As you may have heard, it’s Bike-to-Work Week, and May in general is National Bike Month. For some of you, it may be impossible to bike to work this week, so People for Bikes is also calling this week Bike-to-Anywhere Week. According to Tim Blumenthal, executive director of People for Bikes, nearly 50 percent of the trips Americans make each day are three miles or less. Maybe there’s a way for you to incorporate bicycling into your errands.
bicycling with your family
As someone who’s starting a family very soon, I’m enjoying daydreaming about the ways in which Greg and I can keep bike-riding as our main source of transportation. We have been without a car now for about a year and a half, and have relied on our bikes, our feet, and public transportation for the bulk of our transportation. When necessary, we borrow or rent a car for a car trip. How cool would it be to have a family bike on which to do our shopping and transporting around town? Maybe a “mamachari,” a style of bicycle popular in Japan among domestic people that looks a little like this:
Or a less extreme model:
Mamachari bicycles have either front or rear child seats (or both) and racks and baskets for the bicyclist to use for carrying items as well. They are primarily “step-through” frames to allow for easy mounting, and apparently are sold very inexpensively in Japan as they’re so widely-used.
An American version of this mamachari is a bike modified with an Xtracycle. I look to my sister as a source of inspiration with this bike, because she often uses hers like a station wagon, transporting both of her children, ages 4 and 7, at the same time (the 4 year old in the bucket seat and the 7 year old sitting snugly on the wide, long board of the Xtracycle), or an abundance of material goods:
getting rid of your car altogether
I’m not going to be saccharine about this: not having a car does change your life and it does limit you. BUT, in most ways, the changes are positive. Numero Uno Positive Change of Not Having a Car: COST. A really nice bicycle might be an investment, but does it really compare to a vehicle that you pay off every month (along with gasoline, repairs, registration, city stickers, parking tickets, parking fees, moving violations, et cetera)? Of course not. Do I need to mention that bicycles have very very low recurring costs? Compare fixing a bike tire with changing your car tire. You get the idea.
Also, I find that I eat better when I’m not driving to the store or restaurant for my every whim (especially good since I’m pregnant). I don’t buy nearly as much stuff that I don’t need. And I don’t have to plan as much for exercise, because exercise is a natural extension of my existence. I mean, I’m not saying that bicycling to the store is super hard work, because it’s only a mile away, and a fairly flat mile at that — but it gets me moving when I’d otherwise be idle or passively pushing a gas pedal. Because as everyone knows, when you have a car, you use the car.
pregnant biking
I’m 33 weeks pregnant as of today, and I’ve sort of been waiting for the day when I can’t bicycle any longer, but it hasn’t arrived yet, and doesn’t look to be arriving anytime soon. Because I’ve been bicycling the whole time, I guess, my “center of gravity” has remained steady on my bike, so I never feel like I’m going to fall over. I play it safe though — I have a mountain bike with efficient but safe tires, wear a helmet, have safety lights, take extra time and care when mounting and dismounting, and lately, I’ve been riding a lot slower, just taking my time, not really thinking about how much further I have, but about how each rotation of the pedals is smooth and feels good, which it does.
Bicycling is an amazing exercise for pregnancy, along with walking and swimming. I feel like when I am bicycling a good amount (not too much, not too little, don’t want to overdo it), I have less back pain, I sleep better, and I have more energy each day. It is a wonderful way to manage the extra 22 lbs hanging on my body. And when you are seated well on your bike with a comfortable seat, it’s way more comfortable than a car ride!
back to bike-to-work week
So! With a few of these ideas, what will you do to participate in National Bike Month? If nothing else, be courteous and share the road with bicyclists! We are out there to make our lives better, our air (and your air) cleaner, our roads safer, and to just have a nice day smelling the roses (not just an expression for me right now, I really smell this huge rose bush every time I go into town) and stretching our legs!
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