Being the in-house pro cyclist, I can personally guarantee you, (the reader in survey), that nothing has ever or will ever be as cool as riding bikes...trust me. The major factor in restraining people's time spent on bikes (and subsequently logarithmically increasing the greatness of their lives) is time. Time is the ultimate factor that ties us to our other, less-awesome, commitments. But time, like Goliath can be beaten. Multi-tasking is one of my favorite things to do, I do homework on the bike, listen to audiobooks, sing (WAYYY too much), theorize the basis of the universe and all we know, and sometimes even get to catch up with old friends all while searing in some sweet tanlines and gaining more fitness. You too can multitask as well as me, but statistics show, so few of you do! But why is that? I think, like most new situations, a schism is created between the known and unknown. In this situation, commuting by carbon polluting cars, or commuting by carbon made bike! The only way to start increasing this diminutive population of awesome people is education. So Bike to Work Day was started, and is still going strong today.
We here at SportRx are a proud supporter of Bike to Work day, as we know the positive impacts it brings to not only the person, but the community. It frees up the roads, limits pollution, and it is shown to increase the local economy. This is not to mention the innumerable personal health and productivity benefits! Cycling to work has so many advantages, and so few disadvantages it truly is hard to justify any other modes of personal transportation!
So what is SportRx doing to promote Bike to Work Day? And biking to work as a year-long ideal? SportRx VP Rob Tavakoli says "Bike to Work day is by far my favorite day of the year, it's awesome." We try to make Bike to Work Day special with all the Pomp and Circumstance that we can fit into a parking lot. Along with sponsoring San Diego Bike Coalition, one of the largest sole supporters of BTWD, we host a sag stop. The biggest, brightest, bamboozliest, and best sag stop of Bike to Work Day San Diego. Vendors have become a part of our sag stop to make it almost a small street fair dedicated to your sweaty needs. This year we had Smith Optics, APX Sport Drink, a Mobile Bike Mechanic, and to keep spirits and heart rates high, Better Buzz coffee. All of our employees were gathered cheering on riders and running with cowbells, resembling an Alpe d'Huez finish. On May 29th, we helped more than 300 riders! But other than just Bike to Work Day, we support cycling, both recreationally and for transport, every day of the year. We have our rest stop set up 365 days a year, featuring a water stop, free bars, a small set of tools, open bathrooms, and overall cycling knowledge and support. We love cycling here, but why do most of the general population despise it?
I asked Senior Marketing Manager Stephanie Kimberling why she doesn't ride a bike to work, "Honestly, I don't want to be hit by a car. I would love to get my workout in on my way to work, but I just don't feel safe." Cycling is both a viable option for people, but still so impractical at the same time. It's debatable that San Diego has the best weather in the world, sure it's a bit dry, but it's so easy to ride to work daily. The problem is though, that we don't yet have the public knowledge and biker-safety to make new people comfortable with cycling through a populated area. That's why days like Bike to Work Day are so crucial to furthering San Diego as a whole. Through events such as these we shine light on commuting on two pedal driven wheels to not only the rider, but the driver. And it is through this education that people become more and more comfortable with clean commuting. Tavakoli later noted, "Just imagine if we could combine the cycling friendly community of Portland and our beautiful weather, and how great that would be. Well, Portland can't change their weather, but we can change our cycling culture." It sounds like a perfect world to me, and this starts with days like Bike to Work Day, and the education of people like you, (the reader in survey).
