From the Sacramento Bee, 04.30.07:
Ride of your lifeThis is an inspiring first-person account by a staff writer for the Bee, who bike commutes 25 miles each way, every day. (It's a shame that San Francisco lacks a mainstream reporter with such vigor.) The article has a lot of helpful pointers for beginners, and promotes the Sacramento region's Bike Commute Month.
Bike Commute Month encourages workers to give new meaning to 'day shift'
Tuesday is the first day of Bike Commute Month. And if you follow this simple advice, it could be the first day of the rest of your life as a successful and savvy bike commuter.
Whether you're 25 miles from work or eight blocks, whether you ride daily, weekly or once a month, getting on a bike makes you part of the solution instead of part of the problem.
Never mind that Al Gore forgot to mention bikes in that movie of his.
To ride your bike to work or school -- or wherever you need to -- is to free yourself from the negatives of car culture: the rudeness, the rush, the anger, the dread, the sloth, the cost, the stress, the (vapid talk radio.)
The bike is clean, green and quiet. Elegant in its simplicity, it is a near- perfect machine. You turn the pedals, you move. You move, you breathe, you burn calories. (Read more.)
Image: Sacramento Region Bike Commute
Visit: Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates
Visit: Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips
1 comment:
I just moved to the Sacramento area and find the AR bike trail to be the best part of the move. I do note that many of the bike riders exhibit the same poor/offensive driving traits on their bikes as they do behind the wheel of their cars.
Road rage:
Impatience with slower bikes or non-bikers. I heard a biker screaming profanities at an in-line skater taking up too much of the trail.
Camping out in the fast lane:
Riding two abreast and ignoring the 'on your let' notice to allow another rider to pass.
Impatience with those camping in the fast lane:
Riders passing on curves or into oncoming trafffic - whats the hurry, wait a couple minutes and get some sprintin practice when you pass them.
Talking on cell phones:
Driving/riding erratically. Cell phones are good to have in an emergency but turn the thing off for an hour when you're recreating.
Riding with Ipods:
One reason riders don't respond to 'On your left' - they can't hear. Even goofier is to see to riders together, each plugged in to his/her Ipod. What's the point in riding together.
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