What if ...

“This is the year,” a fellow bike commuter said to me the other day. We were talking about high gas prices inspiring more people to try riding to work, or taking mass transit, and she was expressing her hope that we’ve reached a moment when large numbers of people will see the light.

I’m not convinced, because I’m too jaded from years of seeing a surge of new bike commuters in May, then watching them all disappear by June. But I hope she’s onto something.

With Bike to Work Day coming up tomorrow, the interest in bike commuting is as high as it will be all summer, unless gas jumps to five bucks a gallon. I saw an older guy buying a brand-new commuter last weekend; I’ve been seeing more riders each morning and evening, and the Daily News ran a small feature in this morning’s edition to help new riders prepare for riding tomorrow. (Complete with advice from moi.)

In recent summers, I’ve been trying to follow some advice I read on Patrick O’Grady’s site a few years back. Observing that many non-cyclists are put off by all the gear and unusual clothing that they associate with bike riders, Patrick suggested a way to make bike commuting look more accessible—more “normal,” if you will.

Instead of pulling on Lycra shorts and jerseys covered with flashy graphics and logos, maybe we should be donning hiking shorts, T-shirts, Hawaiian shirts, etc. Rather than looking like a club of athletes or wannabe racers, why not dress like average folks out having fun?

I think he made a good point. The more fun and accessible bike commuting looks from the driver’s seat of a car, the better.

So I still wear my Lycra shorts many days, but I often pull a battered old pair of cargo shorts over them.

It’s not because I’m shy about wearing Lycra.

It’s because I hope that occasionally a motorist will see me riding to work and think, “Hmm. Maybe I should try doing that.”

Thanks, Sarah

WHEREAS, more Alaskans per capita bike to work than the nation as a whole, according to U.S. Census figures, and that Alaska ranks 12th in the proportion of adults who bike to work.

WHEREAS, the bicycle is a viable and environmentally-sound form of transportation, as well as an excellent form of recreation and physical activity.

WHEREAS, many Alaskans will experience the joys of bicycling this summer through educational programs, commuting events, trail work days, helmet promotions, recreational bike rides, and other bicycling events.

WHEREAS, the bicycle offers a clean, quiet, affordable, and healthy alternative to automobile commuting.

WHEREAS, the national nonprofit League of American Bicyclists has declared the month of May as National Bike Month for each of the last 52 years, and has done so again in 2008.

WHEREAS, during the month of May, bicycle clubs, schools, parks and recreation departments, police departments, hospitals, businesses, and civic groups throughout Alaska will be promoting bicycling as a wholesome transportation and leisure activity, as well as an environmentally friendly alternative to the automobile.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Sarah Palin, Governor of the state of Alaska, do hereby proclaim May 2008 as:

Bike Month

May 10-16, 2008 as:

Bike Week

and May 16, 2008, as:

Bike to Work and School Day

in Alaska, and encourage all Alaskans to use the bicycle for transportation during the month of May, to recognize the importance of bicycle safety, and to be more aware of cyclists on our streets and highways.