It’s January! I know it’s a weird time of the year to write a post about riding a bicycle. But I’m not one to follow the crowd here at Hip Diggs. Last year, I started commuting to work by bike. I’m missing it now.
Photo by Dan Erickson
This is my bike. It’s nothing new. It’s nothing fancy. But it gets me from one place to another.
In my 20s, I didn’t own a car. I used a bicycle as my primary source of transportation. As a single parent that became more difficult to do. But last year my daughter turned 12 years old. Now she can do more things without my help, including getting to school. That gave me a little more freedom. So I started riding my bike to work.
Riding A Bicycle Has Several Benefits
- Get in shape: Of course riding a bike is a healthy form of exercise. My work is only about 1.6 miles from home, but the ride back is mostly uphill.
- Save money: The more I bike, the less I drive my car. The less I drive my car, the less I spend on gas. Simple logic.
- Help the environment: I wish more people would commute by bicycle. It could go a long way in lessening our carbon footprint.
- Less stress: I love driving a car on long trips. I don’t like driving in town. It creates stress. When I ride my bike around town, my stress level decreases.
But I Can’t Bike In The Winter
Here’s the sad part. I live in a region where it’s difficult to ride a bicycle in the winter. Oh, some hardcore cyclists do it, but it’s cold and often icy. I use a bike trainer so I can still ride indoors for the exercise.
This leads me to the second half of this post: Retirement, or something like it. I’m going to be setting my own rules about when and how I work in the future. I’m in my mid-50s. My daughter is just a few years away from college. I’m thinking about relocating to a warmer climate soon.
I want to find a location that’s mild, not too hot, not too cold. But I’m also looking for somewhere that doesn’t have a super high cost of living. And of course, it should be bike friendly. Any ideas?
I’d love to hear some ideas and responses from my audience. Where are some places that would fit my needs. Please take a few moments to offer your suggestions in the comment section below.
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