Ride Your Bike to Work This Month

It's all about biking this month - Bike to Work Month. Ditch your car, skip the metro, hop on your bike. All month.

I encourage you to unite with thousands of other through the country by riding your bike to work this month. And I sincerely hope that, when the month is over, you will continue to keep bicycling to work.

OK, you reply, just why would I do something so crazy? My car is comfy. It's fast. And *gasp* I'm even protected from the wind and rain in my pile of steel and rubber. Why would I opt to ditch my four wheels in favor of two?

If you bike to work for only one month, you can:

1) Burn 18,800 calories

2) Save $88.00 in gas money

3) Attain a C02 reduction of 384 pounds

4) Brag to your friends about points 1-3

OK - you're thinking all those things are great. Burning the extra calories is a good thing and saving money and being friendly to the environment - they are all noble ideas. But we all know the real reason for digging that bike out from behind all the junk in the garage:

Biking is more fun

Give yourself permission to be a kid again. Enjoy the freedom and sensations of wind blowing through your hair. Splash through rain puddles. How bad can the day be if you can splash in rain puddles?

Wait - I can hear it now... Your list of excuses is coming... What about your clothes - you can't work in your biking clothes? What about storing the bike? What will people say??

But really, all of that is just excuses. If you really make the decision to bike to work, you'll find a way. Take a week's worth of clothes and leave them in the office or stash what you need for the day in your pannier. Talk with the security guard about some old, rarely-used closet where you can stash the bike. It might take a bit of creativity, but it'll work. If you make it work.

And so we come back to the very beginning - I challenge you, yes you, to ride your bike to work this month. Every. Single. Day.

Nancy Sathre-Vogel has been touring by bicycle for nearly thirty years. She has tried all kinds of gear and equipment and discovered that sometimes, simplicity is best. For tips and information on all aspect of bike touring, check out her website.

Tags: Bicycle, bike to work, Cycling, environment, health, recreation, sports