Advocatin'

June is my first "600 mile month" this year. Woo-hoo! And perhaps more notable... as of June 30th, I've ridden every day for 11+ consecutive months, the last day I missed being in July '14. (When I was off ridin' motorsickle in Colorado for a few days.)

I fancy myself a "tireless advocate" for bicycle transportation. But I get tired sometimes. Particularly on 100+ degree days... on Sunday when it got up to 110, that fateful day last November when I crashed on the icy road seemed like a lifetime ago! There are also days, particularly during "peak riding season," when it seems like I don't have much to pontificate about on this blog, without just stirring up an old topic and serving it reheated. Thank goodness this is a voluntary thing, and I'm not under pressure to produce something meaningful every day, or every week.

I consider my "riding the ride" to be significantly more important, as an advocate, than "talking the talk." In fact, if I drove a car to work most days, and to most of my other destinations, I'd feel pretty silly trying to advocate about transportation cycling.

(The inconsistency between message and personal practice doesn't seem to bother some folks... and I'm thinking in particular about celebrities and politicians who like to scold us all about "climate change" while practicing a Size-18 Carbon-Footprint Lifestyle. Their message may be significant, or even critical, but how can they be taken seriously? Robert Redford just testified before the United Nations about how it might be too late to save our planet if action isn't taken before December. How do you s'pose he arrived at UN Headquarters? Not likely on foot, or a bike, or even public transportation. But I digress.)

Obviously, if my cycling practices are fostering hostility and resentment from other road-going citizens, I'm probably doing more harm than good. I shake my head in dismay at other cyclists who are out there NOT being good ambassadors! On a recent day, I had to take evasive action three different times, to avoid hitting illegal against-traffic cyclists. All three looked old enough and smart enough to know better - but looks can be deceiving.

I hope you and others see me out there, fat boy chugging along on a bike... riding legally, predictably, visibly, and defensively. If somebody in a car thinks, "I could do that!" from time to time, my advocacy-by-example has been a success!

(I'll be missing a few bicycle days in July - will be hopping on the other 2-wheeler for a carbon-burning ride up to Montana, and the Dakotas. When I'm riding the powered 2-wheeler, I also try to do so legally, predictably, visibly, and defensively. The stakes are high!)