Bike Summit Preview: Why the Pen (and Tweet) is Mightier

Last year, Susan Meyers went for a tandem bike ride with her husband — blindfolded.

For Meyers (pictured right), cycling without sight was both an experiment and an experience. A contributor for the Boston Globe’s “On Biking” column, Meyers writes to spark debate. So her column on that blindfolded tandem ride, equal parts hilarious and harrowing, wasn’t just a fun read. Her prose had a purpose: Her brother, Andy, had gone blind and given up biking. A call to action and gratitude, she concluded her column with a challenge.

“Sighted bikers… grab a friend, rent a tandem, and tie on a blindfold of your own,” she wrote. “Notice the smells, the sounds, all of the sensations of biking. Then find someone who is blind or low-vision, take them out riding, and see what else you can learn. I promise you, it will be an eye-opener.”

Meyers and her fellow columnist and husband Jonathan Simmons will speak about these personal stories — and the serious effect they have in promoting bicycling — at the 2013 National Bike Summit. Their workshop, “Tell Your Bicycling Story: How to Write Persuasive Stories – and Why!”, will help participants pinpoint their personal stories that can affect change and spark conversation about why biking matters.

The Summit will also feature tips on cranking out provocative content on social media. In “Social Media as an Advocacy Tool,” panelists will breakdown the “do’s and don’ts” on Facebook, Twitter, and more — and highlight how these platforms can be used to promote biking. Even 140 characters alone can have impact, spreading a simple message wide and far with just the click of a button.

Panelists include Barb Chamberlain, of the Bicycle Alliance of Washington; Mary Madden, of Internet and American Life Project at the Pew Research Center; and Mathilde Piard, of Cox Media Group.

Be sure to catch these workshops at the National Bike Summit in March, and learn the ways the pen truly is mightier. Register for the Summit today!