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View Full Version : Motorcycle enthusiasts annual “Ride to Work Day”, Monday, June 15


xcel
03-20-2009, 03:10 AM
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg Motorcycles move us toward an answer to the problems we face far faster than the automobiles most drive on a daily basis. (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=195575)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2009_Suzuki_DR-Z400SM.jpgWayne Gerdes – CleanMPG (cleanmpg.com) – Mar. 20, 2009

The beautiful Suzuki DR-Z400SM - $6,699 and rated at 65mpgUS with a rider heading to work.

On June 15, American roadways will see up to triple the normal number of riders as beginner to expert bike enthusiasts become motorcycle commuters. These commuters will be doing us all a favor by not only commuting with an efficient personal form of transportation but by doing so on a vehicle with a much smaller footprint than our cars and trucks. This action has a measurable outcome by reducing both our foreign oil dependence and general traffic congestion in one fell swoop. This years “Ride to Work” day marks the 18th since the events inception in 1992.

“Ride to Work Day” History

According to Ride to work (ridetowork.org), “Ride to Work Day” was inspired by the "Work to Ride - Ride to Work'" campaign created between 1989 and 1991 by the Aero Design and Manufacturing Company, a Minnesota based manufacturer of motorcycle riders clothing. In 1992 this campaign inspired motorcycle magazine editor Fred Rau to write an editorial calling for a national ride to work day.

The first annual “Ride to Work Day” event was proposed in Road Rider magazine (now titled Motorcycle Consumer News) in the May 1992 issue. This is an excerpt from that "Ride to Work" editorial: "You may remember several months ago when Bob Carpenter, commenting in his 'Two Up' column, mentioned how neat he thought it would be if there was one day a year when everyone who owned a motorcycle used it to ride to work. That comment was prompted by a T-shirt produced by Aerostich RiderWear that simply said, 'Work To Ride, Ride To Work.' Everyone seemed to think that a national 'Ride To Work' day was one heck of a good idea."

The first official “Ride to Work Day” event was conducted on July 22nd, 1992. For several years various motorcycle businesses informally promoted every third Wednesday in July as “Ride to Work Day”. That year a non-profit organization, Ride to Work (ridetowork.org) was formed to help organize and promote “Ride to Work Day”. The first “Ride to Work Day” led by this group was held on the third Wednesday in July of 2001. This day was the same each year until 2008, when it was changed to the third Monday In June. This change was made to better accommodate riders world-wide given those located in the southern hemisphere would miss the worst of their winter weather normally experiences in July thus giving those riders an opportunity to participate as well.

"Motorcycles and scooters consume fewer resources per mile than automobiles, and they take up less space in parking areas and on roads", states Andy Goldfine, owner of Aero-Stitch and the Ride to Work Day program organizer. "Rider's seek employer support for this efficient form of transportation, and more government and public awareness about riding’s many benefits."

chibougamoo
03-20-2009, 09:11 AM
It's always interesting to see those pics from China, where 200 motorcycles seem to be sharing a road with 100 cars. Hypermiling a bike can get well over the 100 mpg mark, and several of the early hypermile closed-loop competitors used pretty much "stock" Harleys.

beatr911
03-20-2009, 09:40 AM
Motorcycles not only get great mileage, and are less expensive than cars, they reduce the stress of the workday by adding a measure of fun to the commute.

Probably the best thing I've done to extend my riding season and make motorcycle commuting even more practical is to buy an Aerostich riding suit. After riding for 20 years with a regular jacket and jeans, using a proper riding suit is SO much better. Without a doubt worth the nearly $1000 to get the best I could find.

Benefits are:
Excellent weather protection.
Warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
Built in crash armor.
Much better abrasion resistance than street clothes.
Much better visibility by drivers with built in reflective fabric and bright color (although I'm STILL invisible to all 4 wheelers).
Conveniently slips right over my fancy work clothes.

All in all, good gear makes bikes even MORE pracitcal and MORE fun, and it advertises my bike preference at work, encouraging others to do the same, several have.

Bikes, I just love 'em!



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