Five Reasons to Pedal for the Planet

For those of you who read Daniel's blog post, you know that I returned last week from the California Climate Ride. It was a truly irresistible experience and there’s no doubt that I will be participating again. Very little has felt more empowering than riding up to the capital building in Sacramento at the end of a 250 mile journey, knowing that we had collectively raised over half a million dollars (a Climate Ride record!) for bike advocacy and sustainability. Through our participation in Climate Ride, each of us have been able to demonstrate on both a community and state-wide level that cycling is a critical solution to climate change. I'm hoping to convince as many people as I can to join one of the rides. Here are five reasons why you should consider participating in next year's California, NYC-DC, or Midwest Climate Ride: 1. Serious cause, not-so-serious cycling. It's called a "ride" and not a "race" for a reason and it was completely refreshing to see fellow riders cycling in flip flops, tutus, and colorful capes. The types of bikes also varied from folding bikes to cruisers to tandems. And with scenery as spectacular as the wine country, no one was in a hurry to get anywhere.            2. Support your favorite nonprofits. As someone who has immense admiration for the work of nonprofits, I was excited by the opportunity to show appreciation to my favorite organizations. From Climate Ride's long list of beneficiary organizations I chose to support B Labs, Sierra Club, 350.org, Grist.org, and the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition. 3. Re-live the glory days of summer camp! Everyone is there to meet new people and have as much fun as humanly possible. Each day we ended our ride at a campsite in a beautiful setting and spent our evenings relaxing and mingling around long communal tables. Instead of camp counselors we had Climate Ride leaders who did a great job of making sure we were safe, had enough to eat, and stayed upbeat throughout the days. They even provided s'mores fixings for us and sang songs around campfires.      4. It's a green conference on wheels. It's no surprise that the majority of Climate Ride participants work in clean-tech, climate science, active transportation, urban planning, sustainable product design, purpose-driven businesses, etc. Each evening is pre-planned with discussions, presentations, and speakers to spark thought and dialogue around a wide range of sustainability topics. We are even provided with a networking book with everyone’s contact details so that we can stay in touch. 5. Just a tiny bit of pain results in the best type of gain.  You're drenched in sweat, panting hard and probably muttering a few profanities about how awful the climb is, but as soon as you feel that first breeze when you reach the summit you become overjoyed with a great sense of accomplishment. It's amazing how strong and resilient our bodies can be when we train them properly. It's also incredible how the adrenaline from being surrounded by 150 like-minded cyclists can give you the extra boost needed to make it over the hill without wanting to die. And don't forget that at the end of every hill you climb, you are rewarded with a beautiful descent!      Five months ago I never thought I’d be able to raise over $9300 for environmental causes or cycle 80 miles in a single day. I’m happy to say that this experience has helped me become a stronger individual and advocate for sustainability. Climate Ride does an amazing job of helping passionate people realize what they are truly capable of both mentally and physically – so sign up, get training and I’ll see you in a year!   P.S - It's also not too late to make a contribution to my Climate Ride fundraising campaign!