You can make a difference. Ride your bike.

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi
A few years ago, in a bike shop, I saw a big stand up cardboard poster outlining reasons to bike. The poster was part of a Trek initiative called 1 World, 2 Wheels. In part, it said:
With the world facing skyrocketing obesity rates, escalating traffic congestion and the concerns of global climate change, the bicycle is an underutilized solution.
For 2 miles or less
• 60% of the pollution created by automobile emissions happens in the first few minutes of operating, before the pollution control devices can work effectively.
o 24% of all trips are made within a mile of the home
o 40% of all trips are made within two miles of the home, and
o 50% of the working population commutes five miles or less to work.
After thinking about where I go and what I do, the realization set in:
• I live 3 miles from my workplace.
• Nearly 98% of our household shopping needs are done within 2 miles of our home, and
• My primary trips are within 1 mile of our home.
This poster altered how I thought about biking. Over time, most of my trips 5 miles or less from home are done by bike. The grocery store, library, shopping, church, and visits to friends and family are many trips that can be done by bike. 5 miles or less.
Making a decision to ride my bike took an attitude and lifestyle change. Biking had been my primary work transportation for several years. But for the other stuff? From the moment of the big Trek poster, each time I would reach for the car keys to somewhere, thoughts of why was I not biking would tickle my mind.
Reasons to drive would override biking thoughts. Reasons like: It’s too hot, too cold, it’s raining, I can’t carry everything on my bike, I don’t have time, I don’t feel like biking, I’m too tired, and there is a big hill.
At some point, as I am driving along, I would think to myself, “I could have, should have, ridden my bike.”
Today, I have made the lifestyle adjustment. The majority of my trips within 3-5 miles from home, are done by bike. It didn’t happen overnight. It started one ride at a time.
The website for the Trek initiative is: http://1world2wheels.org/
You can make a difference. Ride your bike.
“You must be the change you want to see in the world.” Mahatma Gandhi