Bike buddies, Peter and Diana, ruling the road. Move over, SUV!
In a recent post, I told you about how I was helping my mother, Diana, become a bike commuter. Easier said than done. Here's what transpired in the days that followed:
Me: It's been a week! Did you get everything you needed to start riding your bike?
Mom: (silence)
Me: Mom?
Mom: Well, I went to the bike shop with some of the ideas we talked about, but I lost the list I made and...
Me: And? (This is a role reversal)
Mom: The people at the bike shop asked me a lot of questions. I wouldn’t say they were rude, but I felt flustered and left.
I wish I could say this wasn't a common concern for new bike commuters. The keys to confidence in a bike shop are a detailed list and a bit of online research under your belt.
Check out the Biking Rules commuter tip sheet.
Check out this handy dandy tip sheet! Click to download
In honor of Martha Stewart, I figured I’d break the basics down into more familiar terms.
Bike Commuting: A Recipe
Serves 1
- 1 commuter bike
- 2 properly inflated tires (my psi is usually 100, but read the fine print)
- 2 working brakes (test these while off the bike, not on your first hill!)
- 1 seat (adjusted to hip level--find those hips!)
- 1 basket or rear rack (save your back the trouble)
- 2 lights (white light for the front of your bike, red light for the rear)
- 1 bell (attach to your handlebars, otherwise known as 'bike bling')
- 1 helmet (this is a must)
- 1 pant clip (to keep your pant leg from getting caught in your chain)
- 1 water bottle (it's hot out! I like to keep mine in my front basket, but some bikes allow you to store it on the bike frame)
Directions
Ease into it; don't rush! A reader, Rose, made a great suggestion on last week’s post! Jumping right into a five-mile bike commute could end up being a big deterrent for my mom ("I tend to get intimidated by exercise and then I begin to dread it," she says).
As with every new activity—and recipe -- bike commuting is four parts practice and one part preparation.
For this week my mom will have a bike buddy: my dad, Peter.
I gave them their challenge: A 2-mile bike ride every evening after work. Being the good students that they are, they’ve already picked a few streets with low traffic near our house. Go mom and dad!
Bike buddies, Peter and Diana, ruling the road. Move over, SUV!
Mom: Now I will kill two birds with one stone. Exercise and quality time with your father.
Dad: (eye roll)
Me: Don’t forget that next week the real commute begins!
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: joan mckniff | 6/15/10 at 9:23 am
i returned to usa after years in bike friendly europe to retire in my own country. one of the first things i wanted to do was buy/use a bike. a had my bell from china, my authentic wicker basket from england, and was ignored and/or patronized at one bike shop after another. flash to american bike shop geeks in your lycra shorts 24/7:1. i am a customer, not an interruption. 2. one can ride a bike in a skirt or even sneakers, Bermuda shorts and a tee. lycra is not a requirement. 3. if i'm old enough to be your mother, start showing me and your mother some respect !