I was fed up. Outraged. Whatever word you want to use to describe me, that’s where I was at a month ago regarding gas prices. The Official SCVTalk.com Subaru requires pristine 91 octane, and here in Newhall, that costs me somewhere between $3.50 and $3.90 per gallon. And what do I get from the Subaru in return? Only about 18mpg. Enough!

So I needed another option. I’m blessed to live only about two miles from where I work (actually divine intervention had nothing to do with it, I planned it this way), so last month I decided to become a Bicycle Commuter and I purchased the brand new Official SCVTalk.com Bicycle Transporter.

I haven’t had to fill up my car since March 6th, and it’s been wonderful. Everyday I’ve been riding my bike to work, to the grocery store, to video depot, to my relatives’ house, to city council meetings, and even to the election event at City Hall on Tuesday Night.

Initially I was skeptical that I could keep this up, but I’ve found how wonderful bicycle commuting can be. Here were some of my concerns:

Concern #1: It’s dangerous: Unlike the SCV’s number 1 bicycle commuting community (Latinos who ride old Huffys to work), I don’t ride on Newhall’s sidewalks, but rather the street. This can be pretty frightening at times if you don’t know what you’re doing. My main route is Lyons Avenue and Main Street, so four times a day, I’m mixing it up with 4,000 lb cars, gigantic trucks, and even city buses. Fortunately, most of Lyons is very wide, so I can ride out of the traffic lane and closer to the curb. At some points, though, Lyons turns into three lanes and I’ve got to force cars to drive slowly behind me until I reach my turn. To let them pass by me in the third lane would be to invite them to squeeze me into the curb.

According to bike accident statistics, bike riders are actually less likely to get in an accident if they ride with traffic than on the sidewalk. As long as the cyclist behaves in a way that an auto driver would behave, cyclists on the road are usually pretty safe. So I use those left turn/right turn hand signals we all learned about in driver’s ed but forgot soon after. At a red light in a big intersection, I ride to the front of the pack of SUVs, cars, and trucks and park myself in the crosswalk, so everyone can see me.

So while safety is a concern, I find riding on the streets with the cars to not only be faster, but also safer than on the sidewalks. Indeed, it can even be a bit thrilling and liberating.

Concern #2: It’s slow: Nonsense, I discovered shortly after I began this lifestyle change. After I made my decision, I timed my commute in the car. I discovered that navigating Lyons to work during the morning school drop-off rush could take as little as 14 minutes all the way up to 20 minutes to drive just some two miles. Ridiculous!

Since I’ve started bicycle commuting, I consistently average between 8 and 11 minutes on bike to get to work. Fantastic! This helps my whole morning routine (including the Daily Brief).

And visiting other places in Santa Clarita is a snap too. For instance, riding to City Hall is a quick trip down the bike path parallel to the South Fork of the Santa Clara River. On Tuesday night, I made it from Newhall to City Hall in just a hair over 14 minutes. Try that at 6pm on weeknight in Valencia on McBean!

Of course, that path also offers easy and fast access to all the other Valencia hot-spots: the mall, library, Barnes & Noble, Regal Cinema, and of course, the Auto Dealer drive, where you can smile smugly at the gas guzzling $50,000 SUVs that aren’t selling right now.

Concern # 3: The SCV is too big and not flat: Our under-utilized (by most upscale citizens at least) Santa Clarita Transit system is the perfect answer to this concern. Along with their snazzy and attractive new blue/green paint scheme, SCT has installed bicycle racks on nearly every bus. Getting your bike onto the rack and your butt onto the zero-emissions bus is an easy process. I’ve already used SCT several times when I’m too tired/cold/hot to ride from a distant spot in the SCV back to home. It’s only $1 for a trip, and SCT goes just about everywhere in Santa Clarita.

Concern #4 : I’ll be sweaty/yucky when I get to work: This problem is easily solved. Just bring a towel, deodorant and/or body spray with you to work and clean up after you get there.

So with all my concerns addressed, I’ve fully embraced bicycle commuting. What’s more, I’m re-discovering parts of town I never see in a car. The paseos in Valencia right now are absolutely beautiful; all the trees and bushes smell sweet with spring flowers. Old Town Newhall on the new Main Street is a pleasure to ride through at a snail’s pace, observing all the shops and people and even snapping pictures while riding. I’m heading to the revitalized Farmer’s Market tonight with my wife; makes for a perfect, leisurely date.

Plus, I’m getting more fit and losing weight. I’ve lost about three pounds now, I tackle small hills along my route with ease, and I’m getting plenty of sunshine and fresh air.

I never worry or stress over parking anymore, and I’ve outfitted my bike with a basket so I can make quick trips to Ralphs, Vallarta and even Trader Joes to pick up food.

In our last city council election, nearly every candidate talked up their proposals to “solve” traffic in Santa Clarita. Only one really mentioned bicycling as an alternative to the never-ending push to build more roads, and she lost. But for many of you, I think it is a worthy alternative and one you should consider.

Next month, the City of Santa Clarita will once again participate in the Bike to work program sponsored by the County. Maybe you ought to give it a shot! Consider yourself preached to.