claude
11-24-00, 12:41 AM
sharing some thoughts....
If anybody sees my previous post one one realise that I ride in far from ideal riding conditions. If been the only one on the road for 5 months now, riding to work rain or shine, night or day. People at work thought I was crazy - even became the joke of the day for some poeple. Since then, 3 people approached me (from my own workplace) expressing interest in commuting to work by bike and asked me how to go about it. One of them is now riding to work as regularly as myself, the other 2 are still thinking about it but I'm convinced that at least one of these people will start too, sooner or later. As an added bonus, the former person, who is now riding too, has also convinced 2 of his other friends to do the same.
This might seem trivial if one lives in a country that already boast a cycling comunity, but for this island I feel that (at least in my immediate surroundings, the general negative feeling about cycling has changed. We are moving to a new work premisis next month, and the directors assured me that they will arrange a facility where we can keep our bikes, as well as showering and changing rooms.
I am sure that in the near future, when people will see an increased number of people cycling in the road, some will want to try it too. Who knows, even if cycle lanes are very very far away from being a reality in this country, maybe cyclists will have a more 'recognised' image, rather than being regarded as kids (regardless of age) blocking the way of motorised traffic.
claude
If anybody sees my previous post one one realise that I ride in far from ideal riding conditions. If been the only one on the road for 5 months now, riding to work rain or shine, night or day. People at work thought I was crazy - even became the joke of the day for some poeple. Since then, 3 people approached me (from my own workplace) expressing interest in commuting to work by bike and asked me how to go about it. One of them is now riding to work as regularly as myself, the other 2 are still thinking about it but I'm convinced that at least one of these people will start too, sooner or later. As an added bonus, the former person, who is now riding too, has also convinced 2 of his other friends to do the same.
This might seem trivial if one lives in a country that already boast a cycling comunity, but for this island I feel that (at least in my immediate surroundings, the general negative feeling about cycling has changed. We are moving to a new work premisis next month, and the directors assured me that they will arrange a facility where we can keep our bikes, as well as showering and changing rooms.
I am sure that in the near future, when people will see an increased number of people cycling in the road, some will want to try it too. Who knows, even if cycle lanes are very very far away from being a reality in this country, maybe cyclists will have a more 'recognised' image, rather than being regarded as kids (regardless of age) blocking the way of motorised traffic.
claude