Comments on: It’s Bike Month: Get Out There and Proselytize! http://www.commutebybike.com/2011/05/01/its-bike-month-get-out-there-and-proselytize/ Tips, Hints, Reviews and Safety for Bike Commuters Mon, 20 May 2013 04:36:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Niki http://www.commutebybike.com/2011/05/01/its-bike-month-get-out-there-and-proselytize/comment-page-1/#comment-240481 Niki Sat, 07 May 2011 14:54:26 +0000 http://www.commutebybike.com/?p=11000#comment-240481 I commute 3 days a week to school and use my bike for any local trips I can. People who meet me are always impressed, but I haven't had anyone nibble on the idea of starting to bike themselves. I find though that most people are fearful of riding for safety reasons. I live in So Cal so the bike riding mentality is pretty prevalent here. I always tell people you just have to pay more attention, because cars aren't looking for you and ride where you are comfortable... start at the beach or trails and work your way onto the road. It also helps that all the public transportation is more bike friendly too. There are a lot of us commuters out there.... just being seen is a major step in the right direction. I commute 3 days a week to school and use my bike for any local trips I can. People who meet me are always impressed, but I haven’t had anyone nibble on the idea of starting to bike themselves. I find though that most people are fearful of riding for safety reasons. I live in So Cal so the bike riding mentality is pretty prevalent here. I always tell people you just have to pay more attention, because cars aren’t looking for you and ride where you are comfortable… start at the beach or trails and work your way onto the road. It also helps that all the public transportation is more bike friendly too. There are a lot of us commuters out there…. just being seen is a major step in the right direction.

]]> By: Steve http://www.commutebybike.com/2011/05/01/its-bike-month-get-out-there-and-proselytize/comment-page-1/#comment-238835 Steve Thu, 05 May 2011 18:51:46 +0000 http://www.commutebybike.com/?p=11000#comment-238835 I commute seven days a week, usually doing from ten to twenty miles a day on a recumbent. I have a lot of people ask me if that type of bicycle is hard to ride, ect. What really gets their attention is the money I save because of cycling! (I haven't gassed up my clunker of a van since mid-February). Then I tell them not to treat a bike like a toy, but look at it as your primary vehicle for getting around. I tell them that they don't have to commute as much as I do, but to ask themselves if they really need to hop in their car and drive two or three blocks to rent a movie, ect. I just want to be a good example as I commute around town and answer any question those that are trapped in a car may have. I commute seven days a week, usually doing from ten to twenty miles a day on a recumbent. I have a lot of people ask me if that type of bicycle is hard to ride, ect. What really gets their attention is the money I save because of cycling! (I haven’t gassed up my clunker of a van since mid-February). Then I tell them not to treat a bike like a toy, but look at it as your primary vehicle for getting around. I tell them that they don’t have to commute as much as I do, but to ask themselves if they really need to hop in their car and drive two or three blocks to rent a movie, ect. I just want to be a good example as I commute around town and answer any question those that are trapped in a car may have.

]]> By: burnhamish http://www.commutebybike.com/2011/05/01/its-bike-month-get-out-there-and-proselytize/comment-page-1/#comment-235162 burnhamish Mon, 02 May 2011 17:02:32 +0000 http://www.commutebybike.com/?p=11000#comment-235162 For two seasons I commuted up to three days a week 39 miles round trip through the Detroit suburbs (impossible & impractical with snow on the ground). I was lucky in most places there was ample shoulder or a trail/multi-use path available, which aided me during afternoon rush hour. I can ride with car traffic, but it is more stressful. I got a coworker to start biking his nine miles to work when I told him how far I had to ride, and I still lived (he offered to put up a ghost bike should I meet an untimely end). He was the only convert, however, even though many people were impressed that we rode to work at all. Detroit is decidedly non-pedestrian. Go figure. Now I work in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and there is a stretch of road I would be compelled to ride if I biked to work, but the traffic in the afternoon scares me when I drive my car! My season of riding this year is stalled because of the lack of cycling-friendly infrastructure in Fort Wayne, at least where I have to ride. For two seasons I commuted up to three days a week 39 miles round trip through the Detroit suburbs (impossible & impractical with snow on the ground). I was lucky in most places there was ample shoulder or a trail/multi-use path available, which aided me during afternoon rush hour. I can ride with car traffic, but it is more stressful.

