I was filling up my car last week and realized that just two years ago my tank took $29 to fill.  It’s now $57 and that extra $28/week is starting to hurt.    I take my bike to work so where the heck am I using the gas?

I’ve decided that the only way I can cut back on using my vehicle is to be very aware of how much I drive.  One way to do that is to ration the gas I buy.  Welcome back to 1940.  

My goal for April is to fill the car with $30 of gas each week.  No more, no less, but the $30 has to last an entire week.   So far my plan is working; I’m choosing differently because of the $30/week limit.  Example?

Last night I really, really, really wanted a glass of wine.  I could feel that my red wine cell count was low but…it would be a 15 mile round trip to get it and it was too dark to ride a bike.   So, I stayed home and had hot chocolate.  You know what? I was ok with that.   It’s funny how challenge creates opportunities to make changes we may have been wanting to make anyway. 

If I gain some fitness and lose some of the winter wine weight while staying under $30/week, I come out ahead.  I double dog dare you to try this…..pick whatever the dollar amount it was two years ago to fill your tank, and make it last a week.  Then write to me and tell me what choices you made to stretch the petrol.   Email me at info@1world2wheels.org.   

 For my part, I have to drive to town for a meeting today and one of the stops I’ll make is to the wine store.  I deserve a treat for not making the extra trip last night.  Yee-haw.

Someone sent me this photo and I’ve no idea if it was a real photo or an altered one.  It doesn’t matter as the message is  timely.  $4 gas, traffic jams, pollution….how many more reasons to we need to “go by bike?” 

It’s time to make a small change in habit; take your bike for short trips.  What is a short trip? It’s the one or two block ride to the gas station for a newspaper.  Or the mile drive to the bank to make a deposit, or the pharmacy to pick up a script.   The two mile drive to the java joint for a latte.  

Can we, collectively as a 1world2wheels community commit to taking these short trips by bike in May? 

What say we give this a try; leave the car and take your bike for short trips.  Then drop me a note and let me know how it’s going.  If you send a photo and brief story I’ll publish it on the site.    We need examples and stories and motivation to get ourselves and our friends out of the car and onto the bike.   Are you ready?  Go! Send me your fun stories about going by bike…info@1world2wheels.org.