This is a guest post from Lucy Richards, Colorado Trek organizer. The Trek to Re-Energize America is a bike ride to D.C. in support of clean energy solutions and a sustainable future, summer 2009.
Now that the sun is making its temperamental debut here in Durango, my bike is waking from its winter hibernation. I glide out of the driveway, relishing the pressure on the pedals and the click of my chain. It’s a relief to escape spin classes and humid indoor air. I feel free, fast, and powerful under the fresh sun.
Nine months ago, I thought of bikes as just one more way to get from A to B. Since then, I’ve ridden from Colorado to Yorktown, VA on my leggy 18-speed, following a whim and a vague dream. As I peddled, I began to underst
and for the first time the passion and admiration only a bicycle can excite. Bikes are a true panacea—they address climate change, obesity, traffic, pollution, and the stresses of modern life. They’re fast, versatile, compact, efficient. They’ve even been hailed as the catalyst for the women’s rights movement. In fact, our brain’s ability to process information is compromised at speeds greater than 15 miles per hour. We are naturally suited to the speed of the bicycle.
This summer I’ll be on my bike again, but this time as part of a national movement, The Trek to Re-Energize America. Riders from across the United States will be braving the ride to Washington DC, calling for strong, immediate action on climate change. Us Coloradoans are riding because climate change is a problem dire enough to warrant a 2000 mile journey. We are riding to see the United States, talk to the people, and feel the wind on our faces. We are celebrating the beauty of the bike. Join us.
