Ride to Work Day 2010

[gtw]

Gday all,

Finally joined up rather than just reading to ask how many of you are participating in National Ride to Work Day?

I have organised it for my workplace (which is really no harder than a company wide email and putting up some posters) but I am finding that 1 in 2 will participate, but not actually register on the website. This seems to mirror other places as I know that Newcastle had only 50 people registered last year, but we had 12 in our company alone, and a mate had 10 in his and there was definitely more than 30 unknowns I saw on my route alone. The University had quite a lot Im lead to believe too.

It seems to me that Ride to Work Day offers the change to show our respective Councils just how many people are capable of commuting on any given day and I wonder therefore, why there doesn't seem to be more people getting involved, and more the point registering?

This year in Newcastle its possible we will have a free community breakfast somewhere in the CBD. If anyone is from Newcastle and interested, drop me a line. Look forward to hearing from others that are acting as workplace coordinators (sounds fancy for a task that requires virtually no coordination!) too. What are you doing in your workplace to generate interest?

[Max]

I've signed up for it. I do ride to work from time to time anyway, so the reason I signed up was not so that I could ride to work, but rather so that BV and other bike advocacy groups could get a better understanding of how/when/why people commute.

I think one of the reasons you see more participants than entrants is that registering for RTW day is not an absolute requirement/prerequisite for actually participating. I can ride to work every day without signing up for it! I didn't sign up for it last year because there was no incentive for me to do so (aside from the stats-gathering mentioned above). There's still no incentive for me, but I reckon the stats-gathering will, over time, help councils etc improve cycling conditions for us.

Max

[Aushiker]

Hi

I signed up but then I commute to work anyway, well normally Funny thing is I think I have to drive on the "day".

Andrew

[rolandp]

We've had a work team registeration for several years now. Will be riding in on the day.

[rhancock]

I've been practicing for nearly 40 years now, and I'm really excited that I can actually do the "Ride to Work" this year. I hope all the practice has been worth it.

Seriously though, I've ridden to work for decades, and this will be the first time I've actually been in work on Ride to Work day, so this year I'll be turning up to claim my free breakfast.

I usually register though.

[Jen]

My workplace has a big event each year- breakfast etc. We encourage people to sign up online, but as you've discovered not everyone will do that. We also try to get people to fill out a paper registration for us on the day, which I believe is then entered online to more accurately capture data.

[Mulger bill]

If I'm rostered on that day I'll be riding to work as usual. If I'm not then I'll still be riding something, somewhere.

[Boognoss]

It's a work day for me. I'll ride as usual.

Free council brekky is held within 1km of my office so I'll get some free food that morning .

[Comedian]

I'm in for this. It's on the Wednesday after the Brisbane to Gold Coast ride so I'm not sure I'll be too speed for it. I've been trying to get a couple of newbies in but no luck so far.

[Max]

Comedian, what time of day do you usually ride to work?

Max

[Comedian]

Comedian, what time of day do you usually ride to work?

Max

I usually leave home between 6:30 and 7:00. Sometimes a little earlier or later but generally within those times. That puts me in the cbd between 7 and about 7:45 ish. I imagine these times will might drift a little earlier as it warms up and gets light earlier.

[hannos]

Hi

I signed up but then I commute to work anyway, well normally Funny thing is I think I have to drive on the "day".

Andrew

Same, I signed up but it's on a day I drive to work. Oh well.

[Max]

I usually leave home between 6:30 and 7:00. Sometimes a little earlier or later but generally within those times. That puts me in the cbd between 7 and about 7:45 ish. I imagine these times will might drift a little earlier as it warms up and gets light earlier.

Bugger. I was going to suggest we ride in together (since I have a feeling we live not far from each other - I'm in Mitchelton). But I have to be out the door by 0500 to make it to work on time.

Max

[martinjs]

No local breaky's here. I still sigh up and ride as usually. Maybe I'll win a bike.

Martin

[Comedian]

I usually leave home between 6:30 and 7:00. Sometimes a little earlier or later but generally within those times. That puts me in the cbd between 7 and about 7:45 ish. I imagine these times will might drift a little earlier as it warms up and gets light earlier.

Bugger. I was going to suggest we ride in together (since I have a feeling we live not far from each other - I'm in Mitchelton). But I have to be out the door by 0500 to make it to work on time.

Max

WOW that's early. Let's see what happens closer to the time as I could be persuaded. According to the trusty iphone at that time dawn is 4:50 which means the kids will have woken me up by then anyway.

[Cinder]

Just signed up for it...

Would have been riding that day anyway...

[gtw]

Newcastle council is holding a breakfast in wheeler place. Make site you register on www.ridetowork.com.au if you plan to come in !

[casual_cyclist]

I will be on annual leave. Can I still sign up? I will ride to a free breakfast

[gtw]

The day is all about the numbers... I would say you should absolutely join, even if you didn't end up riding that day... As long as you do commute your doing more harm by not signing up!

[Warnesy]

I've actually got it targeted as my first ever commute into work. Hopefully the first of many.

[Comedian]

I've actually got it targeted as my first ever commute into work. Hopefully the first of many.

Good on you!

[Max]

I've actually got it targeted as my first ever commute into work. Hopefully the first of many.

That's the way! You won't regret it

Max

[Boognoss]

I've actually got it targeted as my first ever commute into work. Hopefully the first of many.

Good on you as others have said, but why wait until Ride to Work day?

[Warnesy]

I've actually got it targeted as my first ever commute into work. Hopefully the first of many.

Good on you as others have said, but why wait until Ride to Work day?

Good question. I've decided to give myself a few weeks to do some weekend rides, build a bit of conditioning, get used to the bike and suss out the route a few times, before I start playing with the traffic on the ride in.

[Boognoss]

I've actually got it targeted as my first ever commute into work. Hopefully the first of many.

Good on you as others have said, but why wait until Ride to Work day?

Good question. I've decided to give myself a few weeks to do some weekend rides, build a bit of conditioning, get used to the bike and suss out the route a few times, before I start playing with the traffic on the ride in.

Fair enough. Definitely do a recon mission (or two, or three) on weekends beforehand if you're not sure of the best route. Then really you have to give peak hour a go to see if the "good" route is OK with traffic.

Personally I find that the morning commute is great and the afternoon after an 8-9hr work day is more of a struggle (and for me mostly uphill).