Whacky scheme to help ppl start commuting by bike

[Andrew Reddaway]

I tend to come up with hare-brained ideas on holidays. I was riding
the Otago Central rail trail in NZ last month (very good btw), so this
one is cycling-related Dunno if it's been thought of or tried
before...

There must be heaps of people who are interested in riding a bike to
work/uni/school, but need advice, help and moral support. This
newsgroup provides some of that, but maybe more people can be helped in
a more structured way.

How about a volunteer "cycling buddy" scheme, with input rewarded by
"brownie points" (BP) in the form of vouchers for cycling gear?
Newbies would start at a website with a discussion forum that links
them to volunteers. Possible kinds of input that would earn BP:
- General advice: posts, links, articles (rated on usefulness).
- Add to/update a mapped, annotated database of commuting routes.
- Accompany a newbie who commutes on the same route as you.

There would be costs for infrastructure, admin, publicity and BP. I
guess the funding would have to come from the government - perhaps
funded as an anti-obesity initative? Cycling groups too.

The biggest practical problem I can see is people claiming BP for bogus
input, especially for accompanying newbies. But that's probably the
most valuable part of the scheme. Can't think of a good way to
administer that - maybe digital photos could help somehow...

What do you think? I don't have any plans to organise this myself by
the way, just an idea for someone else to run with!

 

[cfsmtb]

Sounds simliar to a BUG, ie: a work or suburb based Bicycle User Group. Like the buddy system though, many people just simply need basic support/local knowledge when starting out.

 

[flyingdutch]

Sounds simliar to a BUG, ie: a work or suburb based Bicycle User Group. Like the buddy system though, many people just simply need basic support/local knowledge when starting out.

some sort of designated commuter 'angels' (apologies to BV) or people willing to meet and ride in/out with newbies to show em all the tricks/routes/things-to-avoid would be good. might steal the idea and run it past the BBUGer's.

hmmmm, or put out a copy of 'the map' showing members' favourite commuting routes...

The easiest bonus to commuting is how much money it can save you (as long as you avoid CF thingies ).

After emailing Cateye in the US a few years back to query a problem with my light, the sales guy mentioned he was getting paid $20US a week to ride to work from cateye!!! This was government subsidised.

 

[cfsmtb]

some sort of designated commuter 'angels' (apologies to BV) or people willing to meet and ride in/out with newbies to show em all the tricks/routes/things-to-avoid would be good. might steal the idea and run it past the BBUGer's.

Yeah, I prefer to the keep the information presented to ppl as simple & effective as possible, ie: local routes, traffic behaviour, tips on the local LBS (good & bad, or indifferent). Not forgetting - vital info like setting up a bike & geometry. One criticism I have of bike literature and some websites is that it tends to be too technical or text based for someone starting out. Give people begining cycling some support - and let them learn at their own pace.

 

[DaveB]

flyingdutch wrote:
> some sort of designated commuter 'angels' (apologies to BV) or people
> willing to meet and ride in/out with newbies to show em all the
> tricks/routes/things-to-avoid would be good. might steal the idea and
> run it past the BBUGer's.
>
I'd be willing to ride with newbies and explain how it is easier for
them to ride just in front of me all the way to the city.

DaveB