Why Not Ride To Work Every Day?

Next Monday, June 17 is Ride To Work day an annual promotion urging motorcycle awareness through, well, actually commuting on our streetbikes. While this ia an honorable and well-intentioned idea, as someone who does not own a car, I often wonder why we Americans need a promotional campaign to roll our two-wheelers out of the garage and actually use them on a daily basis. I’ve ridden quite a bit in the UK and across Europe and in countries where petrol costs over $10 per gallon, commuting on all sorts of two-wheelers makes plenty of sense. But just because a gallon of gasoline costs less than a gallon of spring water in our vast nation doesn’t mean our motorbikes should forever remain weekend-only toys. When I commute on a motorcycle most days, I’m lucky to see one or perhaps two other bikes during a typical 100-mile jaunt. What I do see dozens upon dozens of are pick-up trucks proudly festooned with stickers and license plates promoting the individual driver’s favorite motorcycle brands. In nearly all these instances, the rear beds of these lane-wide gas-guzzlers are completely empty, prompting me to wonder why the owners wouldn’t opt for a spin across town on their motorcycles instead? Please fill me in with your ideas on why we Americans avoid riding bikes on weekdays, and yes, please do Ride To Work on Monday. And everyday if you can!