EFest - 2011 Award Ceremony

A guide to Simple Cycle commuting

Designing your bike commute to be as minimalistic as possible will make it easier to opt for your carbon free, two wheeled transportation on a more regular basis. It will also reduce the daily stress of between waking up and walking out the door. The tips in this article take more planning to implement, but are well worth the extra effort.
Benefits of Simplifying
A few of the reasons this is important…

• Minimizes morning excuses – Let’s all be honest, we’ve had those mornings that we woke up with the full intention of riding the bike to work and once we saw the flat tire or realized we hadn’t packed the night before, we grabbed for the keys instead. By simplifying your commute, you’ll reduce the amount of excuses that can crop up to keep you off the bike.
• Reduces stress – Along the same lines as minimizing your excuses, nothing causes more stress than running around trying to do everything before work, especially if you overslept. When you wake up in the morning and everything you need is in place, it’s a much more relaxing way to get on the bike.
• Helps you enjoy the ride – If you’re frazzled when you jump on the bike it’s much more likely you won’t enjoy the ride. Once you implement these methods to simplify your commute you’ll be freed to enjoy your commute. That’s really why we do this anyway, right?

How to simplify your bike commute
There are several ways to simplify your bike commute. Even if you implement a few of these, you’ll see a huge difference in your daily ride quality and an increase in your frequency of opting for the bike.

1. Ride a simple bike – Ride a bike that has tried and true technology that’s not going to cause a lot of mechanical problems. A steel, fixed geared bike will probably go for years without major mechanical problems that will leave your stranded. Opt for a bike without all the bells and whistles.
2. Check your bike every weekend – regular riding will cause wear on the consumable parts of your bike and you’ll want to make sure you catch any problems early:
   • Tire pressure
   • Tire wear and damage
   • Tightness of quick releases and other fastenings
   • Brakes for wear and stopping power
   • Chain for stiff links, rust and dryness
3. Clean your bike regularly – At least once a month, or after a particularly dirty commute, you’ll want to to clean your bike of any dirt and grime that can cause problems in the long term.
4. Always carry flat repair materials – Invest in a saddle bag, pack it with an extra tube, tire levers, patch kit, pump and hex wrenches and always keep it on your bike. This way you always know you have what you need to fix a flat and keep moving.
5. Store hygienic necessities at the office – Keep an extra of everything you need to clean up from your commute (deodorant, towels, wipes, etc) at your office. No need to daily carry them back and forth.
6. Leave a pair of shoes at the office – If you ride with clipless pedals or need to wear more dressy shoes at work, store a pair at the office. Again, no need to carry them back and forth each day.
7. Take all your clothes for the week on Monday – I’ve heard suggestions of driving on Monday to take everything in for commuting the rest of the week. However if your bulkier items (shoes, towels, etc) are already at the office, then five changes of clothes will easily fit inside a normal sized backpack or panniers.
8. Always keep an extra set of clothes at the office – Keep an extra belt, pair of pants, shirt, pair of socks, bra, underwear, etc at your office at all times. There’s nothing worse than being halfway into your commute when you remember you forgot an essential.
9. Pack the night before – By packing your clothes and lunch the night before you’ll reduce your stress the next morning. You’ll also be in a better state of mind so not to forget something.
10. Only pack the essentials – Do you really need three tubes, the Sam’s club bottle of gel and an extra helmet? When packing your bag the night before, ask yourself if each item is a necessity.
11. Carry smaller sizes – If you don’t have a place to store your hygienic items at the office, try going smaller. Put your liquids like gel and shampoo in smaller bottles. Purchase travel sized deodorant and toothpaste. This will reduce your daily bulk to carry.
12. Plan your route ahead of time – For most commutes there are several different ways to get from your house to the office. Use a tool such as Google Maps to plan a route that is more scenic, avoids dangerous roads and skips road work.
13. Check the weather nightly – Keep an eye on your local weather so you can plan to dress for the temperature and precipitation.

How to handle the heat

1. Leave Early – Hit the road before things really heat up. Check with work to see if they’ll allow you to knock off early on the hot days that you clock in before normal time.
2. Take your time – If you can’t leave an hour early, try 15 minutes. That way you can pedal slower, relax and keep your body temperature low.
3. Drink Water – My commute is only 20 minutes one way so I usually skip the water bottle, but on the really hot days you’ll want to opt for some liquid even on the shorter rides.
4. Wear Breathable Clothes –  opt for the cotton t shirt and shorts
5. Protect Your Eyes – And I don’t mean sunglasses. A headband or handkerchief under your helmet will catch the sweat so your eyes can stay open and on the road.

We are the alternative energy

WE ARE THE ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

                    Cycling is the most efficient means of sustainable transport man has ever designed, beginning from velocitypede (prototype of modern cycles), cycles have developed in multifarious ways. Unlike the earlier times cycles are increasingly seen as a sport rather than a transport. It is also the answer for today’s energy demands and increasing fuel prices, because it requires no Fuel! The only input is our muscular effort. This mode of transport is not only the most economical and the environment friendly but also promotes a fit and healthy physique. Thus cycling is a safer mode of transport for short distant transit like going to the supermarket or to a friend’s house. Also, the magnitude bodily trauma caused from bicycle accidents is multifold times smaller than that caused from motorized two wheeler accidents, provided that there are cycling infrastructures in existence.

