Recruiting Your Friends

[acc]

Beginner rides exist. Two years ago I found mine within the D category with the Potomac Pedalers http://www.potomacpedalers.org

I think many of those rides are on the trails or on residential streets.

At the beginning, all the bikes were checked for brakes, seat height, water bottles, and inflated tires.

Trail etiquette was discussed.

You simply cannot get more basic than that. It was a great learning experience for me. My God, I can’t believe it was only two years ago.

All of that being true, my best guess is the majority of people who tried it, did not come back. I rode in the D groups for six months. I rarely saw the same people twice.

I strongly believe in the idea of making opportunities available to everyone who wants to ride.
But individual motivation and desire is what makes a cyclist.

Eminva: For what it’s worth, Rambo, my 11-year-old, is a horrific riding partner. And my college kid, let’s just say it’s best if we don’t ride together.

[PotomacCyclist]

I tend to talk about fitness and health in general. For me, cycling is just one aspect of it, although an important and enjoyable aspect. This is partly because my focus is on triathlons, and so I spend almost as much time running and talking about running as with cycling. (I also talk about functional strength training, nutrition, beginners and masters athletes too, trying to ensure that I don’t come across as overbearing.) I try to make it sound fun. That’s pretty easy since it really is fun, most of the time.

I’ve gotten many people to start beginner run programs. A current group of co-workers has started talking about signing up for a 5K this year, which is pretty significant for them. A few of them said that I got them fired up to start running again because of my race and training reports.

I don’t think I’ve been nearly as successful in getting people to bike. I mention Capital Bikeshare often, but admittedly I don’t bike-commute that often in the winter. People see the bike stations but many local residents still aren’t aware of the specifics of the program. I explain how it all works, along with the benefits. (I do make a note about the dockblocking problem, but I point out that the SpotCycle smartphone app can help with deciding whether to head to a particular station. I also point out that CaBi is expanding this winter and spring in D.C. and Arlington, and then in Maryland in the summer or fall. Alexandria might expand their network toward the end of the year or early next year.)

I see a few regular bike commuters, but they were already bike-commuting before I got to them. I get the sense that safety concerns remain a mental hurdle for many people. The expense of a bike could be another issue, especially when compared to the lower costs of running. (Most casual runners don’t pile up too many weekly miles, so their shoes last a while. On the other hand, serious runners can spend an enormous amount on running shoes and other gear every year, to the point that running becomes almost as expensive as cycling when averaged out over several years. Bike shoes last a long time and most people don’t buy a new bike every year, though they may have to replace chains, cassettes, tires, etc.)

CaBi is one option for the budget-conscious, but not everyone lives near a CaBi station (yet). Others may be squeamish about riding a public bike, although that would be odd if they already take MetroRail and MetroBus. (A balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruit, lean protein, healthy fats and water can help build up the immune system, thereby combating germs.)

I will continue to make cycling, running, triathlon, functional strength training, good nutrition, general fitness and general health sound appealing. Some people simply won’t care about it and I won’t badger them about it. I’ll focus on the positives and make it sound fun and enjoyable. That’s all I can do, other than calling in the dogs and forcing everyone to get on a bike or put on their running shoes. Wait a minute. That could be a good idea… just kidding.

[baiskeli]

“Weird, dangerous people who wear tight clothes are trying to recruit your children to join their strange, unAmerican lifestyle and help them cause mayhem in our streets.”

-What The Washington Times would write about this thread

[PotomacCyclist]

@baiskeli 45202 wrote:

“Weird, dangerous people who wear tight clothes are trying to recruit your children to join their strange, unAmerican lifestyle and help them cause mayhem in our streets.”

-What The Washington Times would write about this thread

Hmm, I’d reply that car drivers are causing most of the mayhem. In addition, propping up the global price of petroleum and indirectly supporting hostile overseas oil-rich dictators doesn’t seem very American to me. But anyway…

Maybe by 2020, the W. Times will actually be neutral on cycling. One can hope.

[Author]

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