[I_Like_Plants]

Well, I'm on a one-month countdown now .... have miraculously found a cheap place to live, will hand the apartment lease over to someone I found to take it over, will hand my car over to either my friend who may buy it, or the bank, and will be devoid of much of the STUFF that running a small business involves having.

I will not make much for at least the next couple of years, but I will no longer be operating at a loss.

I drove from Sunnyvale to Palo Alto today, along El Camino Real, because I wanted to stop at a couple of places, and it took me something like an hour and a half! Bike riders were making much better time, and I mean poopy HS girl bike riders with lil' backpacks and fruity colored bikes. Riding on the sidewalk.

Also, as soon as the temperature hits 70 degrees, I have to run the A/C in my car, and when it gets near 80 I have to blast it. Meanwhile outside, walking or biking, the air's really pleasant. You don't really feel the heat until you're up into the 90s at least. Cars are coffins indeed, it feels like being in a coffin in the sun.

Getting off of this treadmill I've been on will be a relief!!

[dukey]

get a motor bike

[I_Like_Plants]

Dukey a motorbike is definately something I have considered, but there are some drawbacks to them. You can't ride up on the sidewalk and basically get away with the stuff you can on a push bike. You can't carry it up a flight of stairs or into your bedroom. You can't whisper down a road, listening to folks talking while they prepare dinner, and smell the cooking. In California you have to wear a great galumphing helmet that you have to babysit when not on the bike. You can't ride it legally without insurance. You can't take it with you on CalTrain and explore the City with it.

I have considered one though because they are much cheaper to obtain and operate than a car. You can (or at least I can) work on them. Carrying capacity is greater. Leather is cool. And they are fun to buzz around on.

But right now, my budget is so low, that the greater cost of going motorized is not something I want to do right now.

[frankthetank]

Try to find an older decent used steel mtn bike. I ride an older Jap made bike and after throwing some news skins on it and peddles it rides like a dream. I got it for free! If you do get a bike, get some sort of luggage rack or something, because carrying stuff in a back pack sucks (i do it...sweaty back). Lock it up. A person can make good time on a bike. I went from one end of are city to the other and probably couldn't have done it that much quicker in a car because i take all the short cuts, run stop signs, red lights, cut in front of drivers, pop wheelies (J/K!).

I don't even have a car right now. Might not be so fun come winter

[undertaker]

www.lightfootcycles.com

I like "The Transporter" myself.

[I_Like_Plants]

Been looking at bikes a lot. Been looking for good used bikes at thrift stores etc for the last 2 years and I'm justs not finding them. They're out there, but never when you need 'em.

The Kona Smoke looks like an inexpensive bike that will work well. Those are in the $300s. Go any cheaper and you get junque.

I have the hots for a Bianchi Milan but I am not sure I can justify the $600 expense.

[caliginousface]

I don't know man, even 80's are hot on a bike. I'm riding hard from SJSU down to the airport near Eastridge mall and i'm sweating balls. If I was crusing, maybe not so much.

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('caliginousface', 'I') don't know man, even 80's are hot on a bike. I'm riding hard from SJSU down to the airport near Eastridge mall and i'm sweating balls. If I was crusing, maybe not so much.

[caliginousface]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', '
')Damn, you go to San Jose State?

Hey, did you know that Professor Rucker who teaches math is an outstanding SF author?

anyways, I'm moving (to a camper in a back yard) in Santa Clara, and in fact I have to go to downtown SJ tomorrow. I'm surprised I never see bike racks down there, taking the train from Sunnyvale costs me $8 round trip.

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('caliginousface', '
')There are some scattered bike racks around. State def has a good amount, but most are on the outskirts of campus since it's still illegal to ride on campus.

Are you taking Caltrain or does the light rail head out that way?

[gampy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('caliginousface', 'I') don't know man, even 80's are hot on a bike. I'm riding hard from SJSU down to the airport near Eastridge mall and i'm sweating balls. If I was crusing, maybe not so much.

