Passes & Canyons Blog

Here’s an interesting shot from some years ago in California. Notice the gas prices.

It sure was sweet, wasn’t it, when gas prices dropped so low. Those days are over.

Back when everything was shut down AND Russia and Saudi Arabia were having a price war I watched as gas prices at the pump dropped lower and lower. Holy cow, what a great opportunity to save some money. Only problem was, like everyone else, I wasn’t going much of any place to use the gas I had. And I didn’t need gas. Between my car and three bikes, none of them were anywhere near low. But I really wanted to buy gas.

I finally reached a point where it made sense to fill my Honda. On May 8 I put 3.57 gallons in the Honda, at $1.189 per gallon. Total for the fill: $4.24. Terrific.

Then four days later I filled the Concours. It took 5.38 gallons and I paid $1.339 per gallon: total $7.21. I could get to like this.

I rode the Honda a good bit and filled it again on May 13. This time I paid $1.6999 per gallon. It took 3.35 gallons for a total of $5.69. Still not bad.

By June 14, when I filled the Kawi again I paid $2.269 a gallon. This time it cost $7.96 to put in 3.51 gallons. I don’t like the direction this is heading. And then on June 24 I put 3.09 gallons in the Suzuki and it cost $7.72, at $2.499 per gallon.

Welcome back to the real world. We knew it wouldn’t last but it was nice while it did. And I’m glad I got to buy at least a few gallons really cheap. I mean, $1.189 per gallon? In 2020? No one would have believed that a year ago.

In the meantime, the last time I put gas in my car was February 23. That’s the one I wish had been close to empty on May 8.

Biker Quote for Today

It takes both pistons and cylinders to make a bike run. One is not more important than the other.

There's still plenty of snow but that's no reason not to ride.

Saturday was the first good day to ride in March so of course I did. I hadn’t seen the extended forecast, however, which says that it was just the first of a string of even nicer days. That’s OK. It’s not as if I regret having been out on the bikes. And now I get to look forward to probably riding to work on Tuesday and Wednesday (assuming I go to work both those days, which is not certain).

I had just filled the tank on the Suzuki the last time I rode it, so it didn’t need anything, but both the Honda and the Kawasaki were down a bit on fuel. Of course, in winter, when you ride less, it’s best to keep the tank close to full, with some fuel stabilizer mixed in, so whereas I might not have filled both of them, in this case I did. You know, go ride and then plan your route so you’re coming by the gas pumps on your way home.

Do you love the way gas prices have dropped? I filled both tanks for a total of $13.50. Heck, not that long ago I was paying that much to fill just the tank on the Honda. And the Kawi has the big tank. Gotta love it.

I know we’ve all read about how lower gas prices are not an across-the-board good thing, because some folks in the oil and gas industry are getting laid off. I’m sorry for them, but they have to be aware that they’re in a boom and bust industry. I’m a contractor and it’s the same with me. When the economy starts choking, contractors are the first to be cut loose. You know that going in. It’s how the system works.

For the rest of us, in regard to gas prices, I love feeling annoyed when I have to pay some outrageous price higher than $2.00 a gallon. Highway robbery! It’s so easy to forget that just a little while ago we were paying more than $3.50 a gallon.

So the news reports say that truck sales are up now that gas prices are down, and people are driving more. Prices will inevitably rise as demand picks up. You won’t see me buying a truck, though. You will see me riding my bikes more and more as the weather improves. And the price of gas will have no influence on that whatsoever.

Biker Quote for Today

I ride because it lets my soul out to play.