Do You Ride to Work Every Day?

You’ve participated in “Bring Your Pet to Work Day” and the weekly “casual Friday,” but have you ever heard of “Ride to Work Day?”

On June 16, motorcycle and bike owners rode their bikes to work in honor of this day. Originating in 1992, the event’s purpose is to showcase that riding motorcycles and bicycles to work is a part of daily life, breaking the motorcyclist stereotypes. They hope to demonstrate that motorcyclists have many occupations and lifestyles.

In a recent post of Motorcycle USA, Mark Gardnier described the stereotype that when you buy a motorcycle you purchase it for mere recreation and enjoyment. Many also think that when you are purchasing a motorcycle, you are actually signing your death wish and committing yourself to a life of endless personal injuries. In actuality, a motorcycle is an economic purchase, and if more of motorcyclists commuted on bikes, society would reap the benefits.

This is the basis of Ride to Work Day, the non-profit organization that organizes the annual event. Besides organizing the event, they are ultimately focused on solving problems for motorcyclists. Not only do they advocate for motorcyclists, but also those who ride scooters and bicycles.  The mission is to increase the usage of motorcycles for daily transportation. According to the non-profit, this will increase parking availability, decrease traffic congestion, and decrease fuel consumption. Another goal of the non-profit is to increase the safety of riding motorcycles and decrease the frequency of motorcycle accidents.

Besides the societal and economic benefits, the main reason why you should ride your bike to work every day is that it is fun! According to Steve Natt, host of Motorcylist Radio, most Americans despise the drive to work because it lacks the fun factor (Forbes). What is the solution to beating the Texas traffic blues? Ride your bike to work!