May is National Bike Month, which features all kinds of dates of note, like Bike to School Day, Bike Week, the local River Road Holiday, and National Bike to Work Day. This year, Walk It! Bike It! Lewisburg is working with Bucknell to promote Bike to Work Day. This is aimed not at the students who in many cases can fall out of bed to "work" and are typically out of the picture by this time of year, but rather at university faculty and staff. The National date is Friday, May 17, and Bucknell University associates who plan to be on campus that day are encouraged to think about whether/how they could incorporate biking (or walking) into their commute that day.
But, but...
Wait a minute, you may be saying, I don't live anywhere near enough to bike to work. I haven't looked at my bike in years. Or I don't have a bike in the first place. Or I don't even know how to ride one...
So let's look at each of those points -- all challenges, it's true.
For those who don't live nearby, you may want to consider participating not as a kickoff to a perpetual commitment to bike to work but rather as a celebration of this one day. What would that look like? You could drive yourself, with a bike, to a parking area along the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail, park your car there and ride in. A little morning (and afternoon) adventure for a change.
For those who haven't looked at their bike in years -- good point! We all benefit from giving our bikes a good once-over -- including people who rode last year or even those who may have continued to ride through the winter. This might mean taking it to a bike shop for a tune-up or checking out the key systems: brakes, tires and tubes, chain and gears, and all fasteners.
If you don't even have a bike of your own -- never fear, you can borrow one from Bison Bikes. Or from a friend. Or rent one from Earl's Bicycle Store. We're giving you good advance notice so this can be overcome. (You could even enter the bike raffle Walk It! Bike It! is putting on as part of River Road Holiday on May 12. Maybe you'll win a bike! Earl's is open that whole week.)
And for those who don't know how to ride in the first place, while it's never too late to start, aiming to contain your prospective ride to a protected location like the Buffalo Valley Rail would be preferable. We don't want to be throwing you beyond your comfort zone. But as with Walk to School Day which we have worked on locally in the past, most of these events are Walk (or Bike) or Bike (or Walk) to the destination of the hour. So, you, too, could participate by walking to work. And once again if you live too far to do that, what about if you planned to drive that morning but parked your car at Wolfe Field on the other side of the Borough and then walked the mile to campus?
One thing to appreciate even in the face of these challenges is the degree to which Bucknell itself is a walkable and bikeable destination, in close proximity to downtown Lewisburg and the Buffalo Valley Rail Trail. Others in the region who may be contemplating how to participate in Bike to Work Day in other locations don't have the options Bucknell employees enjoy.
Let's Talk
On Monday, May 13, Walk It! Bike It! is offering a Bike Commuting 101 session as part of the Bucknell Be Well program. Sign up through the Wellness Program.
This may be a foreign idea for you or maybe just something you haven't thought about in a while. We'll have some show and tell gear and bikes on hand and resources like the basic biking primer put together a few years ago by the bike issue columnist for Grist Magazine: Everyday Bicycling: How to Ride a Bike for Transportation.. What kinds of things might we be touching on?
- How hard would it be for you to bike to work?
- What kind of gear do you have or need?
- What are the local rules of the road?
- What would be a good route?
- What logistical hurdles will you need to overcome?
- What is your own physical condition in comparison to the challenge being posed?
- What contingency plan do you need in case it rains?
Let's talk. And then let's ride!
