The purpose of Bike to Work is to encourage people to use bicycles more than automobiles. The intentions are good, but the event feels like a poor fit for those who work something other than first shift, work at home, or work in a direction opposite of the gathering place. It serves a purpose, but it is only one way to get butts on bike seats.
Here’s an alternative: Bike to Shop Day(s). This already exists elsewhere — California, to be exact — as an annual event. Here are ways it could work here.
Bike to Farmers’ Market Tour: Gather in Bushnell Park by carousel (1-6miles): A slow and easy ride for less experienced cyclists who can get tips on site for securing their produce. Tour should feature a farmers’ market that is hosting live music or when a festival or health screening is planned. Distance changes by which market is featured. Organizers could arrange for cyclists to get something free or discounted at the market.
Bike to West Hartford Center Day: Gather in Bushnell Park by carousel (10 miles). The route would feature gentle hills. Ride there would take a road with bike lanes and sharrows. Once in center, group could split off to Blue Back (REI, Whole Foods, Barnes & Noble, Munson’s) and the traditional center (Ben & Jerry’s, Ten Thousand Villages, all the banks). Return trip could involve Farmington Avenue if cyclists feel empowered enough, or take a calmer route. Paying for parking in West Hartford is not unavoidable; bicycles park for free.
Bike to Suburban Sprawl Day: Gather in Pope Park near benches by Park & Park Terrace (10 miles): Cyclists learn safer routes to get to the West Farms area. Stops could include Eastern Mountain Sports, Trader Joe’s, and lunch at China Pan. The return ride would end in Pope Park.
Bike Hartford Local Day: Gather at JoJo’s on Pratt Street (10-25 miles): After a get-to-know-you coffee and muffin, group selects a few avenues to explore on the trip. One route could go up Albany Avenue, take side streets to get to Keney Park, then exit and ride back via Main Street, stopping along the way to check out clothing shops and bakeries. Another possible route would send cyclists down Main to Park, along Prospect Avenue, then down Farmington. Routes would attempt to avoid big construction projects.
Bike to Farmland Day: Gather near Founders Bridge Walkway (25 miles): Those with more endurance can try this tour by crossing the river via bridge. After riding for over an hour (with breaks as needed), group can pick fruits that are in season and supplement with items in the farm market at one of the Greater Glastonbury Non-Metro District farms. After re-loading with lunch, apple cider doughnuts, and coffee, cyclists can return by taking the ferry and riding north through Rocky Hill and Wethersfield, ending in Bushnell Park. All told, this tour should take 3-4 hours.
Other types of Bike to Shop tours could be designed with consideration to child-friendliness, for those who are fabulous but not-yet-fit, and for those on a super tight budget. Each ride would have one or more individuals willing to assist in teaching how to secure cargo, whether that means using bungee cords or helping with racks and panniers. Gentle advice (i.e., no mansplaining allowed) could be given to help participants from overloading bikes and throwing things out of balance, if that advice is requested.
For all who pull out their hair fretting over parking in Hartford, Bike to Shop could show that ample parking exists and a lot of it is especially convenient for those on bicycles. It is exercise without going to the gym. It saves money on gas. It’s practical. Cycling immerses a person in her community in a way that never happens when she is inside a box with wheels.
Is this encouraging mindless consumerism? Let’s be real. You can haul a lot less stuff on a bicycle than inside of a car. If anything, it shows that while it is possible to use your bicycle as the transportation for errands, it makes you reconsider impulse purchases that will take you some physical exertion to bring home.
The Suggestion Box series contains ideas for things that could be considered for Hartford. These are not attempts to turn Hartford into Manhattan.
Margo Lynn
You can combine the first two ideas – WeHa has a Saturday morning farmer’s market on LaSalle Street, across from the Post Office. Another place to note in Blue Back is The Green Teahouse, next to Pinkberry just under the library and north of B&N.
Kerri Provost
I forgot about the farmers’ market and tea house. There is banking that I have to do in West Hartford because those banks are no place closer, so I try to make the best of being there. Making the best of something usually involves adding chocolate or ice cream to it.
Margo Lynn
I like to cluster activities when I can, and unashamedly ask people if we can schedule something when I’m going to be in the area anyway. “We have to shop for the community dinner? How about we carpool from the location at this date/time, I’ll stop at my CSA on the way over and have something in the area after.”
For me, chocolate doesn’t work – ice cream or frozen yoghurt, or a book – my library card gets a workout!. Did you know The Center and Blue Back combined have FOUR frozen treat outlets?
Kerri Provost
That seems excessive…but now I’m wondering what the 4th place is. Frozen yogurt is lost on me.
Kate Bergren
I’m not usually gung-ho about West Hartford, but that trip seems like a good mix: not too far, easy and safe routes, stores where you can buy essentials. I also love the bike to farmers’ markets trip–it’s useful and also fits in the fun category of “longer chill ride with a destination.”
Kerri Provost
I just felt like there had to be something in-between the “biking to work because I have to do that” vibe and the “conquering all the hills in Connecticut” one. Some of us don’t understand setting personal best goals. We have to be bribed instead by cider and doughnuts.
Matt Friedrichs
Great ideas. I did all my grocery shopping (and everything else) by bike in California (aided by being single and minimal precipitation). You might want to start a conversation about the best way to transport your purchases by bike, too. I balanced a bunch of bags on my handlebars and stuffed a backpack full, too. But baskets, racks and trailers all make this use so much easier (single and too cheap to invest in any of these at the time).
Kerri Provost
Pet food is heavy. Putting heavy things on a bicycle and then having to use the brakes can have bad results if the cyclist isn’t thinking about it. That would have to be part of this.
Janet Lafleur
For big items like pet food a trailer works well. I’ve pulled up to 70 pounds without issues, including several overpasses. You do need to be more mindful stopping and starting but it comes pretty naturally.
Justin Eichenlaub
Somebody’s paying attention to the suggestions coming into the Suggestion Box — Thanks to Real Hartford’s instigation, Transport Hartford will lead a beginner-friendly, slow, chill ride to the West End Farmer’s Market next Week, August 26th, for their Tomato Festival.
Learn more about this event and other upcoming events at http://transporthartford.org
Info from our site on the event:
Tuesday, August 26th – Bike from Bushnell Park to the West End Farmer’s Market, 5pm
Meet at the Bushnell Park Carousel (map) with your bike for a slow paced, fun ride with a group. We’ll head to the Market for their annual Tomato Festival, featuring live music, guest chefs, and tomatoes of course. Great if you’re looking to try out biking in the city, want to get suggestions on how to carry groceries by bike, or if you’re an experienced cyclist looking for camaraderie on the road!