As our favorite ghastly ghoul of a holiday rapidly approaches, and everyone here in Jackson is scrambling to find that final perfect costume accessory, news is spreading about a new vehicle to show off your creativity and hard work. … YOUR BIKE! Read More »

With rising gas prices, our transportation culture may be making some big changes. GM announced earlier this month that due to plummeting sales of large trucks, they will close down four more North American Assembly plants by 2010 and potentially stop manufacturing Hummers all together. Bloggers, environmentalists and commuters alike have also been supporting a shorter work week. Four, ten-hour days instead of the full week, to cut down on oil consumption. Some businesses are even urging employees to work from home if they can.

Maybe it is time for a change. If you can’t telecommute or take a 4-day week, why not trade the wheels in for a more efficient vehicle. I have come up with a few ideas.

First, if your car is about at the end of its life, maybe its time to trade it in for a bike. New Belgium Brewery began the Tour De Fat to try and convince car owners to trade their four wheels in for two. and not just any two, a New Belgium special, fully-loaded, hand-crafted, Fort Collins-built
commuter bike and trailer. There are 11 Tour de Fat stops – surely one near you – and that’s 11 car/bike trade opportunities. Check out the details at www.newbelgium.com or www.followyourfolly.com

If you really need to feel the high speed wind in your hair of a motor-powered vehicle, here are a few options.

The Smart Car- www.smartusa.com- Looks a bit like a North Pole elf mobile, but is priced right at around 10K and saves a million in gas.

The Razor This little scooter can be seen in the city at every corner, and probably doesn’t get much traction in the snow, or helps anyone pick up chicks, but still gets you from point A to point B fairly efficiently.

The Vespa- Some model or another got the boys to Aspen in Dumb and Dumber, and these little babies have been totting Euros all over the place for years, so get a warm coat and a helmet and you are set.

Or my personal favorite, althought not street legal and not made for people larger than small toddlers, the electric kiddie jeep. You could potentially ride it to the bar on a bike path, and I’m not totally sure DUI’s count when you are going 2 miles an hour in a plastic car, but I’m willing to try, just to save a buck.

Fellow cardi-ho Anna Davis and I registered for the LOTOJA Classic back in April. The race, considered one of the longest single-day road cycling races in North America, starts in Logan, Utah and ends 206 miles later in Jackson. At sign-up time, I was skinning, hiking and skiing every day, like the mountain woman I always hoped I could be; the course’s three mountain passes including 10,000 vertical feet of climbing seemed totally doable.

Then, I left the country.

After about a month away from Jackson, my race training has given way to eating, meditating, volunteering and finding the occasional stationary bike in random hotel basements.

1. Barcelona, Spain. “Fitness Center” (two stationary bikes and Enya playing in the background. Open about three hours a day starting at 11 a.m.)

2. Provence, France. My friend Lauren Manekin who leads trips for Backroads sent me on a cycling adventure through the hills. About 10 kilometers into the ride, the infamous Mistral struck and I was blown forward and back, left and right through winding, stone wall lined country roads. Good training.

3. Tuscany, Italy. From Florence, I rented a bicycle, map included, to see wine country. The 19 km ride turned into 44 km of cement factories,terracotta pot stands, graveyards, gas stations and roadside prostitutes. After riding on the four-lane highway, I finally found the vineyards.

4. Hanoi, Vietnam. Working out in Vietnam has been about sitting up straight and learning how to breathe.

Anyone who has tips about training while traveling on budget, please enlighten me! LOTOJA participants still have about three more months of training before the epic ride. Bon Chance to all!