April 2011 - Spokes Magazine

Behind Bars
Let’s Talk About Bikes
Like many of you, bikes and bike transportation find
their way into many of my conversations. Of course, I
don’t mind. I love to talk about bikes! These interactions
generally fall into three categories, depending
on the background of the person I’m talking to:
• Biker to Biker
• Biker to non-believer
• Bike to curious non-biker
Category 1 is the most comfortable. If I’m talking to
someone who rides themselves, they usually “get it”
and the banter generally moves in the direction of
by chris eatough info@bikearlington.com
a great trail to ride on, a recent epic ride, the current
weather and riding conditions, or the latest bike
equipment. All fun stuff that leaves everyone energized
and thinking about the next ride.
Category 2 can be more awkward and difficult, but
can also be satisfying in their own way. The nonbelievers
often have the attitude of “never in a million
years” and might see bikes as a kid’s toy or a recreational
vehicle that some people use for exercise. The
fact that biking is a valid transportation mode that is
very practical and sustainable is usually lost on these
folks and the reasons that it’s not for them (whether
these reasons are valid or not) may well be deeply
cemented in their minds. These conversations can be
frustrating, but usually there is some ego boost value
in the conversation, to know that I easily accomplish
something healthy and beneficial to the community
that they consider so impossible and unrealistic.
Category 3 is maybe the most interesting to me. These
are the people that are not biking currently, but are
at least somewhat intrigued in the concept. They are
often curious, ask many questions, and you can almost
see them visualizing themselves riding to work, riding
to run errands, and riding for many of the short trips
they currently make by car. They probably see some
barriers (again, they may or may not be valid), but
they also show at least some awareness of the benefits
of bike transportation, and they might even be thinking
“maybe I could do that too, if…” I love having
conversations with these individuals, helping them
break down their barriers and obstacles, and giving
them the confidence to try integrating bike riding
into their everyday lives.
For some insight into the fascinating category 3
group, take a look at the graphic below. This slide
shows just one small piece of the results of the 2009
Resident Transportation and Green Study, conducted
by the Southeastern Institute of Research and LDA
Consulting for Arlington County, Va. The full survey
and results can be found at Commuterpage.com/
research.
The question asked was “what could Arlington County
do to make it easier for you to ride a bicycle” and the
survey group is representative of the general population.
Note the most common response at 38% was
“Nothing would encourage me.” Bah humbug. These
are probably the Category 2 folks from my classification
above. They are not biking now, and there is not
much that can be done to get them biking.
However, the good news is that 62% of Arlington
residents do have some input on what can be done
to make it easier to ride. Some of these folks might
be riding already, but many fall in the “curious non
-biker” group of Category 3. These are the people
with at least a glimmer of hope that can be helped!
The responses are mostly infrastructure related, and
many of them are being addressed, particularly in the
more urban areas of Arlington, D.C. and Baltimore.
Of course, we need more, and the survey results
certainly strengthen the case for separated bike facilities
such as bike lanes, cycletracks and off street bike
trails. These features also contribute to “make it safer”
covering all of the top three on the wish list.
I also believe that many of these curious non bikers
often just need a nudge of encouragement, a vote of
confidence, and some information on safe routes for
bike riding, safe cycling classes, and other resources such
as BikeArlington.com, goDCgo.com and WABA.org.
We can all provide this nudge in our daily conversations
and interactions, especially when we notice we
are talking to someone in the most likely to be influenced
category 3 group.
What’s in it for us bikers? More people riding means
more motorist awareness of cyclists which leads to
safer riding conditions. Increased bike transportation
also justifies increased investment in bike lanes and
other infrastructure, leading to more people biking.
The virtuous circle that benefits all of us.
So enjoy your conversations about bikes at the water
cooler, the stop light, or the grocery store, and be
aware of what category your acquaintance falls in.
Focus in on those that show a glimmer of interest and
whenever possible, give them some encouragement
and help them envision themselves incorporating
cycling into their daily lives. The right nudge might
just lead to one more person on a bike and that
means better biking for all of us.
22 April 2011