Advocacy & Safety - Wouldn't it be funny if Bike to Work Week "stuck."

I have seen a number of cyclists in the past couple of days that I usually don't see. A number of coworkers have expressed interest in Bike to Work Day. The media... at least the newspapers, are writing articles about it. And of course, the price of gas is at a all time high.

Wouldn't be somewhat ironic and funny if the legacy of the "oil president," GWB, was a nation that biked everywhere?

i've never seen anything in the public about bike to work week. i've only seen it mentioned on this forum. does the average citizen even know it exists?

I suppose that with the positive publicity, and the chance to actually try biking to work, some people might actually get "stuck" in a good way.

i've never seen anything in the public about bike to work week. i've only seen it mentioned on this forum. does the average citizen even know it exists?

Honestly I doubt few know... I have taken the initiative to make it known at my office... I have sent emails, there are posters, and I am giving a flat fixing training session today.

So bottom line, while the general public may not know, I made it a point to tell whomever I could.

We all can do the same.

It isn't hard. Imagine that perhaps one more worker where you work decides to cycle commute on a regular basis just because you did a tiny bit of advocacy.

Try it... you still have time to announce BtW day... What the heck... bet someone they can't do it.... and lose. :D

That kind of bet is great! It is easily worth having to buy a lunch or beer for the person that shows you that they can ride to work...

Several people in my office are hosting a maintenance class tomorrow so that people can have their bikes ready for Thursday.

I have seen a number of cyclists in the past couple of days that I usually don't see. A number of coworkers have expressed interest in Bike to Work Day. The media... at least the newspapers, are writing articles about it. And of course, the price of gas is at a all time high.

Wouldn't be somewhat ironic and funny if the legacy of the "oil president," GWB, was a nation that biked everywhere?

I think it would be great. I have not seem many cyclists in the NorthEast due to the torrential rains we've been having (6 days and counting). I have been riding but it has been royal suckage (but still kind of fun).
But then again my commute is 6-7 miles roundtrip (3 miles each way) so I really have no excuse and I can avoid any flooded roads.

I don't think that the news coverage of bike week can do anything but help. A number of companies here hold the Bike Week Commuter Challenge where you promise to ride in a given number of days during the Bike to work week and you get entered in a raffle to win a bike.

On another note, our company even provides a bike lock cage, bike lock racks and even showers (when we moved from our old location those of us who ride pressured our company to install showers in the new location).

Here in Maine, bikemaine.org has been running Share The Road ads in the local paper. Covers both cyclists and motorists about how to co-exist. I'm sure it's coinciding with Bike To Work Week but there's no mention of that in the ad...

It would be great if it stuck. I just takes more of us encouraging people to try it, rather than preaching to them about bicycle commuting. Just think how most people react to door to door bible thumpers,;) don't be that pushy, but if people ask, help them learn more about bicycle commuting.

I'm trying! A little help?

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2006/05/16/financial/f120805D59.DTL&type=business
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Quoted by the Associated Press:


More Americans commuting on two wheels to avoid rising gas prices
By TERENCE CHEA, Associated Press Writer

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Quoted by the Associated Press:

(05-16) 12:08 PDT San Francisco (AP) --


Fed up with sitting in traffic and paying more than $50 to fill his tank, Scott Morrison ditched his gas-guzzling pickup and started biking to work.


Rain or shine, Morrison now bikes the six miles from his home in Fairfield, about 45 miles northeast of San Francisco, to the packaging plant where he works as a machine operator. Six months after switching to two wheels, he feels more relaxed and healthier, having lost nearly 50 pounds.


"Every time I get on the scale, it's like I'm getting rewarded for riding to work," said Morrison, 38. "The two biggest complaints people have are not having enough money and obesity. I'm taking care of both."


As gas prices climb to record highs, more Americans seem to be abandoning their cars and biking to work to save money at the pump. This week, as cities across the country celebrate National Bike to Work Week, advocates are promoting bicycle commuting as a way to trim transportation costs, get in shape and help the environment.


"Every additional person who rides their bike to work would start reducing our dependence on foreign oil immediately," said Tim Blumenthal, who heads the Bikes Belong Coalition in Boulder, Colo.


Cycling to work is just one way Americans are seeking relief from skyrocketing gas prices. People who normally drive to work are riding public buses and trains, working from home and carpooling with colleagues.


"People are starting to look for fundamentally different ways to travel," said Bill Wilkinson, executive director of the National Center for Bicycling and Walking in Bethesda, Md. The soaring price of fuel "prompts people to really think about where they live and how they get around."


Bike shops nationwide are seeing more customers who want to buy new bikes or repair old ones to commute on, said Fred Clements, who heads the National Bicycle Dealers Association in Costa Mesa, Calif.


"They have seen a surge in interest from the public about riding bicycles as a way to reduce the impact of high gas prices," Clements said. "People that already have bikes suddenly realize this would be a great way to save money."


