Lose Weight Now!

My wife has pointed out something interesting and possibly useful. Diets don't work, but everyone we know who has switched to bicycle commuting has lost weight and kept it off. In some cases people can eat more and stay slim when biking even ten miles daily. So what we really need is "the Bicycle Commuter's Diet" a fad diet which has more info on finding passable routes to work than it does on specious endocrinology. In fact, given the failure rate of other dieting regimens chances are this would really catch on since it would generally succeed.

The day after the riotously successful "Bike to Work Day" an NPR reviewer told us all about her harrowing 4 mile journey (each way!) to work and dutifully recorded traffic noise and her reactions along with an interview with a very experienced, as well as tolerant, bike commuter. My reaction was, of course, "four miles! finally you figured out that's prime biking distance!" You wouldn't even need to break a sweat and it should take 20-25 minutes at the most leisurely pace. Less time than it takes to park.

Regarding commuting, I have something to recommend. My wife and I both have Carradice SQR seat bags (available at Harris and others, made in England). These critters are huge. One evening I had to bring home dinner for me and my son and found that two Yoshinoya Beef/Chicken combos fit inside. I never have that moment any more prior to a long ride when I have to decide whether to be cold or have to stuff warmers and a windbreaker into my jersey pockets. Need to carry extra water? Throw in a couple bottles. One warning, the side netting on the cordura model can disgorge its contents on bumpy roads. I still like the ruggedness of the material, but my wife prefers the classic cotton duck with side pockets which close securely.