You had a great time celebrating Bike to Work day May 18th with the Hawaii Bicycling League. A friendly mechanic touched up your wonky front derailleur, you had coffee and a bagel at one of the six energizer stations, and you got down with 150 of your closest friends at the after party at Manifest. So what can you do the other 364 days a year?
Hawaii is already one of the top 20 bike commuting states in the nation without ever having built a great cycling infrastructure. We have a fit population, good weather, and if you’ve driven on the mainland you know that despite our heavy traffic our drivers drive with aloha.
As an athlete who trains on our roads it is in your best interest to encourage bike and pedestrian traffic. Drivers who are used to seeing bicycles pay more attention when opening car doors, turning and changing lanes. Your neighbors’ weekday commute can make your weekend training ride safer.
There are 3 things you can do right now to make the roads in Hawaii more bike friendly:
- bike for secondary trips
- stand up for bike safety
- and bike to work
The genius of biking for secondary trips is that 50% of car trips are less than 5 miles. Your commute to work may be unfeasible but that ride to Longs can be easy and pleasant, and make a real impact on traffic congestion. Bonus: no stressing about parking.
How about standing up for bike safety? In 2006, an overwhelming majority of voters in Honolulu passed City Charter Amendment #8. The purpose of the amendment was to tell the Department of Transportation Services to prioritize bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. So what can we do to make sure that the will of the people is heard? Attend neighborhood board meetings and talk about how safe streets impact you. Find meetings by searching online for “neighborhood board” and the name of your neighborhood or city. Even easier, increase the lobbying power of Hawaii Bicycling League by becoming a member. Go to www.hbl.org and click on “join.” Hawaii residents want their tax money to pay for safe places to ride, walk and run: stand up and be recognized as the vocal majority.
So you’re running errands on your bike, you advocate for cycling in your community…what’s next? It’s time to check out commuting by bike. As an athlete, that’s an excellent choice. The additional time on your bike can make a significant impact on your speed and fitness. The average bike commuter loses 13 lbs in their first year commuting. A five mile trip can easily burn 300 calories, depending on your weight and effort. Your bike commute revs up your metabolism an extra two times a day, increasing your overall metabolic burn rate. For triathletes it’s an easy way to hang on to some cycling fitness during a swim block. For bike racers commuting miles can be part of your strategy to keep mentally fresh in the off-season without abandoning your bike.
Need more incentive? If you want company or are not sure how to get started, check out Hawaii Bicycling League’s commuter mentor program. Go to http://www.hbl.org/oahu-commutes for a map and contact info and join a commute in your neighborhood.
This story first appeared in the July issue of Hawaii Sport Magazine: The Bike Issue