Bike to Work!

[pfox]

Hello there my fine TulsaNow friends,

This forum has long provided a great sounding board for a lot of ideas on how to make Tulsa a better, more attractive place to live.  It has also prompted a few of you to say "Let's stop talking, and do something about it."  Well, now is your chance: The 2007 Bike to Work season is upon us.

Why? There are so many reasons.  It's healthy. It's one less car on the road. It's gallons of gas not bought and burned.  It's less smog in our air.  And, in this persons opinion, among the many elements that make up a "great" city, being a great place to ride a bike is one of them.  Bottomline, Tulsa needs to be a bicycle friendly community.

You can do your part! I won't pretend to speak for you.... Maybe you don't give a flip about bicycling, or you just don't have any of those super-attractive tight outfits those hardcore riders are always sporting, or your bike is so old that you still have coaster brakes and playing cards in your spokes.  Not to worry!  There is no dress code for Bike to Work day, and in case you didn't know, that old Sting-Ray is back in style. And if you don't care about bicycling yourself, that's ok too.  More bikes on the road just means more room on the road for your Hummer.  I digress.  

SO....lube up that chain, hop on, and ride to work with us to our kickoff event on Wednesday, May 16th.  We are meeting down at the Blue Dome Diner from 7:00 am to 8:30 am.  And breakfast is on us.  Well, at least those delicious, homemade breakfast sandwiches they make at the Blue Dome are on us.

Let's make a statement! Everyone who can, ride and join us in solidarity.  Should Tulsa be a more Bike Friendly place?  You bet it should.  How is that going to happen? We have to  be a loud voice for change. We have to organize.  Mostly, we have to ride our bikes.  The more riders we have, the more visibility we have, and the more likely it is that those who can make the changes will notice.

I hope we can make this the largest Bike to Work  event in the State.  OKC is having their event on that Friday, as is Norman.  So help us make sure that we remain the biking capital of Oklahoma on Wednesday May 16th.

More info at http://www.green-traveler.org/


P.S. For those who plan to ride with us all season long (May through Sept 15th) the Bike to Work Tracker is back in business.  Track your bike to work miles weekly and be entered to win monthly prizes.  All participants will receive a report showing how many miles you have peddled.

http://www.green-traveler.org/tracker.asp  

[RecycleMichael]

What if I ride a bike, but just goof off all day?

Do you actually have to work to get the free sam-wich?

[Ed W]

Patrick, I've posted this to CycleDog too.  Hope you don't mind.

...and by the way, I get to both ride a bike to work AND goof off all day, though my employer believes I'm doing some sort of remunerative work.  I get to tinker with expensive computers, poke at them with oscilloscopes and voltmeters, and the best part is that the PAY me for it!  Imagine that.

[Rowdy]

Did Paul Tay start this thread?

[pfox]

quote:Originally posted by Ed W

Patrick, I've posted this to CycleDog too.  Hope you don't mind.

...and by the way, I get to both ride a bike to work AND goof off all day, though my employer believes I'm doing some sort of remunerative work.  I get to tinker with expensive computers, poke at them with oscilloscopes and voltmeters, and the best part is that the PAY me for it!  Imagine that.

quote:  What if I ride a bike, but just goof off all day?

As far as I am concerned, it is between you and your employer what you do all day, however if you want the free sam-wich you'd better be rolling in on some wheels.

Ed...of course it is ok that you posted it. In fact, we realize that not all people work downtown, so we might have the mid-season event at some other large employment base, if they will have us.  Hint hint, nudge nudge.  How  many aero-plane mechanics ride bikes is the real question....


Edit: I think it would be really cool if some of you independent organizer type folks would organize a ride in the morning to the Blue Dome...I know Wednesday is a big riding day anyway.

[pfox]

quote:Originally posted by Rowdy

Did Paul Tay start this thread?

Errr, nope.

[Ed W]

"In fact, we realize that not all people work downtown, so we might have the mid-season event at some other large employment base, if they will have us. Hint hint, nudge nudge. How many aero-plane mechanics ride bikes is the real question...."

Well...this is kinda funny.  I mentioned the idea of a BTW event at my workplace and discussed it with the president of the company cycling club.  She's a lovely woman without a shred of meanness, so I really don't want to embarrass her in any way.  She was keen on the idea of promoting a Bike To Work event, but I really had the impression she just didn't get it when she asked, "Could we do it on a Saturday?"

Frankly, I don't think there's more than a handful of people riding to work at the base.  That may change if gas prices increase.  Last year, a group formed a 'bike bus' and rode in together.  It's a wonderful way to start the morning.

Don't misunderstand me about my work.  I'm one of those truly lucky people who go off to a job they enjoy every day.  It really doesn't seem like work.

[pfox]

quote: Well...this is kinda funny. I mentioned the idea of a BTW event at my workplace and discussed it with the president of the company cycling club. She's a lovely woman without a shred of meanness, so I really don't want to embarrass her in any way. She was keen on the idea of promoting a Bike To Work event, but I really had the impression she just didn't get it when she asked, "Could we do it on a Saturday?"

LOL...Let's do it!!! I am serious.

[inteller]

if I rode my bike to work I probably wouldn't get there till.....well I probably wouldn't get there.

[Ed W]

The rule of thumb for bicycle commuting is about 5-6 minutes per mile, 4 minutes per mile if you're in good shape.  So my 7 mile commute takes 30-35 minutes, depending on the wind direction that day.

...or it will if I can get this %@*&n knee to heal up!

[pfox]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

if I rode my bike to work I probably wouldn't get there till.....well I probably wouldn't get there.

Ahhhh....the old, I live to far to ride argument.

Lucky for you, Tulsa Transit has installed bike racks on all of their buses. Which means, you can ride to your bus stop, a much shorter ride I am sure, load up your bike, read a book, (or two) while you ride in relative comfort.  

Of course, if you want to carpool, http://green-traveler.org can help you do that too...

[sgrizzle]

I researched bus trips and my 20 minute commute would take a little over an hour and no matter what time I left my house, I would be late for work. That is with biking combined.

[pfox]

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

I researched bus trips and my 20 minute commute would take a little over an hour and no matter what time I left my house, I would be late for work. That is with biking combined.

Believe me. I am not going to stand here and tell you it is more convenient to ride the bus.  It's not.

[sgrizzle]

quote:Originally posted by pfox

quote:Originally posted by sgrizzle

I researched bus trips and my 20 minute commute would take a little over an hour and no matter what time I left my house, I would be late for work. That is with biking combined.

Believe me. I am not going to stand here and tell you it is more convenient to ride the bus.  It's not.

Give it a few years, let Tulsa Transit try to reinvent themselves as an actual viable transit system and then I'll consider it.

[si_uk_lon_ok]

quote:Originally posted by pfox

quote:Originally posted by inteller

if I rode my bike to work I probably wouldn't get there till.....well I probably wouldn't get there.

Lucky for you, Tulsa Transit has installed bike racks on all of their buses. Which means, you can ride to your bus stop, a much shorter ride I am sure, load up your bike, read a book, (or two) while you ride in relative comfort.  

I was just wondering what people thought of the bike racks.

I've heard two schools of thought. Do they allow people to access the buses, or slow down transfer times?