(The third in a Spring series about bicycling in Baltimore: Who should do it, how, and why?)
Welcome back, whether you are bike-aholic, bike-curious, or bike-phobic! I hope you have enjoyed following the biking series as much as I have enjoyed researching and writing it. Today’s post will be the final in this series, but don’t worry, there will be additional bike-related commentary in this space in the future.
First, Who should bike in Baltimore?
Leading by Example: Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake, courtesy of her Twitter feed
Well, if you have read the previous posts in this series, B’more Bike Friendly and Bikemore in Baltimore, you may have gotten the sense that I advocate for more biking by more people. If that hasn’t come through, let me take this opportunity to state clearly that I think everyone ought to bike in the city. If you feel like you want to be connected and informed and involved with the place you live and work, it’s important to experience it outside the sterile environment of your car.
You may or may not already be pedaling your heart out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be convinced. According to Chris Merriam of Bikemore, there are some accepted statistics about who is and isn’t likely to bike.
The 1%: These people will bike anywhere, anytime. Fearless, possibly a little obsessed, they probably have a giant stash of bikes in their hallway.
The 9%: Confident but Cautious. We in this group, while glad to bike most places most of the time, are willing to admit that there are times and places that biking is not appropriate. Some roads are not safe, some weather isn’t worth it, and sometimes we’re tired and don’t feel like it.
The 60%: Interested, but Concerned. You know how, you may own a bike, you may bike on protected bikepaths in parks, but there are some barriers to making the jump to occasional bike commuter or city cyclist- concerns about safety, for instance.
The 30%: Not Interested. No thanks, no matter what. Chris tells me that he thinks this is OK, not everyone needs to bike, he is interested in focusing on the 60%. Education about sharing the road and biker awareness are his interventions for the 30%.
Second, How should people bike in Baltimore?
As we said over the past two columns, there are some safety concerns about biking in an urban environment, so my answer to this would be: Carefully. If you aren’t biking often or at all, but are willing to give it a shot, there are a few ways to try it in a safe and supported environment.
– Bike To Work Day is on May 17th, and there are convoys that will meet at points all around the city to bike in to the downtown area in the morning. They are listed on the Baltimore Metropolitan Council site, join up and ride in! Throughout the city will be stations offering bike maintenance, breakfast and coffee, and educational materials.
– RecRide and BikeJam is a Bike MD event on May 19th where bikers can get out and see the city before coming together for music and food in Patterson Par.
– Bikemore Homebrew Tour is this Saturday, go register, we can bike together and sample local beers!
– Baltimore Bike Party will almost certainly be on May 31st, since it’s always the last Friday of every month.
After you try one of these group events, some recreational cycling is just a short psychological leap, and after that you are well on your way toward joining the happy bike commuters of Baltimore.
Finally, Why should you (or anyone else) bike in Baltimore?
We’ve touched on this before, and I won’t belabor the point. There are substantial physiological, psychological, and economic benefits to exercise in general. Biking or walking to work magnifies those benefits while contributing to the health of the neighborhood, city, and world. Taking cars off the road during commuting hours is extremely important for local emissions reductions and global environmental sustainability. With billions more people in the developing world joining us in clogging up the roads with lungs and our lungs with their toxic emissions, the global and local truly come together at the spokes of a bicycle wheel.
It’s Spring, go out, get connected, and save the world!
By the way, the new banner by Hasdai is awesome, isn’t it?
Also, shameless self promotion- Pottery Sale in Annapolis on Saturday.
Hmm, isn’t this a bit of a Catch-22, Adam? How are you supposed to get fit if they won’t let you on the bike?…
“Weigh more than 260 pounds? NYC says you’re too heavy for bike-share program”
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/overweight-riders-banned-nyc-bike-share-program-221002948.html
There is definitely a contradiction here, it’s true!
This is something that I touched on when talking to Chris and Dave from Bikemore-
Is there a segment of the population that can’t bike because their weight is too much for a bike to take? Chris had his doubts that a well made bike couldn’t be used by most people, but advised that people who might be too heavy to start with walking. On the other hand, Dave pointed out, bicycling is a lower impact activity, less pressure on knee joints for instance.
A quick review of some online forums and factory specs seem to back up the NY bikeshare limitations though. Although the frames would probably not be damaged, wheels and spokes might be. The quality of the steel and design of the frame also are important considerations.
From a health-promotion standpoint, bike commuting is certainly a viable intervention for those dealing with obesity, but a generic Bikeshare cycle might not be the way to go. Just like height, weight should be considered when choosing your ride, and for those interested in using a bicycle to lose weight, finding one that can accommodate their body type is the safest and most effective strategy.