About 20 million bikes were sold in the United States in 2005, one of the industry's best years ever, and retailers are optimistic that escalating gas prices will lead to record bike sales this year, Clements said.


Organizers are promoting National Bike to Work Week with a series of events aimed at getting drivers to try commuting by bicycle, if only for a day. Minneapolis, Salt Lake City and Washington, D.C., among others, will hold special events for commuters Friday, National Bike to Work Day.


The San Francisco Bay Area is marking its 12th annual Bike to Work Day on Thursday, when volunteers will hand out refreshments, breakfast foods and biking information at 170 "energizer" stations in nine counties.


About 36,000 Bay Area residents bike to work on a typical work day, but organizers expect up to 100,000 people to participate on Thursday, given the widespread frustration over gas prices that have surged past $3.50 per gallon here and elsewhere.


"The biggest challenge is that people think the car is more convenient," said Cole Portocarrero, who heads the Bay Area Bicycle Coalition, a sponsor of the event. Once they try biking to work, "they realize it's convenient, fun and enjoyable."


Unlike most countries, the vast majority of bikes sold in the United States are used for recreation rather than transportation. About 550,000 Americans — less than 1 percent of U.S. workers — bike to work regularly, according to Blumenthal.


Advocates are trying to boost those numbers. But while cities like San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Seattle and Minneapolis have bike-friendly streets and high numbers of two-wheel commuters, other cities were built for cars and lack bike lanes and paths.


"You don't feel the love in a lot of places when you're riding your bike," Blumental said. "For a lot of people, it's intimidating and you don't feel safe. It's a lack of shared respect between cyclists and motorists."


But advocates are optimistic that America will become more bike-friendly as cities, states and the federal government boost spending on bike paths, lockup racks and bike stations where cyclists can park and shower.


The $286 billion federal transportation bill signed last year will double the amount of money available for bike and pedestrian facilities to about $4 billion.


Federal legislation introduced in the Senate last month would offer employers a tax incentive to help cover the cost of riding to work.


"This is a fair and modest proposal that will reward employees who ride their bikes to and from their jobs," said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., one of the bill's sponsors. "They are saving energy and overcoming their dependence on oil and gas."


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The best way you get people to bike to work is to start them biking to school as kids. Unfortunately in our society it seems to be increasingly common for paranoid parents to drive their kids to school, which boggles my mind. Can you imagine the uproar if there was a "bike to school" day? "Bratleigh can't bike to his charter school 25 miles away!" "Snotleigh will be kidnapped off the road by a sex predator!" "Barfleigh might crash and get a boo-boo!!!" Waaaaahhhhh!!!!

The best way you get people to bike to work is to start them biking to school as kids. Unfortunately in our society it seems to be increasingly common for paranoid parents to drive their kids to school, which boggles my mind. Can you imagine the uproar if there was a "bike to school" day? "Bratleigh can't bike to his charter school 25 miles away!" "Snotleigh will be kidnapped off the road by a sex predator!" "Barfleigh might crash and get a boo-boo!!!" Waaaaahhhhh!!!!

My wife resisted letting our son start riding to school. I mapped out his commute, rode with him for several days, and made sure he was ready to do it. Now he only gets driven to school on band practice days. Trombones are a little big for a rack.:) I was coming home from a ride the other day as he was going to school. He looked confident and safe. I am so proud of my boy! Too bad there isn't a junior category to the HHCMF.:D

Hey, a responsible parent! There's hope for the next generation! :)

My wife resisted letting our son start riding to school. I mapped out his commute, rode with him for several days, and made sure he was ready to do it. Now he only gets driven to school on band practice days. Trombones are a little big for a rack.:) I was coming home from a ride the other day as he was going to school. He looked confident and safe. I am so proud of my boy! Too bad there isn't a junior category to the HHCMF.:D

I'm sure there's some Junior categories at some of your local bike racing events. There's also BMX racing. My daughter does both BMX and road Time Trial and has fun at it. I'd let them ride the bikes to school, but I don't have a suitable bike for them to ride. The lowest component on her's is the 165mm 105 double crankset. :) I figured it out, I'll just buy cheap frames and stick decent parts on them, should last until she's fully grown. Thank god for the Leader Bikes $139 frameset.

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/business/article.adp?id=20060516152309990003&_mpc=business%2e10%2e1&cid=403


Now the AP article is on AOL. I'd like to see ONE more bike commuter on my route. I'm still trying.

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/business/article.adp?id=20060516152309990003&_mpc=business%2e10%2e1&cid=403


Now the AP article is on AOL. I'd like to see ONE more bike commuter on my route. I'm still trying.


Ha, you look like a girl in that article. :)

Not me, don't know who that's supposed to be. It doesn'tseem to be anyone else in the article either. Stock picture I guess.

