When did I become the Commuting Evangelist?

[Dianyla]

Between the gorgeous sunny spring weather and skyrocketing gas prices, this afternoon at work no less than 3 coworkers stopped by my cubicle to ask me questions about bike commuting.

After the last one left, my new cube neighbor turned to me and asked "are you, like, the bicycle expert around here?"

[Melody]

Between the gorgeous sunny spring weather and skyrocketing gas prices, this afternoon at work no less than 3 coworkers stopped by my cubicle to ask me questions about bike commuting.

After the last one left, my new cube neighbor turned to me and asked "are you, like, the bicycle expert around here?"

heh. That has happened to me quite a bit. I know I've been directly responsible for at least getting two people (an ex-coworker and another ex-coworker's wife) riding.

I feel so good when that happens too

Mel

[Lise]

After the last one left, my new cube neighbor turned to me and asked "are you, like, the bicycle expert around here?"

I'm guessing that's a "yes"!

[tulip]

I had two neighbors in the past month ask me about commuting and routes to their offices. I don't know if they have ventured out, but I gave them a couple of routes and pointers. Gas prices seem to have people thinking differently.

[sydney_b]

i haven't converted anyone just yet, but have drawn up routes for folks. I take that back, my dear husband is going to start commuting to where he catches the bus to another city for work. So I guess that's one. Two of my sons also take their bikes, so maybe that makes 3.



/s

[Deanna]

I think the gas prices have finally gotten high enough to get people out of their cars and commuting by bike! Yay for high gas prices!!

[CorsairMac]

When did you??......probably the day you got a bike and used it instead of your car to get to work! LOL

I keep getting these emails from family/friends on how to really hurt the major oil companies by not buying gas from Exxon or Mobil! I keep writing back and telling them to leave their cars at home - That would really hit the oil companies where it hurts! *cigh* I'm guessing it's something only my fellow cyclists would understand! LOL

[DebW]

I educated the auto dealership this morning. Took a car in for service, then opened the trunk and pulled out my bike for the ride to work. They watched me put the wheels back on, asked me how much the bike weighed, how much it cost, and how far I rode. Then they talked about gas prices and how everyone was going to be riding bikes soon.

At work I'm more likely to get the mechanical questions, like "why is my fixed cup loose?" and "how do I replace my pedals?" and "Look at my broken rim".

[Geonz]

There's some really good stuff online - though at my presentation yesterday, ROUTES were a huge thing. (And it makes sense. Busy roads = rushed sleep-deprived students, faculty or hospital traffic, using cell phones while smoking; side roads work a *lot* better.)

http://www.dot.state.il.us/bikemap/s...s/safebike.pdf has a good booklet that was done by cyclists so it goes beyond teh rules and into "just where in the lane *do* you go in that intersection, under what circumstances?" and the like.

Here's the list of sites I sent 'round with my presentation mailing. They really get me stoked :-)


Sue's Annotated Bicycling LIfestyle Surflist for blending cycling into all kinds of aspects of life:

FUN!

http://www.prairiecycleclub.org (local bike club)
http://www.mikebentley.com/bike/ilrides.htm (lists riding information for Illinois and the Midwest)
http://www.bicyclinglife.com/ (all kinds of articles about bicycling, whether transportation or recreation)

Cycling for Slackers: http://www.living-room.org/bikepeople/slackers.htm "The purpose of the 'method' is to allow commuters or shoppers to make journeys of 2 to 5 miles wearing normal clothes without reducing themselves to a sweating trembling blob. While a few enlightened employers provide showers, supermarkets do not, and when you cycle the 'Slacker's Way' a quick spray of deodorant before starting is all that is required to avoid shame in the checkout line. "

BICYCLES AS ART:

http://spcycling.org/CyclingArt.htm Arizona desert sculpture
http://www.thecross-photo.com/Bicycl..._Josh_Deth.htm Bicycle Jesus

BICYCLING AS ART:

http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2005/08/323232.shtml dubbed "psychedelic dundee" --back in Madison, WI (when he arted himself there)-- is "art-bent" on seeking to INSPIRE creative-leaning persons towards ARTING THEIR HEARTS in UNPRECIDENTED (sic) styLe!
http://uji-making.com/J/aeolian/ - “Aeolian bike ride” - become mobile art while you ride!

RELIGION:

<<http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action..._enabled=false >> Bicyling as a lenten practice
http://www.friendsjournal.org/conten.../feature2.html Friends don't let Friends Drive
http://bikeforpeace.org/ (scroll down for picture) Why would Jesus Drive?