                   Use of cycle as a secondary mode of transport having public transport systems(buses,trains,share autos) as the primary mode, is one of the best solutions for energy demands that roar throughout the world.yet,in many countries like the Netherlands,Denmark,China the primary transport is cycling itself ! Sumptuous amount of fund is spent on research on sustainable use of natural resources every year. If cycling is adopted widely by the people as a transport medium, these funds can be focused for research on more fuel efficient mass(public) transport systems rather than on developing fuel efficient motorcycles. We all are aware that the fuel we spend recklessly each day is going to drain within a few years, say 40 years. After that we will be forced to drive cycles mentioning its affordability because naturally vehicles with alternative powered sources maybe expensive. Whatever the cost high or low, made cheap by further research on it, no such vehicles can provide the combo advantages of physical fitness and economical transport. Also the environmental cost of producing such automobiles is very high.

                  On-road cycling is much similar to what we cycle in the gym. Use of cycles is also seen as a poor man’s transport. But in reality it is only the trend and attitude that makes us to think so. In India even now some villagers use cycles but their % is really low and urban cycling should be provided for a greener urban lifestyle. When we adopt western style of eating habits and clothing why don’t we adopt their preferred means of transport?in Netherlands door to door delivery systems use cycles instead of large trucks because in an average the truck is made to remain idle on delivery of goods, whereas using cycles, the servicemen are able to delivery at the door steps. It is a common myth that cycles cannot carry goods at all. But freight cycles carry milk cans, goods, people and even babies (in UK).Famous Institutions like IIT madras still strictly use only cycles within their campus respecting mother nature and owing to protect her pristinity.A recent study indicates that cycling reduces the risk of arthritis. It can be promoted even as a supplementary exercise for the diabetic and the elderly in the form of slow cycling making their joints to be healthy. It is an illusion that automobiles travel faster than cycles. It is an accepted fact that cycles can achieve only lower speeds, but it is also a fact that the speed of cycles are greater than any automobile in a traffic ridden congested road where they can move only a few metres per minute.

Common vehicular emissions Vs. Medical conditions:

Emitted gas	Medical Condition	Ecological consequence
Carbon dioxide	Tissue Hypoxia	Green house effect
Carbon monoxide	Affects oxygen binding(RBC)	Green house effect
Smog	Bronchitis, Carcinoma	Less Visibility
Sox,Nox	Bronchitis,pleuritis	Acid Rain, Affects Agro yield
Xylene,Benzene,Toulene	Carcinogen	Difficult to detoxify
Chlorine	Poisonous	Depletes Ozone

Role Model Countries:

Netherlands: 

Bicycle’s role declined with the advent of automobiles as more people bought them in 60’s but quickly switched back to cycling when they suffered economic shocks and ecological crises in the 70’s. By 1987, the cycle paths alone covered 13,500 km. rather to replace automobiles blindly, their government sought to balance automobile transport with bicycling, public transit and walking

Japan:

In Japan, according to 1980 census 7.2million, 15 % of the total was commuting by cycles either to their work places or to railway stations. Their cycling trend grew to an extreme that at a stage, the government had to promote bicycle parking due to ‘bicycle pollution’. Due to less land space, the Japanese were inspired to build cycle parking towers. They also arranged for suburban rental systems in which a cycle served for more than one person per day.

Denmark:

The Dutch government spent some $230 million towards the construction of cycle ways and parking space and increase cycle access to railway stations. Interestingly, the funds for highway constructions declined in the 80’s and funding for cycling infrastructure exceeded 10 percent of the capital spending on roadways. Since 1982, the government allocates $7 to 13 million each year to construct cycling lanes along major roads.

Singapore:

In Singapore, heavy taxes are levied at the time of automobile purchase so as to force down the production and purchase of automobiles.

China:

Traffic monitors at an intersection in the northern industrial city of Tianjin once counted more than 50,000 bicycles pass in one hour. China alone has

Roughly 300 million-more than one for every four people, or almost one for every two city residents. Domestic bike sales in 1987 reached 35 million-surpassing total worldwide automobile sales.

Germany:

Erlangen, a town in West Germany is considered one of the most bicycle friendly towns. Here ‘Bicycle tourism is one of the largest industries.

Possible Strategies:

Meenakshi Amman temple (Madurai):

Like Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, where automobile traffic has been blocked and only people are allowed only to walk on the road transformed into tiled pavements entirely around the temple, where each street have barriers to prevent automobile to enter the pavements. These pavements can have cycle renters or have arrangements to ensure that walkers and cyclists can only enter the temple perimeter.

Decongestion in T.nagar:

T.nagar, being the shopping hotspot in Chennai, traffic congestion is a mess there. To decongest it ‘urban cycling’ can be promoted. Cycle rental system points can be provided for every 1km. Like Meenakshi Amman temple road traffic can be controlled and channelized only for cyclists and people who transit by walking. And cycles can be rented from these cycle renters, to be pedaled only inside a particular perimeter. But no cycle could be robbed since these cycles cannot cross the vehicular barriers at all which are made only to allow people to pass through. This strategy significantly reduces traffic congestion in T.Nagar, making shopping a happy experience.

Metro Rail Project:

                          

The effective way to utilize out Chennai’s metro rail project is that we should integrate the project and urban cycling. If the commuters reach and leave Metrorail stations by cycles, it promotes a combined greener transport system. Cycles can be used as a secondary means to travel between home-station and station-workplace.for such a project; bicycle parking is a must along every Metrorail station.

Conclusion:

To start with, each individual who really care about his/her mother earth should be able to pedal for at least 5km per week to the grocery store or their nearby friend’s house. When all their efforts are put together even on Chennai city level, their contribution in enriching the air quality in and around Chennai will be remarkable. They’ll be part of the global community in saving mother earth. Infrastructure can be demanded from the government only when there is a demand for it through the rising number of Urban Cyclists.

                                

December-2010(two wheeler sales trend-INDIA)

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