Commuting - bike to work day preparation

So bike to work day is coming up in about 6 weeks. I would like to encourage my co-workers (and people from other companies in the building) to participate. But if these people don't have bikes, it is tough for them to join in the fun. I'm sure I'm not alone in wondering what can be done for these people. Even people with bikes may not want set them up as commuting machines. I'm sure others have thought of this. I'm wondering if anyone knows of any programs to get bike rental shops to set up commuter bikes (I'm thinking at least racks on the back) to rent for bike to work day/week. I think it would be a great way to encourage bike commuting, if people could try it for a day with only a small investment.

andy

B-t-W Day is alot of fun, but probably ineffective. I would prefer to see the annual event replaced by a less-hyped, more-frequent (monthly) program. To me, B-t-W Day is just more tokenism and marginalization of bicycling, because it fails to instill the message that someone could/would actually bike to work on a regular basis.

Lack of bicycles is not what keeps people from bicycle commuting. You find a person who really needs a bicycle and cannot afford a bicycle, and I will personally give him one.

Bicycles are so readily available today that anyone with a job can afford one. In fact, the money saved by not driving or taking the bus quickly pays for even a very good bicycle.

The number one thing that keeps most people from bicycling to work is lack of gumption; lack of motivation.

It is extremely difficult to inspire the unmotivated. If you tell your bicycle-less colleague that you will give him a bike for commuting, the next thing you will hear is a line of "ya, but, ya but, ya but".

In order to answer the original question, I suggest you contact the organisers of ride to work day. See if they can put you in touch with a bike shop in your area that might consider lending you some bikes in exchange for some "free" advertising. This may not necessarily work, but it's worth a try.

I tend to think ride to work day does have some value. The whole "being over hyped" is not a bad thing in my view, because it might get some people who had never thought of it to consider riding to work occasionally.

I guess this will be my first bike-to-work day as a commuter, so I'll admit that I don't know a whole lot about it.

Yes, just about anyone with a job can afford a bike. But it is a commitment in terms of money. I think if people could try biking to work without having to invest in a bike, then they might find out that they like it. Then one could reasonably expect them to purchase a bike.

It seems to me that bike to work day is effective even if only a few people start biking to work who didn't before. I think there are a lot of people who are willing to try something and who are more likely to do it if they are given a time when the are "supposed" to. It's a goal to work towards. You can tell people, "Come on, just try on Bike to Work Day."

Just my thoughts.

andy

Originally posted by aturley

Yes, just about anyone with a job can afford a bike. But it is a commitment in terms of money. I think if people could try biking to work without having to invest in a bike, then they might find out that they like it. Then one could reasonably expect them to purchase a bike.

I tell ya, most of the truly committed bicycle commuters I know ride on old 10-speeds that they either bought cheap at a garage sale or have owned since forever.

OK, Ok, there are plenty of folks out there that commute on nice bikes, but the large group of people who ride clunkers convinces me that bike cost is not what keeps people from bicycle commuting.

It sure is exciting, though, to see how many people on this forum try to convince their colleagues to bicycle commute.

One thing that would keep people where I work at is the 4:00 A.M. Start up time. Stillpitch black then.