I am inviting you to be in an article on the www.carfreeamerican.blogspot.com and possible others.* If you participate please fill this out; I would like you to keep it to 300-500 words max. This is an opportunity for you to be a part of the carfree/carlite American project whose primary purpose is to teach, inspire, and promote a carfree/carlite lifestyle. The subject of this interview is “bicycling for transportation.” I will need one picture of your face and another of you on your bike. If you have any questions please call or email me. Thank you for your participation.
Tell me a little bit about you (name, age, occupation, carfree or carlite, where you live).
When did you start using a bicycle for transportation and what effect has it had on your life?
What is a day in your bicycling life like?
What kind of bike(s) are you currently riding?
In your opinion, what’s the best part about cycling for transportation?
What’s the worst?
Do you have a favorite carfree/carlite story?
What are three pieces of advice you would give to someone starting/ considering commuting by bike?
Do you recommend cycling to friends/family members/others? Have any taken you up on it?
Anything else you would like to add?
Feel free to add anything you may think will benefit the readers!
Thank you for your time. I will review and let you know a publish date!
(*Please understand this is for a news article, research, possible book, and feature writing purposes for Bill Poindexter aka carfreeAmerican™ and you will not receive any compensation for this interview.)
By sending back a completed profile you acknowledge you understand and agree to the above statement. Thank you!
send to bill@poindexterrecruiting.com please
Thanks, Bill
I'm Bob, 59, Dayton, Ohio resident. White collar job. I am "carlite" and have been using my bike increasingly for both work commuting and all errand running which does not require hauling car-sized items and is within about a three-mile radius . I do most of our grocery shopping and other store runs by bike. I commute 11 miles each way one to three days a week, when I don't need a car for a distant out-of-office meeting. I am trying to increase the number of days per week that I can be carfree by questioning the need for meetings and clustering the needed ones on the same days. I've found many meetings can be handled by phone or email, and I have begun walking and biking to almost all commitments within three miles of my downtown office. I ride a 1986 converted Raleigh mountain bike (fenders, lights, grocery-bag sized open saddle bags, etc.) Best parts: built in exercise, lost weight, feel better, scenery with deer, herons and other birds, no depressing news on the car radio on the way to work, etc. Worst part: changing clothes at work, a few non-attentive drivers, time commitment (15 minute drive = hour ride). I am lucky in that 8 of my 11 miles is on a multi-purpose, separated trail, lightly used on week days, so my commute is fairly free of traffic. I don't try to recruit (yet) but tell people who I know how much I enjoy it. My wife has done it a couple times (she works ten miles away in the opposite direction) but changing clothes is not an option for her. Advice: put a rack and bags on your bike and start with errands if you're not ready for a work commute. Try to replace anything under 3 miles with your bike for starters. Those are the most environmentally damaging trips and the ones hardest on your car. Don't spend a bunch of money on a new super light-weight ride unless you are also going to race or tour. Old mountain and hybrid bikes are gathering dust in garages all over. Leave early, ride slower than you could - look around. Get ready the night before or you will forget something. Build it into your life by replacing time spent eating out, watching the tube, etc. You'll love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bob! Will post it today!!! Thank you for participating. Peace, Bill aka carfree American
ReplyDeleteBill,
ReplyDeleteI will give you a profile soon.