Tuesday, September 1, 2009

From Polluto-commuting to Cyclo-commuting


I don't commute by bicycle nearly often enough. Want to hear my excuses?
  1. Logistics. I struggle with getting my act together enough to get ready.
  2. Need my car at work. I have out-of-the-office meetings to which I can't cycle.
  3. There is no number 3.
Pretty pathetic, eh?
I'll now debunk my own myths.
  1. Get over the logistics. Commit. It gets easier. If I'm not committed, then I'll find a way so it doesn't happen.
  2. Not true. It's not that I need my car at work, it's that I need to travel from my office to meetings sometimes. I often--not always--control when those meetings are. Light Rail is now available. I could cycle to Link Light Rail or cycle to most meetings. Just requires a little planning.
  3. Uh, there aren't many reasons NOT to.
So, here is my commitment to myself and you. I say "you" since my driving my vehicle pollutes your world too so when I commit to reduce that driving I am also committing to you.
I pledge to work out a plan so that after Labor Day (little vacationing until then) I will have a solid commitment of how and by how much I will cyclocommute instead of pollutocommute.
Could be that on certain days of the week (Thursday & Friday?) I'll cycle. Or, that I'll drive no more than two days/week. Whatever it will be, I plan to make it manageable and a platform from which I can aspire higher. The intent is to succeed at this plan.
What's the impetus? I've been thinking about this for some time, but the added push was while on my Oregon Randonneurs Alsea Falls 400k Brevet, Tom Russell suggested regular commuting as good randonneuring prep. That is what is pushing me over this hump. I got alot from that brevet as I described in my post of same.
Did you know there is plenty of support for commuting by bicycle? In Seattle for instance, the Cascade Bicycle Club offers classes: everything from urban cycling skills and bicycle maintenance to commuting skills and programs tailored to youth and seniors. Bet you got the same support.

This photo and the graphic at the top of the post are both from the Cascade Bicycle Club Education Foundation link.
For further inspiration, go no further than Kent Peterson's Bike Blog. He drives no car. Just doesn't do it, and hasn't for a long time.
Keep it clean,
CurioRando

Update: see my specific commitment post here and two follow-up posts here and here.