Today’s blog post comes from Frank Miller, a civil engineer. In honor of National Ride Your Bike to Work Day, he shares his story. Since choosing to ride his bike 11 years ago, Frank has ridden over 50,000 miles.
National Bike Month and Bike to Work Week give us an opportunity to examine our commuting habits, question the automobile lifestyle and make positive changes to benefit our health and the environment.
Real and permanent change begins at the “grassroots” level. We should ask ourselves, must I submit to the automobile lifestyle? Are there alternatives to automobile commuting that are more healthy, enjoyable and sustainable?
Unfortunately, we in the United States have built a society and culture heavily dependent on the automobile. So pursuing alternatives to the automobile are difficult with the “deck stacked” so much in favor of the automobile lifestyle. There are a few communities, however, that have made a commitment to cycling, and transit alternatives in general. These 
communities are examples that change is possible.
We should take this time to consider the harm that the automobile has done to our health and our environment. I contend that automobile commuting is as harmful to our bodies as smoking. Then there is the economic toil on people, the depletion of natural resources, and the pollution of air and water.
Cycling offers an alternative to the automobile lifestyle and the benefits are enormous. It is good for our bodies. It is economical and it is sustainable.
I have been an avid bike commuter for the past 11 years, and before that, an avid rider of mass transit. In the summer of 2001, I was looking for an exercise to replace running. A coworker (who was an avid cyclist) suggested that I consider cycling to work. He reasoned I could “kill two birds with one stone” – cycle to work for the exercise and avoid the bus ride too. I tried it and I have been a bike commuter ever since.
Commuting by bicycle was not easy at first. It took nearly a month for me to become conditioned to it, even though I was in good running shape. I stayed at it and worked it into my daily routine. Now after 11 years, I wouldn’t think of commuting any other way.
There are many people now days opting for an alternative to the automobile and who are choosing cycling for their 
commuting. These people and the communities promoting cycling and alternative transit are the examples showing us that it is possible to change our habits; change that is good for ourselves and our planet.
Bike to Work Day is an annual event held across the county to raise awareness to the benefits of clean commuting. To find out how to get started check out the League of American Bicyclists.
