The Numbers Game
Last year at this time I wrote a journal entry about breaking 12,000 miles on my current bike.
Well, this time it’s 15,000 miles. I kinda wish there was something dramatic to say about it, but after 15 thousand of them, individual miles-even milestone ones-don’t really stand out. In fact, I didn’t even notice that I’d passed 15,000 until after I got home from my regular weekend ride with the Quad cycles crew!
I guess one thing worth commenting on is that it means this bike has cost me a mere 5¢ per mile. That’s pretty good in contrast to the IRS’ standard deduction for transportation expenses, which is 40¢ per mile. If I were to spend $3,000 on my next bike, that will probably still wind up costing me only 20¢ per mile, assuming I use it as much as I use my current ride.
The other funny thing is how closely my mileage and PMC fundraising have tracked one another. In October of last year I’d had my bike four years and participated in four Pan-Mass Challenges; I’d also ridden 12,200 miles and raised $12,200 for the Jimmy Fund! As this year’s season draws to a close, it looks like the two-miles and dollars-will again grow in lockstep, probably falling near 16,000 miles/dollars by the time the middle of October rolls around.
I guess that’s it for news here. Stay tuned for the PMC travelogue, which should show up sometime this weekend!