Boycott Update
Give up your car? To many people the thought is incomprehensible. But every May during National Bike Month, a number of organizations challenge individuals to leave the keys out of the ignition tor at least a day and revert to that efficiënt miracle of self-propelled transit, the bicycle. Too often overlooked and underrated, the bicycle is the simplest, and the most pleasurable, way to improve your health while saving the environment.
From a health standpoint, using a bike to run errands, attend classes or to go to work is a great way to squeeze regular exercise into a hectic schedule. Bicycle commuting can also get you to your destination on time more easily, put you in a better mood and help you perform tasks better. And needless to say, when you are in shape you get sick less often. On the mobility end, even the most powerful sports car or SUV crawls in congested traff ie while a bieyelist can ride around it. Parking a car, especially in weekday Ann Arbor, can be a time-consuming hassle. With a bike, you can almost always park quickly and close to your destination.
From an economic standpoint, transporting yourself by bicycle saves in parking fees, fuel costs, auto maintenance outlays and transit fares. A new bicycle and gear can literally pay for itself in a few months. Studies have even shown that by replacing your car (or second car) with a combination of bicycling, mass transit and an occasional rental car or cab, you can save as much as 25% of your income.
It is no secret that autos are the largest source of air pollution with short car trips, the type that are the most bikeable. polluting up to three times more per mile than longer jaunts. The average four-mile round-trip bike commute prevents nearty 15 pounds of auto air pollution from contaminating the air we breathe. Overall, a car is a mobile pollution factory producing or using such toxins as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, benzene, cyanide, carbon monoxide, CFCs, sulfates, maganese and even traces of radioactive polonium.
Making your bike ready for transportation is fairly simple, the first step being to make sure your bike is in good mechanical shape either by doing the work yourself of taking it to one of the many local bike shops. A few priority add-ons would be a heimet (is your head worth $20-$50?), a lock, fenders for wet roads, lights and a basket to carry things in.
For the actual riding part, it has been said that the safest cyclists are those who consider themselves a vehicle by Michigan law they are), follow traffic regulations, are predictable, visible, aware of hazards (i.e. broken glass, potholes), cycle with the traffic and ride defensively. haps the best way to become a sharp rider is to take the Effective Cycling class offered in Ann Arbor on May 16 and 23.
In Ann Arbor, the Parks and Recreation Department is encouraging people to give up their cars and try bicycle commuting on Bike To Work Day (Tuesday, May 19) or for all of Bike To Work Week (May 17-23). To help encourage bicycle commuting even more, most area bike shops will be offering special discounts on commuting equipment during Bike To Work Week. The hope is that once a person tries bicycle commuting, they will see that it is not that difficult and make the choice to use their bike for transportation throughout the year.
Giving up your car for a day or more is not that hard when in its place you can engage in a mode of transportation that is good for you and the outdoors. Besides, did you ever notice that people on bikes often seem to be smiling? For more information about bicycle education and safety, including additional Effective Cycling courses, call the League of American Bicyclists at (800) 288-BIKE. For local bicycle activities, call the Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society Hotline at 913-9851.
-ROBERT KRZEWINSKI