POLITICS, PATRIOTISM AND PROTEST
http://www.stickergiant.com/page/sg/PROD/bicycle/fb1012 Bike: it's patriotic
http://www.mikebentley.com - assorted patriotic & cycling pages
http://www.cicle.org/cicle_content/index.php Cyclists inciting change thru LIVE exchange
http://www.worldnakedbikeride.org/ World Naked Bike Ride
http://www.times-up.org/images/oil-l...-and-puppy.jpg Bicycling: (a quiet statement) Against Oil Wars
<<http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action..._enabled=false >>Bicycling as a Lenten Practice - against dependence on oil
http://www.lovarchy.org/ride/ more protesting cyclists
http://www.southwestern.edu/academic.../alejandro.php - deep doo doo and bicycles
http://www.critical-mass.org/ critical mass, of course!

ENVIRONMENTAL
http://www.times-up.org/about.php

COMMUTING:
http://www.bfw.org/btww/commuting/index.php Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin
http://www.bicyclinglife.com/Practic...mmuteguide.htm
http://www.bicyclesource.com/you/wom...id-sweat.shtml Riding without Working Up a Sweat
http://commutebybike.com/2006/03/09/...ycle-commuter/ - a not-skinny man's blog about getting out of the cubicle
http://www.waba.org/new/help/commuting.php Commuting in the Wash., D.C. area (it's easier here than there!)
http://communitycyclingcenter.org/cr...-commuter.html efforts to help get bikes in the hands of folks who need them (
http://www.bikewhenever.com/


HEALTH AND FITNESS
http://www.bikewalk.org/ - national center for bicycling and walking, including case study of the benefits of walking & cycling on community and environment.
http://www.bikewalk.org/assets/pdf/CASE15.PDF PDF file about the benefits of biking and walking
http://www.bicyclinginfo.org/hf/index.htm fight obesity and mental stagnation with your bicycle.
http://www.agingwell.state.ny.us/fit...ike_health.htm Bicyling Prfomots Good Health (Aging Well Village, NY)

LIFESTYLE: http://www.xtracycle.com Converting a bike to a Sports Utility Bicycle

WHATEVER: http://www.deadbabybikes.org (Seattle cycling club)

Oh, and BLENDING!!!!
http://www.bikeblender.com

[Deanna]

Wow Sue!! What a great bunch of links you've compiled. I''m going to save these so I can explore them when I'm not at work. I'll add my husbands commute page, mostly its local information, but he'll take information from anywhere if you'd like to add to it:

http://www.sonic.net/~douglasi/bike/index.htm

[Duck on Wheels]

Nope. I'd say your were not an evangelist. For me, as a non-religionist, there is a very important difference between an evangelist (i.e. somebody who actively seeks out people and seeks to convert them) and an available advisor (somebody who lives as they believe and then answers questions when others choose to ask them). You can probably guess which category I prefer. People came to you without you needing to preach to them. I think that's great! So good on you for being an example and generous with advice, but NOT being an evangelist!

[KSH]

I wish it was easy for me to commute on my bike to work.

It just isn't going to happen.

Unfortunately I have to dress professional and can't pack my clothes in a backpack without them getting wrinkled.

Then, sometimes, I need to travel around 20 miles to go to where I swim and ride on Wed nights (the route to get there is not safe to ride on a bike).

I also have to go home at work to walk my dog sometimes... and I don't have 2 hours to ride a bike back and forth.

Finally... the route to work... is NOT safe to ride in rush hour. It's scary in a car and people get really aggressive when you making them late for work.

Dallas, TX is not made for cyclists and everything is just too far away from each other...AND the public bus system, etc....sucks.

[Trek420]

I think of all the rides I've done, weight lost, whatever, I'm most proud that in my building, let's see 4 people on my floor now ride, I can think of at least two on other floors who do now. And 3 or so others who are "thinking about it".

So I guess I am a commuting evangelist.

Need a poster on my desk "Have you accepted the bike as your personal savior?" JK, TE gals, really! No joke on religion meant, you *know* how we are about cycling and bikes.

Mostly I don't talk to people about it.

I think they see me, 50, riding to work on occaision and think "If the chubby 50 year old gal can do this, I can do it too". They watched me drop weight and and hold most of it off and when asked how of course one thing I credit is cycling.

If they ask I point out resources, even TE.

Maria? Des? You lurking?? C'mon over to the getting to know you thread unless you're already here better watch what I say about work.

Sometimes I can't bike to work, then I might run an errand on the weekend.

When I do ride I keep a spare set of clean clothes here at my desk so don't have to haul it back and forth. Then haul the laundry home.

I am lucky, while it's nowhere near perfect, the Bay Area has an acceptable network of bike lanes. It took me almost a year to find a safer way to get to BART but I do like it now. Turned down a job transfer because I would not be able to ride.

[Lise]

Need a poster on my desk "Have you accepted the bike as your personal savior?"

Well, yes. Yes I have.

It makes me glad to be alive, and that's gotta be a tribute to my Creator!

[Trek420]

exactamundo! who here has the signature sumthin like G** made a wonderful world, get out and ride in it?

and we could add "and stop f**king it up ;-)"