Join the Cycle 2009 Where can your bike take you?

Join the Cycle is coming to Lincoln (tentatively) July 31st. Is there nothing planned for them yet? How about a meet & greet or a fun ride. Check them out. This is very cool!

Take the pledge on their site.

Follow their journey on their blog.

Where can your bike take you? Join the Cycle asks the nation.

Nationwide, Summer 2009— Join the Cycle is a group of four Americans who are crossing the country by bicycle, to promote biking as a primary mode of transportation. They are not professional athletes or competitors, simply enthusiastic cyclists who believe that biking is good for our health and good for the planet. They want to spread the word.

“We want to inspire others to ride bicycles,” said Casey DePasquale of Join the Cycle. “This project isn’t about collecting money to allow others to protect the environment. We’re asking you to make a positive change in your daily life.” Depasquale and Hannah Hamilton are co-creators of the project, an idea that formed while the two of them were studying together in Boston. They are joined by riders Chris Donnelly and Melissa Thompson.

To help Americans take action, the group has set up a Web site at http://www.jointhecycle.com/ to collect pledges from people across the country to try cycling for transportation. “What’s important is for people to take their bicycle use up one notch. Depending on who you are, that ‘notch’ could be big or small, but it creates momentum.” A pledge can be as simple as learning how to ride a bike, to going completely car-free. “We really want to stress that we are average people with casual bike experience. If we can cross the country, you can ride to the office,” says Hamilton.

Join the Cycle believes it’s time for Americans to consider the amount of fuel we use. “Every 10 miles of cycling instead of driving reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 10 pounds. If US citizens increased cycling from 1% of all transportation to just 1.5%, we would save 462 million gallons of fuel” (data courtesy of Bikes Belong). The project is strongly rooted in environmental awareness, which the team approaches with a hopeful attitude.

Join the Cycle’s trek begins June 11th in Los Angeles and concludes in Boston on September 26th. During the 107 day journey, the team will visit 21 major cities across the country. In each city they will give presentations directed towards working adults and schoolchildren. The presentations are meant to inspire people to ride, and inform them of the benefits and environmental impact of bicycling. Join the Cycle’s team members will also participate in local rides and cycling events and team up with cycling clubs across the country. They welcome others to ride with them for small portions of the trip. Find out more and contact the group at http://www.jointhecycle.com/.