I got a coworker to start biking his nine miles to work when I told him how far I had to ride, and I still lived (he offered to put up a ghost bike should I meet an untimely end). He was the only convert, however, even though many people were impressed that we rode to work at all. Detroit is decidedly non-pedestrian. Go figure.

Now I work in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and there is a stretch of road I would be compelled to ride if I biked to work, but the traffic in the afternoon scares me when I drive my car! My season of riding this year is stalled because of the lack of cycling-friendly infrastructure in Fort Wayne, at least where I have to ride.

]]> By: Ted Johnson http://www.commutebybike.com/2011/05/01/its-bike-month-get-out-there-and-proselytize/comment-page-1/#comment-234714 Ted Johnson Mon, 02 May 2011 04:46:06 +0000 http://www.commutebybike.com/?p=11000#comment-234714 <em>It's fun, and you can get $20 a month for doing it.</em> What not to say: <em>It's more fun than donating plasma, but it pays less.</em> It’s fun, and you can get $20 a month for doing it.

What not to say: It’s more fun than donating plasma, but it pays less.

]]> By: Dee http://www.commutebybike.com/2011/05/01/its-bike-month-get-out-there-and-proselytize/comment-page-1/#comment-234699 Dee Mon, 02 May 2011 04:19:27 +0000 http://www.commutebybike.com/?p=11000#comment-234699 Have you heard about the Bicycle Commuter Benefit Act? Find out about it here: http://bicycling.about.com/od/advocacy/tp/bike_commuter_benefit.htm Dee at Ridekick.com Have you heard about the Bicycle Commuter Benefit Act? Find out about it here:
http://bicycling.about.com/od/advocacy/tp/bike_commuter_benefit.htm

Dee at Ridekick.com

]]> By: another matt http://www.commutebybike.com/2011/05/01/its-bike-month-get-out-there-and-proselytize/comment-page-1/#comment-234654 another matt Mon, 02 May 2011 02:56:51 +0000 http://www.commutebybike.com/?p=11000#comment-234654 lolz on the spandex part, its nice for a full day riding with a group but other than that I haven't really felt the need to wear it commuting. Just the other day someone asked me where I got my panniers from, who knows maybe they'll get a pair and start commuting too :) lolz on the spandex part, its nice for a full day riding with a group but other than that I haven’t really felt the need to wear it commuting. Just the other day someone asked me where I got my panniers from, who knows maybe they’ll get a pair and start commuting too :)

]]> By: Spencer http://www.commutebybike.com/2011/05/01/its-bike-month-get-out-there-and-proselytize/comment-page-1/#comment-234615 Spencer Mon, 02 May 2011 01:46:02 +0000 http://www.commutebybike.com/?p=11000#comment-234615 Ha! Very creative twist on Bike Month, though. I, like Matt, was also dressed like that for two years. Ha! Very creative twist on Bike Month, though. I, like Matt, was also dressed like that for two years.

]]> By: matt http://www.commutebybike.com/2011/05/01/its-bike-month-get-out-there-and-proselytize/comment-page-1/#comment-234603 matt Mon, 02 May 2011 01:17:05 +0000 http://www.commutebybike.com/?p=11000#comment-234603 Oh I thought that's what it was...my mistake. The name tags would be on the left anyway... Oh I thought that’s what it was…my mistake. The name tags would be on the left anyway…

]]> By: Andrew http://www.commutebybike.com/2011/05/01/its-bike-month-get-out-there-and-proselytize/comment-page-1/#comment-234469 Andrew Sun, 01 May 2011 21:53:25 +0000 http://www.commutebybike.com/?p=11000#comment-234469 Two guys with white button up shirts, ties, black pants and pamphlets in their hands. You guys look a LOT like mormon missionaries in that photo. And at that small size the bike to work logo looks like a book of mormon (or something) in your breast pocket. Two guys with white button up shirts, ties, black pants and pamphlets in their hands. You guys look a LOT like mormon missionaries in that photo. And at that small size the bike to work logo looks like a book of mormon (or something) in your breast pocket.

]]> By: Ted Johnson http://www.commutebybike.com/2011/05/01/its-bike-month-get-out-there-and-proselytize/comment-page-1/#comment-234405 Ted Johnson Sun, 01 May 2011 20:31:51 +0000 http://www.commutebybike.com/?p=11000#comment-234405 Great story and tips, Matt. Who said anything about an LDS mission? That photo is of Josh and me. Great story and tips, Matt.

Who said anything about an LDS mission? That photo is of Josh and me.

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