Seattle Press on Line - A Little Motivation from a Buddy

Teacher Ted

A Little Motivation from a Buddy

By Ted Lockery

Feb 14, 2002 -- A few weeks ago I found myself doing something I never imagined I'd do. On a rainy Saturday morning I rolled out of bed to join a bunch of my bike club students for a forty-mile "recreational ride" to Marymoor Park for a quick spin around the Velodrome.

Big deal, right?

Well, what you have to understand is that I'm one of those guys with a yard sale ten-speed bicycle from the 1980s with a green plastic crate (recycle bin) strapped to the back (complete with reflective triangle), and panniers on either side of my front and rear wheels. My bicycle is a tool--a human-powered pickup truck. And I derive tremendous pleasure in the shear utility of hauling myself, and all of my teacher stuff, to work and back, in any weather.

Riding somewhere with an empty crate and without a "purpose" was out of the question, or so I thought. But I gave myself over to the inspiration and guidance of Nathan Hale sophomores Adam Scher, Erik Olsen, and Josef Taylor, who showed me yet another way to enjoy the beauty of cycling.

This kind of reverse coaching between a teacher and his students is a rare and wonderful thing. But in King County there is a more common and equally wonderful thing happening. Seasoned bicycle commuters are volunteering to mentor those of us who have always intended to ride to work, or to the store--wherever--but for various reasons have yet to do it.

The popular program is called "Bike Buddies"--a partnership between King County Metro and the Bicycle Alliance. It matches experienced bike commuters with would-like-to-be bike commuters to plan safe routes and to share know-how related to weather and the workplace challenges of changing from riding gear to work clothes. Bike Buddies are willing to inspect your bicycle, show you methods for packing clothes and keeping them dry, and to accompany you on a trial ride to work. The extent of the mentorship, though, is up to you. If a single telephone chat is all you need, that's great.

Registering with Bike Buddies doesn't mean you have to go out and buy fancy equipment or one of those yellow-green "I'm a bike commuter" windbreakers. You don't have to take an oath to ride every day, or to ride through the rain and darkness of winter. All you need is the desire to take that first step of contacting the Bicycle Alliance, even if you don't plan to get started until spring. They'll make a reminder call prior to your planned start-up date.

As Linda Schwartz of the Bicycle Alliance points out, "Our goal is not to create people who ride year round, period. Our goal is to get people to ride more than they are now."

Linda and her Bicycle Alliance colleagues are currently booking brown bag lunch presentations of the Bike Buddy program for area companies, unions, and community organizations. To schedule a brown bag presentation or to register for your very own Bike Buddy, contact Linda Schwartz at (206)224-9252, or at lindas@bicyclealliance.org.

You just might find yourself doing something you had previously only imagined!

Ted Lockery is a teacher at Nathan Hale High School. He can be contacted by e-mail at teacherted@seattlepress.com.

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