Skip to content

Au contraire: cycling very practical transport

Doing our everyday, local errands is when the bicycle is most practical.
11363173_web1_Letters-logo-2-660x440

Au contraire: cycling very practical transport

Re: “It makes sense to build hospital out of town”, (Citizen, April 4)

Evidently, the stubborn, North American notion that the bicycle is a toy revealed itself again in a recent letter about the new hospital location. The writer stated that the bicycle is “for pleasure, not practical…” even to “buy groceries or use local merchants.”

Au contraire!

Doing our everyday, local errands is when the bicycle is most practical. Imagine not using your vehicle in the urban core: no multiple starting of the engine, no inefficient start-and-stop driving, no idling at traffic lights. And the ease of parking; it’s one of the best perks about cycling!

The bicycle is one of the best “wrenches” in our toolbox of options to move us away from our perceived dependence on fossil fuels. Riding your bike three to four times in a month could yield a 10 per cent savings in gas alone — not a small amount with today’s prices (and climbing).

And, oh, did I mention riding to your workplace? Commuter cycling offers numerous, compounding benefits, much more than the obvious environmental gains from a once or twice a week ride to grab a jug of milk. But, alas, that discussion will have to wait. Meanwhile, “git on ya bike” — it’s fun and practical!

Alex Haddad,

East Glenora