Bike commuting at speed of sight

From the Redlands Daily, 08.12.07:

Redlands man enjoys his two-wheel commute
As Southern California continues to expand and freeway overpasses arch toward the heavens, the air quality will continue to worsen.

"We live in the region with the worst air quality in the nation and 80 percent of it is from mobile sources emissions," said Jonathan Baty, a member of the Bicycle Commuter Coalition of the Inland Empire.

Baty's suggestion? Ride for clean air.

Baty has been a life member of the coalition since 1991. The organization has been instrumental in getting bike racks on buses, placing bike racks and lockers around town, providing input to the county's non-motorized transportation plan, and providing valet services for the Redlands Bicycle Classic for almost a decade.

"We have a growing membership base and a board that is familiar with bicycle commuting," Baty said. Aside from protecting the atmosphere, Baty offers a list of reasons to bike instead of drive.

"You are rarely stuck in gridlock, you travel at the speed of sight (you can see stuff, not just drive by), it is less confining, you are more in tune with the weather (so you get sick less often), it is a great excuse to own good waterproof rain gear, and it is great base-level conditioning for longer rides on the weekends," Baty said. (Read more.)

I really love this "speed of sight" phrase. Beautiful. And so true. Life without the windshield is much better. This favorable article also mentions the ongoing rails-to-trails conversion in Redlands, which will provide a useful commuting corridor for many local cyclists.

Image: Web capture. Non-commuting cyclists at the Redlands Bicycle Classic.
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips