Friday, December 18, 2009

What's stopping you from riding?

While talking about some ideas for our Bicycle Ambassadors program, a question came up that's been sticking in my mind:

What's stopping you from riding?

In other words, what are the fears you have that make it hard, or impossible, to use a bicycle to get around Philadelphia? So I wanted to pose it to everyone (or, just as likely, to your friends who aren't reading this because there's something stopping them from riding). What's stopping you from riding a bike, to commute or for recreation?

~ ~ ~

When I started bike commuting, some of my biggest fears were: navigating/dealing with traffic, my bike getting stolen, and that I didn't feel like 'a bike person' (of either the lycra or hipster variety).

The first one has come with time and experience, though can still be scary; I started feeling better about the second after writing an in-depth post on understanding and avoiding bike theft; and as for the third, I've learned that community of people who use bicycles is much more diverse than that.
Posted by Max at 10:00 AM
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4 comments:

  1. While I now consider myself an all-weather, all-occasion bike for transport type, that wasn't always the case. I think the biggest impediments for me were:

    1. Owning a car. As long as I had a car to drive, it seemed like an easier option. While car-free is not for everyone, finding out that many, many people in Philadelphia don't own cars inspired me to make that change.

    2. Weather. Riding in rain or snow is daunting, but I found that once I got some good rain gear I felt a lot more confident.
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  2. i'm new to the area and was previously living in a bike-friendly town, i.e. bike lanes, bike paths, and drivers that were accustomed to/comfortable with/tolerant of sharing the road with bicyclists. I arrived here in the midst of what seems like a pretty hostile cyclist/driver climate and I'm intimidated by it. I tend to play it safe and follow the rules so as not to confuse the drivers, but i haven't wanted to brave these roads until i know my way around.
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  3. My biggest obstacle is weather. I've ridden in the rain, and while I don't mind getting rained on, I hate the extra work involved in caring for my bike after it's been out in the rain/snow.
    I'm hoping a regular washing/maintenance schedule will help me get over my "fear" of ruining my bike in the rain and snow so I can just ride whenever I want!
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  4. Mine is riding after dark by myself (as a girl). Class gets out late and I ride 2 miles back through CC and then to the art museum area. Anybody know anything about women riding alone after dark?
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