Ride to Work Day

Did you ride to work today? I did. Although my 5-mile commute isn't an endurance test, it did rain today (in California?!?) but I managed to miss it. Not only is it more fun to ride to work, it is a great way to conserve fuel, reduce emissions and take up less space overall. I even did some grocery shopping and loaded up a big canvas tote bag with goodies from Whole Foods for the week ahead. The oil change indicator on the SYM I am using is about to tell me that an oil change is imminent. I also need to learn how to add coolant as I am not used to new-fangled things such as water-cooling, disc brakes and gas gauges on a scooter! :)

I enjoyed the ride so much that instead of calling my chiropractor for an appointment, I just dropped by to say hello. If I had been in a car, I probably would have just called him from my cell.

Well, I'm rabling about things that aren't that significant, so let me just say that I am glad I rode to work today and hope you did, too.

Rock Your Scooter Trips

When I saw Lifepop's cool audio accessory bags for iPod and other MP3 players the first thing I thought was, "Cool! Perfect for scooter picnics and events!" The next thing I thought was, "How do I get one?" That being said I think these bags would be great for weekend scooter jaunts when you want some tunes at your destination, but you don't have a built-in stereo. They have several models which are both baggage and stereos at the same time.

The Groovemaster ($75)is a messenger bag with speakers and an MP3 player interface. It runs on 4 AA batteries. The Rocksteady Gym Bag ($130) is a bit steeper but a funky retro Adidas cool and comes in some flashy colors, but the black is my favorite.


The ChillOut ($50)is a combo cooler/AM&FM radio with aux hookups. This would be perfect for strapping to a rear rack/carrier and taking to the beach or park.

The auxiliary jacks for these bags work with iPods, Zunes and even PSP systems. So go forth and rock your scoot!

Ride to Work Day- July 16

I just helped out with the annual Bike to Work day by hosting an Energizer Station for bicyclists. It got me thinking about the upcoming Ride to Work Day for motorcyclists/scooterists. Considering gas might be at a high point during the midsts of summer, I think this is a great opportunity to highlight the benefits of riding scooters. We can take a lesson from Bike to Work in that they make it a fun and supportive event. The energizer stations have literature, maps, and rider support information, as well as tasty snacks. It supports community and makes people feel welcome to something they don't often do. While Ride to Work doesn't quite have that infrastructure, I think it would be great if we could do something similar in tons across the US.

How can you encourage scooters & motorcycles to commute on RTW Day? Here's some ideas:

Contact local scooter & motorcycle shops to see if they would host a stop. Most people commute in the early morning hours, so it may be a tough sell to get the store to be available from 6-9am, but its worth it.

Get a local grocery store on board to supply the snacks. I know from experience that Whole Foods Markets are pro-alternative transport and you may be able to get them to help out.

Contact the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and see if they can send you information on safe riding, helmet fitting etc.

Find local clubs that may be interested in manning the booth to promote their clubs or perhaps just leave information on their club.

Send a press release to the local news about the event and list any stations that you have. Do this at least 4 weeks in advance for newspapers and 2 weeks in advance for broadcast outlets.

Get sponsors to donate product for a raffle. Get participants to sign up and then add them to an email list (with their permission of course) to keep them updated on future events.

If you decide to try a Ride to Work day in you area let me know how it goes.