Courtney Nash

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 16:23:56 -0800

Thanks for the extra info Carry! And, the kick in the ass about day-only events. Our snark gets the best of us sometimes. The one thing I wish was changed about the Commute Challenge was some concession for those with a longer commute. On a bike, my commute is 1.5 hours in one direction, so I rarely bike both ways on the same day. I tend to bus in and bike home, and would love to still be able to participate somehow, especially given that just my ride home is more than some folks log in a couple of round-trip days!

Carry Porter

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 16:09:55 -0800

Thanks for the shout out about the Group Health Commute Challenge. You're absolutely right that it takes time to change habits and see a measurable outcome. Last year's 3,700+ riders burned a collective 14.4 million calories (the equivalent of 34,000 Quarter Pounders), reduced pollution by nearly 1/2 million pounds of CO2, and removed approximately 1,500 cars a day from the road. Now that's really something! I disagree that one-day events aren't valuable though. Everyone has to start somewhere. Starbucks Bike to Work Day (also produced by Cascade Bicycle Club) is a great day to ride to work for the first time. Not only are there 10,000+ folks on the road to help you find your way, but countless bike shops are out to help with all sorts of mechanical issues and you can get lots of free stuff. If people are intimidated by a month-long, bike-commuting committment, I hope they'll at least make a start on Starbucks Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 19th.

Seattlest: Free Stuff!

Courtney Nash

Carry Porter