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Written by Michael Betthauser, Owner, May 2008 Gas Prices. I haven't had a bike for a while until I bought the one I'm riding now. Before then, I drove everywhere. I had my first car at 16 and I'd been driving ever since then until last year. I really loved driving. I loved it so much that I've been on numerous road trips throughout the U.S., including one that lasted 6 months that went through North Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, California, Utah and Colorado. And not necessarily in that order. Last summer, my car broke down on the freeway and luckily I was able to pull off to the side without getting into an accident. It turns out that my cooling fan was on it's way out, and I had to avoid overheating on the rest of the way to the coffee shop. I made it as far as the parking lot and it died. My car sat in that parking lot for about 3 days while I contemplated it's value. I thought about the fact that it was a going away gift from my dad when I decided to move to Austin. I thought about the great gas mileage it got; 32 miles to the gallon! I also thought about the time someone busted out my passenger window and took everything I own including my guitar and laptop. Not to mention the numerous times I've been pulled over by the police to be questioned about my paperwork (no moving violations). And of course, I thought about gas prices. And the more I thought about it, the more it frustrated me. The whole thing seemed like such a burden and a hassle, to get the car fixed and legal again, only to be even more frustrated by Austin traffic (believe me, Austin traffic is bad). To make matters worse, I was living in my car at the time. Practicality. I actually had enough money to fix the car, but once it was fixed, I didn't really have enough to maintain it, and I most certainly didn't have enough to register it and get insurance. But of course, since it was my home, I was a bit scared to do otherwise. If I'd left it in that parking lot too long, it could bave been towed and then I'd have had nothing, not even a home. At that time, I was doing a lot of research on the Internet about the European trip I wanted the art festivals to take. As I searched for possible routes, I came across a few websites by various travelers who have made a point to cross Europe on a bicycle. They had great pictures posted of their trip (many of which I've included on this page), including pictures of their campsites and the wonderful scenery that surrounded them. It looked awesome, especially compared to my current car-based existence. Check out these travelogues kept by various people who've traveled Europe on a bicycle: http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages http://www.trentobike.org http://www.downtheroad.org "Bums on Bikes" When I began to compare the pros and cons of a car versus a bike, the bike really began to be a much more practical answer. I can still get to the same places, it just takes a little longer (however I have been able to beat the bus once or twice), and it costs much less to buy and maintain. And when I thought about how bikes and cars fit into the bigger picture, it really got me. Compare a car and a bike in regards to the cost of maintenence per mile. (I got this nifty table here.) Car vs. Bike Costs SOV (Car) Costs Bike Costs Depreciation/financing 20.1¢ 4.5¢ Insurance 12.1¢ n/a Registration/licensing/taxes 1.3¢ n/a Gasoline/oil 6.8¢ n/a Repairs/parts/tires 3.3¢ 3.1¢ Parking - user paid 4.7¢ n/a Parking - home 15.7¢ .6¢ Total User Costs 66.5¢ 9.6¢ Total Government Costs 9.8¢ .7¢ Total Societal Costs 17.4¢ 2.3¢ Total of All Costs 93.8¢ 12.8¢ Compare the environmental impact. (See the rest of the statisitics here.) Carbon Dioxide Production of Cars and Bicycles on a 1,000 Mile Trip Vehicle Mileage Fuel CO2 Gas guzzler 10 mpg 100 gal/gas 2,500 lbs. Gas saver 50 mpg  20 gal/gas   500 lbs. Average car 19.1 mpg  52 gal/gas 1,300 lbs. Cyclist 35 kCal/mile  22 lb/rice     32 lbs. Compare the risk to injury. (I got this table here.) Injury Rate Per Population Motor Vehicle Travel Bicycle Travel 267.6 million total pop. 67 million bicycle riders 3,400,000 injured 58,000 injured in collisions 530,000 injured in falls 12,700 injuries per million 866 crash injuries per million 7,910 fall injuries per million 1 in 79 injured 1 in 1,155 injured in collisions 1 in 126 injured in falls Traffic Safety Facts 1997 and CPSC 1994 Compare the health benefits. (And this table I got from here.) Table 4.1. Calories Burned During Activity Activity Calories burned per hour Bicycling (slow) 350 Bicycling (fast) 600-800 Driving a car 120 Sleeping 80 Watching TV 100 Living on a bicycle. So, I took the money I had, sold the car, and bought a bike. I also bought a back rack, panniers, handle bar bag, a tent, camping stove, and a sleeping bag. I found a way to fit all my gear on my bike, and the rest of what I owned I put into a storage unit. I felt free. I felt like a giant weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I could go where I want, and the only cost I endured was food. Thus began my life of bicycle camping. To continue Mike's story, read the next article "Guerilla Urban Camping". Sponsor Mike. Your bicycle company will receive a lot of attention as Mike and his Artopium Art Troupe rove through Europe and the U.S. throwing festivals. Could Mike be riding your company's bicycles, talking about your company, putting your logo on a large banner at the festivals, and placing your logo on all of the Artopium related websites? Could the story on this page be about your brand bicycle or bicycle store? Let us know what you think! Or, check out these ready-made sponsorship packages that you can order online right now. Make a donation. Don't have a logo but want to help anyway? Make a donation to the Artopium Art Troupe to help fund their next festival and travels. Your money goes to a good cause and helps under-funded art and music to have a new and unique place to be expressed and enjoyed by local communities around the world.