"I Live too far from work to bike in."
Yes, this could very well be a problem. We hope that proximity to one's place of employment becomes more of a consideration in American's home purchase decisions in coming years. Hmmm....
Hey - maybe it's really not that far, right? On a nice, sunny weekend in the next month or so, try riding over to work on your bike. Maybe you won't find it to be as far as you thought? OR, maybe you feel really good when you get back from the ride - Hey, wouldn't that feeling be a great way to start your work day? Come on, it can't hurt to at least give it a shot, right?
"My city has very few bike lanes and is not very biker-friendly."
Hey, that's a bummer. We feel for you. No one wants to be super-paranoid the whole way in to the office. It feels bad enough just having to GO to the office in the first place, right?
Take it from us - biker safety is a top priority for us. If roads have dangerous vehicle speeds or inadequate shoulder widths - do not ride on them! Main arterial roads are no fun to ride on anyway.
Take a look at a map of your route. Are there any neighborhoods that run adjacent to a main arterial road that you could snake through? How about a park or alley? Check out the whole area by bicycle or on foot. Be creative, but remember to obey traffic all laws (or at least all of the reasonable ones... ;)
Once you figure out the side streets and neighborhoods between your home and work, your commute changes significantly. You start riding past kids playing on playgrounds, hearing other families getting ready for school and work, smelling breakfast cooking. The commute becomes an expression of your connection to your community. In short, it's fun!
Your commute might become much longer than if you had taken your car in, but think of all of the exercise and carbon offsetting you got in on your way to work!
"I have to drop off and pick up the kids from school."
This has become an issue in recent years as schools become consolidated and increasingly more distant from homes. However, there are a number of us who do drive our kids to school when they could be walked in or biked with. Children need exercise as much as parents do, so make them work like we did when we were kids! Uphill both ways, in the snow - it makes them tougher, right?
In all seriousness, there are a number of ways to accomodate biking and getting kids to school. There are a number of bike seats and trailers that would carry several children at once. How about a biking bus? Parents can take turns biking neighborhood kids to school. Does this sound crazy to you? Does it sound too dangerous? Maybe that is because you have grown up with a particular way of thinking. How is this different from those who grew up in the early 20th century?
Americans today face a number of interesting and complex geopolitical problems. Voluntary reduction of fossil fuel consumption (or just consumption in general) will reduce the need for such a forceful position in oil-producing countries and regions. We are not saying that we have all of the answers, but there is no doubting that America's per-capita production of greenhouse gasses is the highest in the world - by far. We simply have to think outside the car, so to speak...
"I need my car/truck for errands at work."
This can also be an issue. Maybe it's time to have that talk with your boss about use of the company car, huh? I mean, you are using your own car for work, right? How fair is that?
Kidding aside, you simply have to make calculated decisions about what days you will be leaving the office and what days you will be able to stay there all day. Using the old "need the car at work" excuse every day is simply not being honest with yourself. Everyone has days when they know they are going to be stuck in the office all day. What better way to start and end such a daunting experience than with a nice, refreshing velocommute?!
"But it's just so darned cold here!"
Yes, there are many days that look like it is too cold, rainy, sunny, or (insert excuse here) to bike to work. We've all got excuses to get in our cars and get to work, right?
But now, America, we've got excuses to get back out of those automobiles. From almost any perspective, commuting by bicycle is the perfect solution to most of today's social ills.
Don't forget that Canada, a country much colder than ours (really!), has about twice as many bicycle commuters per capita than the U.S.
A little rain on your clothes or sweat on your back can actually be quite attractive, in the right context!
"Bike commuters look so geeky and gear-y!"
Sometimes, yes, this is also true. Sometimes, we just have to make do with the cards that get dealt us...
But, hey, WE NEED YOU! You have enough fashion sense to recognize that bike commuters look geeky, but you made it far enough into this document to read this? Awesome! Please become a velocommuter and show us what style really is! Look at some of the newer models of commuter and cruiser bikes that have come out in the past few years. Some of them are quite sexy and cool. Make sure you get a nice helmet while you are at it!
We think that one should not have to forgo fashion simply because she has chosen the bicycle for the trip to work. To the contrary, we think that fashion should be an essential element of velocomuting. When you show up at the office, you are expected to dress professionally - why not have your bicycle match this image? Your bicycle should simply be a natural extension of the image you want to project to your colleages. So, whether its a high-end triathalon bike or an old restored cruiser, we think it should look good, but who are we to say?
We need to let bicycle companies know that we want to look good on our ride to work. Buy high-quality products only - and try to find American-made ones while you are at it!
"Ew! I don't want to get to the office all stinky and smelly! "
Smell can definitely be an issue. You should always be sensitive to your co-workers' sense of smell. If you have a two hour meeting right after you arrive in the morning, are you prepared to sit there in close proximity to your supervisors and peers?
Deodorant and talcum powder would be quite helpful here. Deodorant is for the underarm. Don't be stingy here. Liberally powder the privates, as this area can produce quite a bit of smell during and after a workout.
Even better would be to convince your boss to install lockers and showers for bicycle-commuting employees. This would also enable runners to get a quick jog in during the lunch hour. Remind your boss of how much happier her employees will be if they are getting this much regular exercise!
"That doesn't seem very healthy, breathing in all that automobile exhaust."
Sure, it would probably be better to be in the mountains somewhere, with absolutely no car exhaust or other emissions to get in your lungs. But there are no jobs up there in the mountains (are there?)! Jobs are in the city and so are cars. So be it. It is not as if automobiles are special 'smog-free' zones. We all breathe this stuff in every day anyway. Why not get some excercise and enjoy the outdoors on our way to work?