Two Mile Touring
This time of year, I usually find myself in conversation with someone who is curious about my bike habit. Often they feel like they could never do it themselves. So I usually give some simple starting advice.
Because pretty much anyone can ride a bicycle for two miles- for fun, to run an errand, to get dinner with a friend, to explore their neighborhood. Maybe after that they’ll ride two more miles… and then two more…then two more.
So just ride a bicycle two miles (anywhere) today. Maybe tomorrow too.
When people would see me with my bike, they would usually say one of two things, either a comment about how biking is good exercise (whereupon I’d point to my gut and cheekily say it isn’t) or that I must be saving a lot of money on gas (said back when gas was more expensive).
Of course, what they were really saying was “The only way I’d get on a bike is if I had to exercise or was broke”.
People have such strange ideas about bike riding. I suppose it starts in childhood. There was a story in the local paper about a school that taught over 100 first and second grade kids how to ride (they had never been on a bike before). They presented this as a happy, positive news story, but it’s just so sad.
It’s never as far as you think to cycle !!!!!
Hi , I know plenty of people who fit this category . No wonder Australia is now becoming one of the countrys with the most obese population. It’s very easy to fix.
Conversation at work: “I can’t believe you ride your bike to work. That’s so amazing/impressive!” Me: “It’s only 2.5 miles.”
My neighbor and I both work in Boston. My ride is 18 miles, he does car and train. I tell him it only takes me 15 minutes longer by bike than by car. Go figure. You don’t even need a bike these days, join Hubway.