Imagine if biking to work was safe and easy for everyone. Friday May 21st was National Bike to Work Day, and I spent a beautiful morning sipping bike-blended smoothies with the Whole Living team at their bike commuter pit-stop on the Hudson River Greenway. Hundreds of thousands of Americans gave biking to work a try for the first time on Bike to Work Day too.
On a normal day, roughly 2 million Americans ride bicycles as transportation (about 1% of all the trips being made daily across the country). I have been to cities where bike riding is more common—even popular--and it is amazing! In places like Amsterdam and Copenhagen, 35% and 20% of all trips are made by bicycle.
Bicycles Are Beautiful
At the Whole Living pit-stop a lot of people cited New York City’s new bike lanes as the reason they had started riding to work in the past year. But I have to admit, I was fixated on an entirely different new development: the bicycles themselves were beautiful.
A Bike You Can Ride in Heels
The hottest trend in cycling right now are “commuter bicycles.” They are practical and comfortable and are becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. Bonus: they tend to look stylish too!
Above all, commuter bikes are:
• Made to withstand the rough-and-tumble of the daily commute (potholes, inclement weather).
• Mechanically simple (not too many gears or gizmos to take care of).
• Built for comfortable-paced riding (so you don’t show up to work all sweaty!).
• Affordable! There are great models out there from $250-$500.
Commuter bikes allow you to ride in an upright position and therefore work well with your usual work clothes, including heels! There is no reason for bike commuting to be a race!
The single-best decision I’ve made in the last year besides switching to this style bicycle was adding a basket to my bike. My basket has turned errands and daily trips into a joy, rather than extra weight on my back. Mark my words.
The Fit
When you are at the bike shop buying your bike, don’t forget the 3 F’s:
• Fit. Your seat should come up to your hip when standing.
• Foothold. Your toes should touch the ground when you’re seated.
• Fashion. Your bicycle should look good, just like you.
So, here’s a question now that we’ve figured out a great daily bike: What will it take for your first bike to work day to become your routine? Post your comments and let’s get rolling!
Want more tips? I recently appeared on The Martha Stewart Show and talked about bike safety.
Caroline Samponaro is the Director of Bicycle Advocacy at Transportation Alternatives, an 8,000-member pro-bicycling non-profit founded in 1973. Caroline is one of the nation’s foremost advocates for cycling and has spearheaded New York City’s rapid transformation into a bicycle-friendly city. She lives in Brooklyn. Visit her at www.transalt.org and www.bikingrules.org.
From: Rose | 6/2/10 at 10:02 pm
I just rode my bike to work yesterday, and it was wonderful! I think safety is my primary concern; I am still pretty uncomfortable riding on the busier streets in my city, although extensive bicycle lanes do help.
My commute, which hardly counts as a commute since it's almost exactly one mile, takes about 30 minutes walking, but only 10 minutes by bike. I did a test-run last weekend to make sure that I could find a comfortable (mostly traffic-free) route.
I completely agree that having a beautiful bicycle makes a huge difference in creating the desire to ride, although it certainly does not need to be expensive. I picked up my lovely 1970 Schwinn Suburban for $25 at a garage sale, and then spent about $60 in parts (new tires, brakepads, etc.) and several hours scraping rust with a steel bristled brush. She rides like a dream now and was totally worth the elbow grease. I was warned against purchasing a heavy bike, but I think the hard work on hills gets paid back when I coast for ages on the straightaways. On the other hand, those zippy little road bikes do look like fun...
Find something you love and put some effort into it. That's my advice. Oh, and take the long way: there's better scenery and fewer four-wheelers.
From: Making My Mom a Commuter – Whole Living Daily : Whole Living | 6/8/10 at 3:01 pm
[...] my post last week, I received a great comment from Rita about her bike commute (Rita, 1 mile counts too!!). [...]
From: Christine | 7/12/10 at 1:11 pm
I'm so glad I stumbled across your blog! I live just 3 miles from my office and really want to start bike commuting more. I've done it a few times, but always seem to make excuses to take my car. Love your tips and am feeling inspired to commit to my bike!