Ha, you look like a girl in that article. :)


That's a Getty image (stock photo) you goofball :p

Gee, you'd think they could have least searched for a guy on a bike, huh? Nice article though - congrats Scott!

The best way you get people to bike to work is to start them biking to school as kids. Unfortunately in our society it seems to be increasingly common for paranoid parents to drive their kids to school, which boggles my mind. Can you imagine the uproar if there was a "bike to school" day? "Bratleigh can't bike to his charter school 25 miles away!" "Snotleigh will be kidnapped off the road by a sex predator!" "Barfleigh might crash and get a boo-boo!!!" Waaaaahhhhh!!!!


My wife resisted letting our son start riding to school. I mapped out his commute, rode with him for several days, and made sure he was ready to do it. Now he only gets driven to school on band practice days. Trombones are a little big for a rack.:) I was coming home from a ride the other day as he was going to school. He looked confident and safe. I am so proud of my boy! Too bad there isn't a junior category to the HHCMF.:D

I bike with my son everyday (that it doesn't rain) to school. I think he is a tad bit too young to do it by himself but then again, he might surprise me. But heck, I enjoy the ride anyway.

Scott, how old is your son?

i've never seen anything in the public about bike to work week. i've only seen it mentioned on this forum. does the average citizen even know it exists?

I didn't even realize it existed and was this week. I just googled it. I have not even started my car in over three weeks so like a lot of people here every day is bike to work day :)

But really though do you think it would make a difference? Maybe it will turn on a few out of a thousand folks and it's worth it? I dont know?

Where I work they have a "Be Tuff" program where you log in exercise hours and it can go for vacation time and gift certificates. Maybe I will email the group...

There is an article in today's hometown newspaper about it. One guy mentioned in the article said he started up during the Team Bike Challenge where teams compete for a month to see which team substitutes the most car trips with bikes. He said peer pressure got him into it.

How come everybody else loses weight? I've gained about 10-20lbs. I think it's because riding a bike, once you get used to it, is incredibly lazy work. I used to walk everywhere and that's what kept me fit and trim. Now I'm too lazy so I ride instead.

How come everybody else loses weight? I've gained about 10-20lbs. I think it's because riding a bike, once you get used to it, is incredibly lazy work. I used to walk everywhere and that's what kept me fit and trim. Now I'm too lazy so I ride instead.

It's all those bike lanes and paths allowing you to ride so lazily. Get VC, get fit! ;)

...How come everybody else loses weight? I've gained about 10-20lbs. I think it's because riding a bike, once you get used to it, is incredibly lazy work. I used to walk everywhere and that's what kept me fit and trim. Now I'm too lazy so I ride instead.
Umm, because you ride a recumbent which is much more efficient than other bikes:D In this case, inefficiency is your friend.

Seriously, though, I think you are partially right. But also I wonder how much of it is because when you begin riding you haven't yet adjusted your calorie intake to account for the higher calorie expenditure. I eat like a pig but don't gain and didn't think that my cycling had anything to do with it until I was off my bike for two weeks and gained 5 pounds.

How come everybody else loses weight? I've gained about 10-20lbs. I think it's because riding a bike, once you get used to it, is incredibly lazy work. I used to walk everywhere and that's what kept me fit and trim. Now I'm too lazy so I ride instead.
I wonder if you notched up your intensity if it would help? I gather from your posts that while you are a strong cyclist, you choose to ride at a more leisurely pace, which is great too.

(lets not get into details/facts here about long miles/hours at lower intensity being best for calorie burn, i just find that when i push the intensity, i tend to 'burn' more)

Al

I remember when I started commuting on the hills here it felt much much harder than it does now. I'm sure I used more energy to go the same distance back then.

But really though do you think it would make a difference? Maybe it will turn on a few out of a thousand folks and it's worth it? I dont know?



A difference... yeah... there is some critical point where there will be just enough cyclists on the road so that motorists will always see someone, at that point motorists will hardly be able to ignore us. This does not have to be a continuous stream of cyclists, but enough so that there is nearly someone on every block.

We will not be an afterthought at that point.

I think Bike To Work Week would be more effective if more parents started riding bikes with their kids, rather than just giving them a bike for Christmas and saying, "Enjoy it son." If a kid sees a parent riding bikes, then they are more likely to accept that lifestyle in the future.

Bike To Work Week is well accepted here in the Seattle area. But if BTW is going to be more accepted by future generations, it's up to us parents to do something now -- ride with our kids. Even if it's not a crit or an XC race, the least we can do to make a difference for our kids is ride 20 minutes with them in the cul-de-sac! In doing that myself, I found myself riding even more.


http://kurt-clark.bellevue.wa.us/xforumx/IMG_157x.jpg

When I first started I about died the first couple of times. 8.5 miles. A killer. And I was even in way better shape than now!

Now I'm so out of shape it's not funny but cycling even 35 miles is cake.