The bicycle can save the economy

I just went out on an adventure (it's always an adventure to ride a bike) and I saw of a number of businesses that went under: IHOP, Office Depot, Radio Shack, etc. I wonder if the money that people use to gas their car, and many other expenses that go with the car, are starving the economy. Even if they are unemployed they must hang on to their car in case they find another job, so all other business suffer and the city becomes a ghost town.

I finished my adventure --if only to be out-- at Target, a store that always feels good. We found last night an amazing Huffy with rack and basket --beautiful to boot-- for a mere 120 bucks. Oh, if only people took advantage of such wisdom and went the simple way. There were perhaps 300 hundred cars at Target and a handful of bikes --5 at most. My "gassing up" takes a loaf of bread, some juicy drink --different every time-- and whatever else grabs my attention in the new food section at Target. "Cheap gas" if you will.

When I go with my girlfriend though things are different and we usually sit down at a restaurant to enjoy a well earned meal. The problem is that we drive some 30 miles to get to the launching place and then we ride perhaps 10 or 15 miles. We have tried the same route I did today alone and we have come under attack. A little hurdle in the outing today: I was riding the sidewalk and this car was blocking the driveway --it happens all the time-- but I couldn't see anything through the tinted windows. He or she wouldn't move forward or backward. I got off the bike, becoming in effect a pedestrian and walking toward the car. The car finally budged and went into reverse. I rode the road that I call the "causeway to hell" with no particular incidents.

I think it's this S-T-R-U-G-G-L-E that keeps people driving and money going to feed Big Oil, the people of Detroit and Japan, and who knows who. It ain't going to feed the neighborhood restaurant.

But this is only my humble opinion.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

formatting link

Reply to
TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser Philosopher
Loading thread data ...

True. Same fear keep us from enjoying life. I guess the system wants you to buy another Toyota to survive the drunken idiot in the Toyota.

Reply to
TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser Philosopher

Most of cars/parts are also of foreign origin. You can still buy a decent bike made in America though --electric to boot...

formatting link
The particular bike we bought though is a single speed --unlike most junk out there-- and there's nothing to lose but your chain. Particularly important is the fact that it can carry stuff in the real world. It's really ready to go bargain hunting on bike.

It's no endorsement, just giving you a cheap option for those hurting by the economy.

Reply to
TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser Philosopher

The cost is about $2000. Actually, you can save a bunch of that money and get a battery and motor that you can put in most bikes for a lot less.

It's got Shimono gears and shifters, lithium ion batteries and a motor. Even if it is assembled in the US, I bet most components are made in Asia.

Cheap is the word. As in poor quality. The bikes at Target are not good bikes. You have to spend some more money to get something worthwhile. I bought a new Diamondback Response XL for about 350 at DIck's Sporting Goods. And, Sunday, when the car hit me on the street (just the mirror hit the handle bars - apparently the lady was more interested in rushing to brake at the next light than not hitting other people on the road), my handle bars stayed in place, but her mirror broke off - it was hanging by cables.

Personally, the Trek 7200+ would be the electric I would buy if I wanted to spend that much money on an electric bike.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Not in this case. By cheap, I really mean poor quality. Target bikes are not good quality. Most of their sporting goods are not good quality, for that matter. I bought my accessories and other necessities there (Bell helmets - helmets are a necessity and Bell lights and speedometer). But I wouldn't buy a bike there.

The bikes there and at Walmart are poorer quality than the same brands elsewhere.

I believe in simplicity of design. But low-cost (i.e., cheap) doesn't mean that it will last long.

Reply to
Jeff

PLEASURE, that is!!

Reply to
Sharx3335

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.