Today, my neighbor Bryan said something along the lines of “Andrew, do you ever drive anywhere? I always see you riding your bike… when was the last time you drove somewhere?”
This comment kind of made me laugh inside really loud. I don’t try to be a bike commuter, or transportation specialist, or anything like that… and I don’t really consider my riding anything than enjoyment. After thinking about it for a second, it really did hit me that I do ride around town a lot for errands and short trips.
I gave him the spiel about Buchannon only being 4.5 miles from the two furthest sides of town, and most rides being less than two miles, and it really isn’t something that I think about it when I do ride.
Bryan was still there, staring at me like I was crazy while I wasn’t thinking anything about my little rides around town. I told him that maybe he should try riding around a bit more often. He kind of stood back and looked at me like I asked him to ride to the moon.
Are non-cyclists really put off by one or two mile rides so much that they see them as unfathomable tasks that are unable to be accomplished? I view going to the grocery store to get a single item as a way to get there faster, easier, and to burn a few calories while doing it, instead of trying to be some eco-friendly tree hugger.
Now I ask, what would it take to get more people to do short trips by bike, and how do people view you when you take a quick trip by bike?
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I am not a bike rider yet… (read my last two posts.)
but in answer to your question about more people to ride their bikes for short trips…
the current gas prices!
although that isn’t my reason.