Damn, one guy has an idea for a voluntary program with benefits for both his coworkers and his employer, and the two of you jump all over him.. The way I see it, we have an enormous inertia of psychology of previous investment in an idiotic car culture that clearly needs to end. All cradduck seems to have attempted is to suggest trying an alternative. If someone feels "pressured" or "controlled" by that, perhaps it's time for them to get a spine. Nobody's going to suffer by not winning a $20 Best Buy card.

That's a really interesting idea, I think there is a learning curve to commuting. The idea of riding in traffic is, initially, scary as hell. I still don't like riding in heavy traffic in high speed limits.

Additionally, I think there's a similar effect to why a lot of people who ride casually also don't join clubs (well, speaking for myself here). There's an intimidation factor, because those guys really know what they're doing and ride in scary tight bunches. Your idea could accomplish both - get more people interested in the clubs *and* biking to work.

I agree that among the primary reasons that non-cyclists don't consider biking to work is the perception of riding with traffic as unsafe. That's certainly something I hear all the time. Part of this, as was pointed out, is the assumption that if you know how to balance and steer, that's all there is to learn, therefore the roads are obviously unsafe for cycling and there's no help for it. (Unless the city adds more bike lanes, but let's keep that debate on A&S, please.)

In my white-collar office, the even bigger problem is that most people live 15+ miles away, in a more rural area with at least one narrow, shoulderless road in the interrim. Too far and unsafe! At least the OP doesn't have that hurdle.

A bike commuting club: I have one! It's doing pretty well online, although consistently I only get about 20% of my members RSVP'ing for events, and of those, maybe a dozen actually show up. A member of my state bicycle coalition once said that organizing cyclists is like herding cats, and I'd have to agree. But we keep trying...

All that said, I'd encourage the OP to try organizing it on his own anyway. I'll bet you'll at least meet one or two others who are interested, and as they say, the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step (or, in this case, turn of the cranks).

Actually, I think that's most everyone's perception.

A roadie in my office is terrified of riding on the roads I take to work. He feels safer out in the country (where all the clubs ride). The irony is that he's been hit three times on those roads, twice seriously injured.

Wishfull thinking, TrackGuy. I think the #1 reason for people not biking to work is laziness.

For the record, I tried to organize a bike to work event too and it was also knocked down by management. Don't feel too bad. Just keep doing it. You will probably encourage others to bicycle commute - perhaps more organically than a temporary ride to work scheme.