The Bicycle Transportation Alliance in Portland has called September ‘Bike to Work Month’ and issued the Bike Commute Challenge. After some heated discussions and much friendly persuasion, the entire Four + One team has agreed to participate. One member has been dubbed Mr. Grumpy Pants due to his grouchy responses and grandfatherly stubbornness, but he’s been commuting all the same.
I ride my bike to work most days of the year, rain or shine, so I was excited about participating. Some fun facts I have discovered since joining the challenge: In four days worth of commuting I’ve saved 19 lbs of CO2 emmissions, I’ve burned 980 calories, and I’m a big bully for forcing other members of Four + One to actually sign up and participate in such a stupid thing instead of just appreciating the fact that they have been biking to work.
We’re having a good time with it.
From time to time I start feeling great about myself and how I’m minimizing my impact on the earth. Luckily, there is always a gas-guzzling SUV ready to shatter my delusions of progress and grandeur. But it is nice to make a difference, even if the only difference are in how I see the world, in my energy level and (slightly) in my waistline.
In the spirit of making a difference, I throw out a challenge to all of you who have bikes and a non-home-office-workplace. September is a beautiful month to ride. Join us.
For inspiration, here are some photos of my route to work. If you click on them, they get bigger.
This may or may not be Mr. Grumpy Pants
Mr. Grumpy Pants would like to point out that he has ridden his bike to work more often than not over the last 2 months (except when a cracked rib prevented him from doing so). He realizes now that none of those days counted because he did not go on the internet and click on some boxes to let everyone know of his accomplishment. Once this was realized, he instantly, and unfortunately, gained the 2 pounds back he had kept off by riding his bike to work over two months and his car instantly emitted 185lbs of CO2 emissions. He has learned his lesson, though, and will now religiously chronicle his good deeds online for all to see – because no good deed counts unless it is followed by a check mark in a box on the internet.
http://icons.mysitemyway.com/wp-content/gallery/magic-marker-icons-symbols-shapes/116269-magic-marker-icon-symbols-shapes-check-in-box.png
Mr. Grumpy Pants is too cynical. The cynicism is probably weighing down his bike and making his riding experience less enjoyable.
Also, it looks like he needs a ‘cool bag’ tutorial from the blog author.
Dirty hippies! I wish that (1) I owned a bike and that (2) it weren’t still in the 100’s here in Vegas.