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Building on the success and energy of the Women Cycling Forum at the National Bike Summit, the League and APBP are co-hosting a National Women’s Bicycling Summit on September 13…
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Read More →As many blog readers will recall, in May we ran a special series in honor of National Bike Month: 31 Days, 31 Reasons. A diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast shared their inspiration for riding — and the more than 3,000 Facebook shares proved that I wasn’t the only one captivated by the personal stories.
So we’re bringing back Why I Ride… with a slight twist.
Building on the success and energy of the Women Cycling Forum at the National Bike Summit, the League and APBP are co-hosting a National Women’s Bicycling Summit on September 13 in Long Beach, CA (immediately following the conclusion of the Pro Walk Pro Bike conference). To get you geared up about the event — and share the stories of some of the women who will be speakers, presenters and behind-the-scenes organizers — we’re kicking off a weekly Women Who Ride series.
First up, a member of the Summit steering committee: Green business consultant, April Economides.
April, her daughter and their “bike limo”Like many kids, I learned to ride a bike at age six, with a parent or grandparent holding onto the back of my seat until that magical moment when they let go and I kept on riding. It’s one of my clearest memories from childhood, and I think it’s because of the exhilarating feeling of freedom and independence it gave me.
Fast-forward 30 years, and not much has changed. I love to ride and find it freeing. So much so that I don’t own a car and ride practically everywhere – and in Southern California, Land of the Automobile.
So does my daughter, who is now six herself and learning to ride solo. Most of our riding, though, is on our “bike limo,” which is the fancy I name I call our tandem (also called a co-pilot or tag-along). It’s our car, if you will, getting us to and from play dates, the grocery store, and more.
We happily ride for miles, and she never seems to tire of it. Actually, she’s tired of cars. She recently complained that “cars are more complicated” and “cars aren’t fun like bikes.” Indeed, her usual happy self can get rather bored or whiny in a car.
Aside from bringing us great joy, bicycling helps us ward off laziness. When I owned a car years ago, I’d often choose it for most of my short trips – to places I could have easily biked. This inactivity had costs in addition to the fuel I was paying for. It made me less in shape and less happy. In the worst cases, this sedentary lifestyle that has become a U.S. epidemic leads to obesity, diabetes, and depression. In contrast, bicycling is stress busting and reinforces our zest for life by bringing us fresh air, fun, and exercise. It’s a simple solution to staying healthy all-around.
Speaking of simplicity, I also ride to maintain a “simple” (or “European”) lifestyle. I intentionally choose to live where I can bike and walk most places, including taking my daughter to school, running errands, commuting to work meetings, and going out with friends. This lifestyle affords me more social interaction, the discovery of nearby small businesses, and seeing and hearing the environment around me, like birds singing. Bicycling is a foundation for happiness.
Read More →It’s cliche but true: A picture is worth a thousand words. During the debate about the next federal transportation bill, we talked up the benefits of biking until we were…
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