from previous episodes, Amy is already a telecommuter, so this one falls mostly to Rhett. Just by taking a bike for his daily commute and changing his lifestyle around slightly (read: no going home for lunch), he’s able to carve off a good 90 miles a week. That might not sound like much, but he really doesn’t drive very much as it is. If we’re not going on a road trip (which is rare), then that’s probably at least a 50% reduction.

Commuting and running errands with a bicycle is pretty easy. Just hop over to t or your local bike shop and get a nice, sturdy, used bike…then replace the mountain bike tires with slicks designed for use on the roads. A couple of small and simple tools to go with it, and you’ve got a vehicle that’s mighty fun, healthy, and green to ride.

Oh, and did we mention it’s the most energy efficient mode of transport? Yes, even if you take a very pessimistic analysis, it is not only more efficient than virtually any other choice in ground transport, but shaping your lifestyle around a bike encourages conservation.

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Tags: bike, bicycle, commute, bicycle commute, green, green lifestyle, new urbanism, travel