Sorcerer

Not looking for sympathy here. Just going to say what I'm doing at the moment.

I've been riding to work ever since I began working as a janitor in the 1970's on the tail of the gas crisis. I've been riding to work 8-11 miles each way for 35 years in my current job.

We spent a week of vacation last week driving a 2018 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck we own camping every night and going mountain biking and hiking in the desert. It got 18 mpg. I tried driving slower and did, but the trucks in the desert make 75 mph easily.

Yeah the gas was an expense, but camping is cheap and 4 out of 8 nights were free. I don't feel too guilty for doing that trip. But I do think about it a lot.

I've always sort of identified with my cars in a similar way to my bikes. I avoid shuttle rides, but don't hesitate to drive to a trail head for a mountain bike ride.

My way of living is not unusual, but that doesn't justify it. Just think of the manifold changes that would result if people can't afford fuel. Employment issues and inflation, cleaner air.

This forum is definitely North American based I gather.

I know quite a few folks who are retired and living in vans, mobile homes, what have you. I'm pretty sure they're feeling the pinch from fuel price increases, but I feel sure they'll continue their nomadic ways. Most of them maintain a home address- they're pretty well off considering- and continue to ride bikes.

I've always known it was important to ride a bike to work for me because the environment and health. If the increase in fuel prices helps more people discover a bicycle lifestyle that is a great silver lining.
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Obviously the demand for sources of fuel continues to drive conflicts in this world. My own fuel consumption patterns directly contribute to this thirst.

My wife likes the idea of getting a camping van. I've always preferred tent camping. We also do bike tours and more and more bike packing adventures all the time! I just don't like the idea of dragging all that stuff down the road burning up tons of fuel especially with the warming climate. I sort of look forward to maybe a hybrid pick up truck/camper to obtain good fuel efficiency and a camper.

As far as mountain biking goes, we are lucky to be able to ride from home most of the time to get it done. The trails here are as good as anything we drive 100's of miles for. It's just curiosity to want to experience the natural beauty of different places. And I have to admit it's also vanity that drives us to travel.

Domestic travel is one thing. What about air travel? Flying has to become more expensive in the short and long term. What will happen to places which depend upon tourism? We've already seen significant effects from the pandemic!

I work for a major freight carrier. While I don't think the company will go away, I do know that freight costs are going to increase a lot! We'll experience inflation. I wonder how my investments will fare.

As I consider the prospects for my eventual retirement, the idea of not riding to work every day and being relied on to show up and get the work done seems depressing! I love being a useful person. Driving around the country in a camper van just feels wrong to me. I would never say that to my nomadic friends.

Those people in Ukraine don't get to go on long camper van drives. Those humongous land yachts I see on the roads are not attractive to me. Most of the world, if they saw this stuff, what would they think?

​​​​​​The insatiable consumerism of the USA and it's corporate pursuit of profit has created the place in which we ride our bikes. I try to reconcile myself to the harsh reality, but serially fail to do anything effective to change this culture for the better, and instead pursue endless bike rides and immersion in nature.