Comments on: All or Nothing

By: MamaVee

MamaVee — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:56:22 +0000

I know I am commenting almost a year later, but thanks for this. I always feel guilty when I don’t ride. But lately- I’ve been working on cutting myself a break and just take each day as it comes. This ends up making me feel less “bad” and simply looking to the next time I can be on my bike and enjoy it for what it is. Like today- two camps one mile apart, two kids and a huge main street and steep hills to cross and oh- drop off and pick up times are at the same time. I just didn’t have it in me to feel rushed for each child. After camp was all done and we were back home- 3 yr old needed a haircut. We all piled in and on the bike and biked the mile to the barbers. Biked back and voila!

So thank you for validating what I can do.

By: Andy Cline

Andy Cline — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:09:10 +0000

David… I think the all-or-nothing attitude is pervasive here mostly as a defense mechanism against change.

By: David Hembrow

David Hembrow — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:16:51 +0000

And of course this partial idea is exactly how people behave over here.

Being a cyclist in the Netherlands is not a political act. People ride because it’s the most convenient way of making their journey.

When for some journeys it’s not the most convenient way, they take some other means of transport.

Clearly when the weather is horrible you get fewer bikes than when it’s a lovely summer day.

However, the environment has been made such that cycling is really attractive very very often. The result is that whatever the weather, for everyone in this city whatever their age or sex, each person makes an average of 1.2 cycle journeys a day right through the year.

If cycling is really pleasant people will choose to do it. Carrots work better than sticks.

By: Pam Thorne

Pam Thorne — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 03:26:08 +0000

I am the perfect example of what I call “partial commuting”. On Tue-Thurs I can’t ride from my home because of my daughter’s schedule. She gets off the bus at a friends house on those days. The friend lives 2 miles from our house so I park at their house and ride to work. I ride back to their house in the evening pick up my daughter and I drive home. I only drive 4 miles total on those days and ride 14 miles. It’s a win win for me.

By: the happy gentleman

the happy gentleman — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:00:08 +0000

You know it’s interesting. I think we all adopt an all-or-nothing attitude much of the time.

Good post! Good points!