May
16
As if you didn’t know, bike community members, today is Bike to Work Day in Southern California. I guess other regions have it on different days. Judging by the number of bikes on the train platform this morning, I going to guess that its will be a pretty successful BTWD. The ongoing challenge, of course, is to keep everyone going beginning Monday. MasiGuy’s blog had a comment this morning that describes this well here.
A side effect of BTWD is the crowded trains. I guess it’s a positive sign for cycling, but the 2 racks per car on Metrolink here don’t cut it. There were 5 bikers on my train home last night. Can’t wait for tonight’s crowds.
On a positive note, there happened to be a “market research” person from Metrolink on my car. I commented to her about the need for more racks. She smiled and handed me a survey to fill out and suggested that I use the comment area to mention the problem. Also was able to put down that the bike is my mode of transport pre- and post-train ride. Bonus.
Along with the four other bikes there were four other bikers on the train. Had a nice conversation with one who was on a really nice carbon road bike. He’s definitely one of the industry’s “VIP Customers.” So much so, that after he found out that I worked for Interbike (did the jersey and socks plastered with the logo give it away?), he mentioned that he loves Interbike and goes every year. When I asked him how he gets in, he said that he’s a very good customer of his shop and they get him into the show. Now this volatile topic is worthy of a whole other post, but suffice it to say that if any type consumer should be let into the show, this is it. He doesn’t ask for price lists or deals or sponsorship, knows that the show is for the dealers and manufacturers to conduct their business and he buys everything he sees there from his local shop.
I’m not advocating at all that it’s ok for retailers to do this. They still need to respect the exhibitors and those other retailers who are uncomfortable with this and have expressed a desire to keep the show for the trade only. I do have to admit that this guy’s passion and love of bikes and cycling is strong enough to get him to drive 5 hours each way to Vegas and pay for his own hotel and expenses just to ogle cool new bike gear.
Continuing the trend of interesting conversations that happen when you bike and train to work instead of driving, I met the publisher of Skateboarder magazine this morning (they’re also based in San Juan Capistrano and are the sister mag to Bike magazine). He bikes to work most days of the week. Great talk about the future of traditional media and the web and also nuances of the various core “tribes” within the skate world. Good stuff. Would never happen in a car by yourself.
Finally, here’s one more pic for Carlton Reid (congrats on your award, btw!) who enjoys seeing where people live, work and ride. I was bit early this morning to the train and rode a couple of blocks over from the station to the beach. Another beautiful day to ride.
Comments
4 Responses to “It’s Bike to Work Day in SoCal”
Yes, interested, not nosy. : )
As usual, there were no bikes on my afternoon train to Riverside on Thursday. Metro produced a five-fold flyer and had been distributing it off-and-on for at least a few weeks.
On the afternoon Blue Line, a bicyclist got on at Imperial and the operator yelled over the public address system that bikes were not allowed in the “front” (whatever that meant) and that he had to get off and go to the back. Maybe the operator didn’t get the memo.
It seems typical of the insular transit agencies, but Metrolink didn’t promote the day at all. Neither did most of the transit agencies, even in Los Angeles county.
I really don’t get the point of these kinds of promotions. Did it attract any new transit riders? Who would go out of their way to attempt to use public transit for a free ride, on some public transit, for one day?
It seems more like it was an industry promotion than a public transit promotion. Now, if there were a bike month, with free rides on all public transit, that might actually attract some transit riders.
But would regular transit riders want a bunch of sweaty cyclists sharing their trains and busses? I don’t know. Can you ride a bicycle in the Southern California sun and not work up a sweat?
that picture brings back good memories.
i hope you are riding spinergy’s!
Richard – not sure what trains you ride and at what time, but in the San Diego and Orange county areas that I ride Metrolink, you’d be hardpressed to find an empty slot in the rack for your bike in the afternoon peak end-of the-workday times. And this is regardless of whether it’s bike to work day/week/month. Same goes for the new Sprinter light rail line in north San Diego county, I’ve read in the paper.
The week long promotion (while anemically promoted by the authorities) DOES have an impact on the continually growing bike commuter ranks. What it does is encourage people to give it a try for one day. People then realize how easy, enjoyable and inexpensive it is and get hooked.
And, yes, it is possible to ride without breaking a sweat in SoCal. You should give it a try!