23.5 Hour Challenge

Who would have thought a doctor talking for 9 minutes would get over 3 million views on you tube? But that's what happened withe the 23.5 hour challenge.


According to the video, the best single thing you can do for your health is exercise. But that doesn't mean being a fitness fanatic. It just means keeping your inactive time to less than 23.5 hours per day.

That could be as simple as riding a bike to work or the shops. Or maybe walking to the train station each day. (A friend of mine used to get off the train one stop early to get in some walking after work).

Key Christmas Tip

It was a real surprise to see this post from a good friend of mine - who is a really sweet and intelligent guy.

But in the light of my last post (it's circumstance, not the person) I probably shouldn't be overly surprised.

So here's my Christmas shopping tip: Take Public Transport

At the shopping centre my friend was at, the "perfect park" is probably the one the busses get - about 5 metres from the door.

Another shopping centre near me is actually built on top of the train station. Hard to get more convenient than that.

Sometimes a bike is also helpful (if getting smaller gifts). I used to park 3 metres from the shop entrance and could ride home in less time than it took most shoppers to find a park.

So that's my tip - leave the car keys at home and enjoy the Christmas season!

Why "other drivers" are worse than us

"I can't believe what that maniac driver just did!
How do these people get a licence?"
We've no doubt heard something like that said (maybe with some beeping and finger gestures). We may have said it ourselves.

The psychological term for this is "Fundamental Attribution Error". It's where we (incorrectly) blame an outcome on the people rather than the circumstance. (Unless it's our mistake of course - than there's always another reason)

A driver who is normally good (or at least as good as us) will occasionally do something 'crazy' because of other circumstances - screaming kids in the back seat, tiredness, fatigue, thinking about other things, or running late for work.

What has this got to do with being car free? It's a safety thing. And this is probably a big part of the reason why public transport is enormously safer than driving. If the danger isn't bad drivers - but circumstances - it's about stopping bad circumstances becoming a danger.

If I'm running late for work, i'm not putting anyone at risk, because i'm not driving the train. If I'm exhausted at the end of a long work week, the biggest danger is me missing my train station after an accidental nap. (That hasn't happened yet). It would be inconvenient, but it's better than a collision with another vehicle.
-----
* The picture is of Switch - the book where i read about the concept of Fundamtental Attribution Error

DIY Electric

You know electric bikes are cool when people are constructing DIY versions.

I spotted this outside a local train station. Looks like the battery is attached to the seat post, with cables running down to a motor in the front wheel.

Stating the Obvious

I recently saw this graphic in a report on the environment and health. Unsurprisingly, the countries that have higher frequency of walking and cycling trips (darker line) have less obesity (coloured line).

It's not exactly a new discovery but still another good reason to choose non-car alternatives.

Ride to Work Day 2012

Yesterday was Ride to Work Day. I took this photo on a mini-break along the way. I had just ridden alongside the City Botanic Gardens, and the waterfront plaza area you can see at the base of the towers. The views, the great weather, and the early morning sunshine make it worth starting out at 6.30am.

The inspiration for going so early was that, as part of Ride to Work Day, my workplace was having a breakfast for all riders from 6.30 to 8. Clearly i wasn't there for the start, but it was definitely worth the effort.

There was a selection of cereals, sliced up fruit, yoghurts, fruit muffins, and juice boxes. Mmmmm. :)

Still Under Budget

I like to set myself goals. One little one is to keep my travel budget under $30 per week. For a car owner, that's pure fantasy - but for me it's doable.

This week was the bigger challenge, with a friend's birthday dinner at Sandgate. (For non-Brisbane readers, that's the second-to-last stop on that line.)

But i still did it! Total travel expenses for the week - $29.60 :)

PS. In another win for the budget, the restaurant meals were half price. (My friend is an accountant and has an eye for good deals).

$10 Servicing

On a continuing theme of low cost maintenance, the other week i felt that my bike brakes were wearing a bit thin. At my local bike shop, a brand new set costs just under $10 - and i can fit them myself.

Benefits of Riding to Work

This was part of my email invite to join Ride to Work day. It summarises some of the reasons i like going car free.

By the way, if you're interested, Ride to Work day this year is Wednesday 17 October.

How much is 13 minutes worth?

This advert caught my eye as i was reading an article online. It's part of the advertising for Brisbane's latest in a series of ill-advised toll road/tunnels.

If this road's main achievement is cutting 13 minutes on airport travel - is that really worth 4.8 billion dollars? If 13 minutes is so crucial, wouldn't it just be smarter to leave home 13 minutes earlier? I'm sure there are much better things to spend 4.8 billion on - such as public transport for one. That kind of money could buy more than a few buses or trains.