HAWAI'I'S ENVIRONMENT
Bicycles prove power of pedaling
By Jan TenBruggencate
Advertiser Columnist
The fuel inefficiency of sport utility vehicles, the benefits of electric cars, the hot new gas/electric hybrids — they're interesting to talk about, but none can match the efficiency of the two-wheeler.
Using a bicycle employs no fossil fuel, burns up less tire rubber on the road, takes up less space and has all kinds of other benefits — not the least of which is aerobic health.
It's so efficient a form of transportation in part because the bike weighs in at 20 or 30 pounds, whereas when you're driving to work, you're not only hauling your own weight — you're also hauling a ton or two of car along.
And whether or not biking to work becomes a popular mode of transportation in the Islands, it's gaining in importance internationally.
The Earth Policy Institute reports that production of bicycles is climbing. Worldwide, 101 million bikes were built in 2000 — that's 2 1/2 bikes for every car. Bike production is four times what it was 33 years ago.
Earth Policy says one car takes up the road space of six bikes and the parking space of 20 bikes. For people living within five miles of work, biking can be a quicker way to get to the job than driving, the organization says; in many cities, cops on bikes get to crime scenes before cops in patrol cars.
For all that, many areas are not bike-friendly. The United States, unlike many European biking centers, has been built for cars.
But that's slowly changing. New Jersey has built an 800-mile network of bike trails. Nationwide, federal money has been been pouring in to bikeway construction.
Hawai'i had just 87 miles of bike lanes in 1995, but more than doubled that to 181 miles in 2000. The state's bikeway master plan calls for more than 1,300 miles statewide. The Islands have about 125,000 registered bikes and mopeds.
Anyone considering biking on a regular basis needs to select safe routes and take some time to set up for it.
Safety equipment includes a helmet, a bright headlight and reflectors. Arthur Ross, the bicycle coordinator for the city of Madison, Wis., provided these statistics: "Head injuries cause 75 percent of bicyclist deaths. Recent studies indicate that wearing a bicycle helmet can reduce your risk of a head injury by 85 percent."
If you're cycling to work, fenders are a good idea to prevent muddy racing stripes on your back during rainy periods. Some folks prefer fat tires for city travel. A tool kit and pump can help with things ranging from loose handlebars to a flat tire.
Here are a few Web sites with information on the subject:
Jan TenBruggencate is The Advertiser's Kaua'i bureau chief and its science and environment writer. Reach him at (808) 245-3074 or jant@honoluluadvertiser.com.