[caliginousface]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('gampy', '
')Lol. I was cycling the other day in 30+ Celsius, and was more comfortable on the bike, than walking. As long as you don't over do it, (keep it in low gear, and don't pedal too hard) and dress appropriately (hat or helmet that covers your ears and forehead, and shorts, and loose fitting shirt) cycling in the heat isn't that bad. In fact the I find the extra wind keeps me cooler, than standing still, or walking.

[I_Like_Plants]

I always wondered about that. I get pretty brown but not quite as dark as a lot of people. Being really dark in the sun must make for pretty hot skin.

Hauling ass is probably the thing heating you up the most though.

Downtown SJ is actually kind of cool. The US is in a sort of Gilded Age yuppie thing right now, but that will change when things start to seriously turn down economically. I remember the "shabby chic" of the 1970s and the burst of interest in home handicrafts.

The thing about downtown SJ is there's a lot of old buildings, infrastructure like Diradon Station, etc from the old days. It's a gas taking the train there then walking past that sausage factory with the 1930s style dancing pigs graphic painting in their wall. Past all those old-old houses that are often rooming houses now. I bought a book for 50c from a guy holding a tiny yard sale at one of them last month. Downtown proper is is more modern, but there's old stuff there, like that church on Market st. that is apparently a "hub" for the homeless. Catholics walking the walk, how about that.

Parking is such a bitch in downtown that there's not all that much traffic. Homeless folks galore but of course in the US you're going to find that in any city or town with a population larger than say 5000 these days.

I discovered there's a farmer's market there on Fridays, something like 10AM - 2PM. and I talked with the guy at the information booth. If you came by train and can show your ticket, you get a $1 coupon you can use at the farmer's market. I got a summer roll from the Vietnamese stand - it was good too! They also don't have anyone doing any kind of art or caricature, we talked about that. The guy told me the people tend to have 1 hour to shop, have lunch, etc. So, it might not be the right place. I said I know, because most portrait street artists will pick away at a drawing for 10-30 minutes, and the real pros are working in 5 minutes or less. I got the feeling I'd not have to pay a space fee, just come on down and draw, if I like. I explained I already have permission at the sunnyvale market to do that, but that he may well be seeing me in a while.

Yeah, downtown SJ can be cool. Keep in mind this is the hottest time of the year, it was a hot one for me walking, thank goodness for the water fountain at the train station

[frankthetank]

I was biking the other day and it was around 70F. Anything between 55F and 70F i would put at perfect for biking. When i got to my destination i noticed a little sweat, but not much. Below 50F and you start debating between shorts and pants (i do). Pants suck while biking, unless they are made for biking. I've biked in the upper 20F's and that really sucks. Its just amazingly cold when you really start going. I've also biked in over 6 inches of snow. That'll slow a person down, but on a mtn bike its still doable. I have a full suspension mtn bike that i hardly use, and i'm thinking about putting some semi slicks on it :0

[I_Like_Plants]

I'm having a hell of a time finding a good used bike, I may end up getting something new but nothing flashy, Trek or Specialized. Too bad Walt's nearby is closing, they had Treks and good prices.

[J-Rod]

I am about to go for a ride on my Trek right now. The best money I have spent so far, even if the wife bitched a bit.

7300 fx

[I_Like_Plants]

It's probably more money than I'd want to spend, I'll have to stick to about $400.

[I_Like_Plants]

Oh wait a minute, I was looking at some of those, I don't want a suspension front end, but those are getting close to down in my range.

That or something Specialized, I don't want to have something too flashy, too much theft risk and too much money that could go for other things like food.

[J-Rod]

I think I posted the wrong pic, I don't have suspension, it's a hard tail. I bought it 400 bucks new, I think they should have come down in price by now. The only thing I really need to change is getting a better cruising seat, that banana is really hard on my ass, pain starts after about 3 or 4 miles.

[caliginousface]

I got a Trek hybrid (multitrack 7000) for about $290. No fork suspension, but then I got it converted to road bike drop bars and now it's like a cyclo-cross bike. You might want to try to hit up Trek Bike Shop off Capital, just past Snell. If you look in their catalogs they have the step down models that are cheaper.