Did you know that May is National Bike Month? I’m always a little skeptical of national fill-in-the-blank months (who comes up with these things, anyway? And who makes them national?), but a bike month is something I can get behind! :)
Anyway, the League of American Bicyclists has a whole bunch of specific events you can participate in to celebrate a whole month dedicated to biking:
- bike to school day (May 9)
- bike to work week (May 14-18)
- And, if a week is too much, bike to work day (May 18)
- the month-long bike challenge (all of May)
- other location-specific events you can search for
…but in light of my recent thoughts, I’m thinking of this month not as a challenge for myself to bike more, but as an opportunity to help people around me break down some barriers that keep them from biking. I’d like to challenge myself (and you, dear reader:) to try one or all of the following:Â (note that anyone could do this kind of stuff, even if you don’t consider yourself a super hardcore biker) (also note that this is not, nor could it ever be, a complete list)
- meet someone at their house and bike to work with them (many people would love to bike but don’t know how to find good routes, or are intimidated to do so until someone else shows them it’s possible)
- for that matter, buy someone a bike map if you have such a thing in your community
- put lights on someone’s ninja-style bike
- go for a short bikey joyride to a park
- outfit someone you love with a helmet
- bike in a skirt or suit to prove that it’s possible to show up at work looking lovely
- or, show someone where the showers at work are, if you’re lucky enough to have them. If not, show them how you can end up looking stylin at work after a bike ride anyway.
- go visit someone who crashed his bike and remind him that he will heal (looking at you, David!:)
- take someone grocery shopping by bike to prove that it’s possible
- show someone how to take their bike on transit
- teach someone how to fix a flat tire
- take someone camping by bike!
- and all manner of other things :)
I try to do this kind of stuff all the time, but it’s nice every once in a while to be reminded that I could still be working on it more. How about you guys? Anything else you do or I could do to make people feel happy biking?:)
Oh, and happy bike month!