For the avowed bicycle commuter, there's not much that will deter them from their usual route. I've seen people pedaling in the rain, the intense heat, and in snow.
I'm not one of those people.
I ride my bike when the weather is nice. I ride my bike when I'm going somewhere that's not easily Metro-accessible. I ride my bike when I'll mostly be riding in daylight -- or very late at night, when there are so few cars on the roads that I feel safer than in the evening. In short, I ride when it's convenient, which is to say most of the time. And I know there are others like me out there.
Thankfully, Tim Grahl of CommuteByBike.com has created what he calls "The Slacker's Guide to Bike Commuting" for us. While a small portion of the advice is less than ideal (for instance, the crunchy side of me would not tell you to drive if it's raining -- that is what Metro is for), overall it's a quick guide to making commuting by bike more fun. A fun commute is likely to be repeated and the story shared with others. That word-of-mouth on the feasibility of bike commuting, along with physically seeing more and more bikes on the road, is going to be essential for a bike culture to emerge into the mainstream.
Now that it's getting prettier outside, I'll see you out there!
Melissa Esposito is the Car-Sharing and Bike-Sharing Program Coordinator for Arlington County and an unabashed Metro/bike commuter.
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