Consider bicycle commuting

Summer is the perfect time to try bicycle commuting. It’s a growing trend for many reasons:

One, it’s good for your physical health and is a great stress reliever. Two, it's economical and good for the environment. And three, all the cool kids are doing it. 

Yet, some people have doubts about commuting by bicycle. The Heights Bicycle Coalition (HBC) offers the following responses to the most commonly cited barriers:

Convenience and safety concerns. Bike lanes, paths and sharrows are making cycling safer in the Cleveland area. Learn about cycling skills at the League of American Bicyclists website, and ride with others to learn more.

The distance to work seems too far. Consider combining bicycling with public transportation. Ride your bike to a bus stop, load the bike aboard, and then get off when you reach a more convenient bicycling distance. All RTA buses have bike racks. Bikes are permitted in HealthLine trains and two bikes per car are permitted on rapid transit trains.

I don't have any cycling/bike commuting friends. Join a bike club: see HBC resource Web page http://bikesintheheights.org/resources/. Register with OhioRideShares/OhioBikeBuddies (http://ohiorideshare.com/Pages/BikeBuddies).  

I don't have a bike. For new bikes or bike repairs in the Heights, check out Cain Park Bicycles and Cycle Sport & Fitness. There are also bike shops in Shaker Heights, South Euclid and Mayfield Heights. For used bikes, consider the Ohio City Bike Coop and Affordable Bikes Recyclery, both on the near West Side of Cleveland.

Heights Bicycle Coalition

The Heights Bicycle Coalition was formed in the spring of 2010 and works to encourage citizens to ride their bicycle for fun, fitness and transportation.

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Volume 6, Issue 8, Posted 2:37 PM, 07.31.2013