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Apparently I'm starting a trend at work

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Apparently I'm starting a trend at work

Old 01-09-07, 11:31 AM
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Apparently I'm starting a trend at work

I've been commuting 4x weekly for the last 5 months or so. There's one other engineer that rides in with me about once a week, and he's trying to rearrange his schedule to be able to ride in more. This morning I saw that there was another bike I didn't recognize, parked in the locker room. I asked around, and it turns out that there's an engineer transferring from our Redmond facility to here in Woodinville and it's his bike. This brings the number up to 3 if he and my other friend start riding on a routine basis.

The possibility is for 6 when the weather clears for spring, because 3 other people have said they'll start riding to work when the weather gets nicer. (Hopefully I can convince them to keep it up all year.) Counting our Redmond facility, it might even be 8 people. There's one guy that commutes 2x weekly (48 miles r/t) and one other that is currently outfitting his bike for daily commuting.
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Old 01-09-07, 11:33 AM
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Keep spreadin' the word brother!
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Old 01-09-07, 11:35 AM
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Nice! I am trying to start a trend, but it hasn't worked yet. I have gotten supportive comments from lots of folks, but none of them have joined me in riding in yet. Working on getting bike racks installed - that might help a bit.
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Old 01-09-07, 11:39 AM
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no luck on my side. i did help to get someone to walk to work though.
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Old 01-09-07, 11:44 AM
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Originally Posted by CliftonGK1
The possibility is for 6 when the weather clears for spring, because 3 other people have said they'll start riding to work when the weather gets nicer. (Hopefully I can convince them to keep it up all year.) Counting our Redmond facility, it might even be 8 people. There's one guy that commutes 2x weekly (48 miles r/t) and one other that is currently outfitting his bike for daily commuting.

Nice, I have a few people who claim to be willing to do it with me also once the spring comes around, but I have low expectations for these sort of things
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Old 01-09-07, 12:31 PM
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No luck here. Everyone else in my office is a gasoline sucking droog.
They think I'm insane and that's how I like it.
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Old 01-09-07, 12:38 PM
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One of the secretaries on my floor has expressed some interest in riding to work. We'll see how that goes.
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Old 01-09-07, 12:44 PM
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Also, to be remembered is that everyday when you are commuting to work you are teaching by example. And that's a great teacher.
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Old 01-09-07, 12:48 PM
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All the people outside smoking think biking it too dangerous.
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Old 01-09-07, 12:52 PM
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No luck where I work. Driving a large truck is cool--riding a nice bike is not.
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Old 01-09-07, 12:53 PM
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I think showing up to work 20-30 or even 60mins early each day or being the first person to work before the doors open each and every time and commenting on the reliablity of the bike and low maintance and health/fitness it has given you will definately be a positive approach to making people think abouthte times thier cars failed or transit failed (not often tho) or they got tiedup in traffic in grid lock.

A good way is to meet up with said people half way and ride with them the other half guiding and encouraging them. Take it up a notch and log thier progress daily/each time noting speed, distance, endurance so when they have a doubt you can show thier proven gains record to lift them backup again. Hey it works with people in the gym and you'll only get better.

It will really turn heads if you're a long distance commuter helping short distance commuters.


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Old 01-09-07, 12:53 PM
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Originally Posted by capejohn
All the people outside smoking think biking is too dangerous.
^^^

There are several (5 or so) people in my building who commute, but I'm definitely the only one who commutes daily, regardless of weather.

I love getting to work long before everyone else on stormy mornings. Big smile on my snowy face. People start showing up grumbling about traffic accidents and horrible roads and not being able to park and stuff.

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Old 01-09-07, 01:34 PM
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I keep trying but co-workers haven't gotten past thinking I'm insane.

I think there might be a few newcomers from my orientation class (about 20 people joined the company this week) and they all know I ride in. One of them sounded like he might give it a shot but we have about 12 buildings in just downtown KC alone and he works in a different building than I do.
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Old 01-09-07, 01:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Kalrog
Nice! I am trying to start a trend, but it hasn't worked yet. I have gotten supportive comments from lots of folks, but none of them have joined me in riding in yet. Working on getting bike racks installed - that might help a bit.
+! Apparently people like those high gas prices!
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Old 01-09-07, 02:19 PM
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3 years of riding to work and no one at my company has ever joined me.
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Old 01-09-07, 02:22 PM
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At my small company of 12 I got 7 people to bike to work for bike to work week at least oneday! Thats every single person under 300 pounds at the office! (yeah I know).

Of course now that its January, I'm the only person biking now.. But when spring hits im going to being trying to encourage the rest to give it a shot with one of my spare bikes.
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Old 01-09-07, 02:38 PM
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Originally Posted by lima_bean
At my small company of 12 I got 7 people to bike to work for bike to work week at least oneday! Thats every single person under 300 pounds at the office! (yeah I know).
We can only hope that the 5 remaining 300+ pounders are also over 7' tall, and play on the company basketball team.



Yeah, I know... Hope in one hand, spit in the other; see which one fills up first.
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Old 01-09-07, 02:39 PM
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Originally Posted by capejohn
All the people outside smoking think biking it too dangerous.
I get the same reaction around here!

Another good excuse I hear is "I couldn't do that there is too much traffic on my route"...that's what side rodes are for ya numb-skull!
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Old 01-09-07, 03:48 PM
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Clifton, you're such a showoff!

Way to go!
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Old 01-09-07, 04:23 PM
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Originally Posted by SingingSabre
Clifton, you're such a showoff!

Way to go!
Woohoo! Go me!

I'd be more impressed with the fruits of my 'efforts' if I had actually put any effort into recruiting people. I guess all the incentive anyone needed was having a chubby Sasquatch show everybody up by biking through every rain/wind/snow storm that Seattle's been hit with recently.
I'd be really happy to find out that people started commuting out of spite, then realize how much fun it is and how much money they save, so they keep doing it.
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Old 01-09-07, 04:30 PM
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We've got limited bike rack space but lots of parking spots, so I don't mind if the number of commuters stays low . . . The rack is packed in the summer time.
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Old 01-09-07, 04:39 PM
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Originally Posted by CliftonGK1
We can only hope that the 5 remaining 300+ pounders are also over 7' tall, and play on the company basketball team. .
We actually had a 7'1" coworker but he was only 265 lbs and rode a MTB.
I've gotten one person at another site commuting and another to join him until the weather got colder. The few people who considered it at my site never managed to start.
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Old 01-09-07, 08:40 PM
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Originally Posted by idcruiserman
We've got limited bike rack space but lots of parking spots, so I don't mind if the number of commuters stays low . . . The rack is packed in the summer time.
I guess it's too hot here in the summer. I'm usually the only bike on the rack. Lately, it's been 3 - 4 bikes on the rack each day. Today was on the cold side and there were still 3 or 4. They disappear in the summer though. I love riding in the summer (and spring and fall and winter...)
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Old 01-09-07, 08:41 PM
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Originally Posted by timmhaan
no luck on my side. i did help to get someone to walk to work though.
What'd you do? Slash his tires?
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Old 01-09-07, 08:54 PM
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Today the office manager took me into the shop to show me a new shop improvement. Once out in the shop he took me over to our pallet racking that holds a bunch of parts inventory. (like the racking in costco).
8 feet of racking had the bottom section completly cleared out and a sign was mounted "Bike Rack".

So now i got a spot to park my bike We have 3 of us that commute all weather, and 3 more fair weather riders.
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