While at REI, a new-to-me bike rag called out from the newsstand – Mountain Flyer. It’s the best cycling magazine (from topics to writing style) I’ve seen in quite some time.
The current issue (number 7) includes “Green Your Ride.” The article covers cycling companies leading the green movement, including Clif Bar, OrganicAthlete, Calfee Design, Pedro’s, Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles, Schwalbe Tires, New Belgium Brewery, Chris King Precision Components and Patagonia.
More importantly, the “Green Your Ride” article offers tips for cyclists to offset the carbon footprint of their riding. The following segment is pulled from Mountain Flyer (page 65).
Tips to Live and Ride By
Buy durable goods. The greenest option is to buy bike gear that lasts. Support businesses that are making positive steps.
Buy in bulk. Combine orders with friends, teammates, neighbors. Plan ahead and ship ground rather than air to reduce costs, packaging and delivery impacts.
Fly less. Flying is the biggest dumper of emissions per mile of travel (about three times worse per passenger than driving a big SUV the same distance solo).
Carpool. Keep your car well-tuned and running efficiently. If your car’s not full of racers, carry your bikes inside to reduce wind drag and increase gas mileage.
Buy carbon offsets. A carbon offset compensates for a person’s greenhouse gas production by sponsoring an activity that removes an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, for example, buying wind power to neutralize a car trip. Purchase these offsets from an independently verified company. Look for an offset that supports a specific green project that wouldn’t occur otherwise.
Ditch AAA and consider Better World Club. Better World supports environmental initiatives, encourages fuel efficiency and offers roadside assistance to bikes as well as cars.
Eat locally, organically grown foods before, during and after rides. Minimize meat consumption. Look for energy bars and foods that come in recycled or recyclable packaging.
Buy less stuff. Reuse what you have. Patch your inner tubes. Take or give hand-me-downs, buy and sell used gear, or repurpose used-up materials.
Toughen up, Buttercup. Ditch the chairlifts and shuttle-vehicles. Ride bikes that can go up and down the hills. Check out the Yeti Seven, Scott Ransom, Specialized Enduro, Ellsworth Rogue, etc. With the latest technologies, these long travel all-mountain bikes are excellent, versatile machines. Riding these bikes to the top will make you fitter and faster on the descent.
Pedal wherever you can. Ride your bike to the trailhead, to the store and to work. Driving less and using your bike for transportation is the single biggest thing a cyclist can do to save energy.
Consider me intrigued. These are all great tips that every cyclist should strive to adopt.
Over the next few weeks, I plan to do my part to support green companies. Carbon offsets are of particular interest, as is eating locally – especially minimizing meat consumption.
More on these soon.
