Bike to Work Day
Today is National Bike to Work Day and this morning the Seattle-area Cascade Bike Club sponsored a big to-do with dozens of “commuter stations” handing out free stuff to cycle comuters as part of their effort of encouraging people to take two wheels to work rather than four.
Mimi and I hit a few downtown stops for free schwag before school; we got a couple water bottles and some Cliff bars, woo-hoo.
I can’t say that I saw a lot more cyclists on the road this morning than usual; I did, though, see more bikes being carried on top of cars than is typical.
Still, I think Bike to Work Day is a worthy event and I have nothing but appreciation for the organizers. I’m sure it gets plenty of people who usually take cars into the office onto their bikes at least one day a year, and that’s a good thing.
Ironically, though, I heard today about injury accidents to two different experienced cyclists I know, a rather strange way to commemorate these 24 hours set aside for cycling.
In one, Heidi B., a young woman I’m acquainted with through .83, wrecked on a training ride with her bicycle team, breaking her elbow. In the other, Alex Wetmore, a longtime fixture in the local cycling scene and moderator of the BikeList.org bicycle news groups, was run into by a left-turning Honda Civic, leaving him with an ugly road rash and a destroyed front wheel.
So, I guess cycling is pretty dangerous in a way, although (knock-wood) my only injuries (so far) have been sprains and scrapes. I’m lucky that most of my commute is off-road and I suppose there’s also something to be said in the name of safety for being as old and slow as I am.
Still, one person’s danger is another person’s ride to work; and as scary as it might be on a bike; I’m way more terrified of commuting by car.
Mimi and I hit a few downtown stops for free schwag before school; we got a couple water bottles and some Cliff bars, woo-hoo.
I can’t say that I saw a lot more cyclists on the road this morning than usual; I did, though, see more bikes being carried on top of cars than is typical.
Still, I think Bike to Work Day is a worthy event and I have nothing but appreciation for the organizers. I’m sure it gets plenty of people who usually take cars into the office onto their bikes at least one day a year, and that’s a good thing.
Ironically, though, I heard today about injury accidents to two different experienced cyclists I know, a rather strange way to commemorate these 24 hours set aside for cycling.
In one, Heidi B., a young woman I’m acquainted with through .83, wrecked on a training ride with her bicycle team, breaking her elbow. In the other, Alex Wetmore, a longtime fixture in the local cycling scene and moderator of the BikeList.org bicycle news groups, was run into by a left-turning Honda Civic, leaving him with an ugly road rash and a destroyed front wheel.
So, I guess cycling is pretty dangerous in a way, although (knock-wood) my only injuries (so far) have been sprains and scrapes. I’m lucky that most of my commute is off-road and I suppose there’s also something to be said in the name of safety for being as old and slow as I am.
Still, one person’s danger is another person’s ride to work; and as scary as it might be on a bike; I’m way more terrified of commuting by car.
posted by Professor Dave at 6:06 PM
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