Gnats in Your Teeth and the Power of the Pledge

You know how fun it is to ride a bike. You know the feeling of arriving at work energized by your commute not mad at the world. You know the joy you feel when as a family, you go for a bike ride to the library. You know the joy of living life by bike.

What you can’t understand is why so many others don’t see what is plain as day, that life is better when you aren’t trapped in a car. Life is better feeling the wind through your bike helmet vents, smelling the spring air, and viewing life more intimately by bike. Okay, there are the other times where while breathing that wonderful spring air you suck in a swarm of gnats, or it’s so cold that tears run down your face, or you forget to bring socks to work, or your kids can’t find their helmet (again). But these are all are trivialities when compared to the unpleasant alternative of driving a car.

The question is, how do we convince more people that riding for every day use is a wonderful way to live? What can you do to help your friends and colleagues take those first steps to change their behavior?

We have an answer for you and need your help!

Behavioral science tells us that there is power in something as simple as a pledge.

Why? We human beings see ourselves as people with integrity. If we say we’re going to do something, we are more likely to follow through. And, if that commitment is made a little more public, chances are even better.

Enter the Pledge to Ride for Bike to Work Day. This is a tool for people to click and pledge to ride.

But here’s the twist, dear rider. You are an SVBC supporter who knows how awesome living life joyfully by bike can be so your pledge, while lovely, is not what we’re necessarily going for. We need you to get your friends to pledge. Peer to peer recruitment is essential.

How many can you get? Can you convince five friends to click and pledge? Can you then follow up with them and support them to follow through? Who are those five friends and what’s stopping you from asking them right now or carving out time later today to help them take that first step?

You are such an important part of this movement and Bike to Work Day is one of the ways to make it easy for people to try something new. Our job, once they try, is to make that experience one that is wonderful and will lead to better, more healthy transportation habits.

The Pledge is here. Can you get five people to commit?

And, stay tuned for more exciting ways to get more folks to try riding a bike on Bike to Work Day, like the gamification of bicycling through Love to Ride.

Thank you! You are the greatest asset in the movement to spread the joy of bicycling. Go get ‘em!