The Noble Eightfold Bike Path

By Keith Heiberg

When I went for a ride this morning, with the temperature around freezing, I saw a lot fewer people on the bike path. But I only needed a light wind shell and gloves, and I was fine. That got me thinking about how people perceive bikes.

The Buddha talked about the Noble Eightfold Path of liberation from suffering; I’d like to talk about the Noble Eightfold Bike Path of liberation from motor vehicles of all kinds — cutting the symbolic umbilical cords of both gas pump and electric plug.

1. It will take time for electric vehicle prices to come down, charging networks to be built, transit networks to be extended, etc. Encouraging more people to bike is a way to reduce carbon now, before we hit the climate tipping point in 2026.
    
2. Bicycling provides regular fresh air and exercise. Since I've been biking, my belt is in five notches, and my doctor has taken me off blood-pressure medication since I no longer need it. I also feel stronger and more optimistic. Biking is good for climate health and public health.
    
3. It's easy to dress in layers for colder weather. We’re Minnesotans, after all.
    
4. Most trips taken by car are under five miles, which is perfect for biking. Going to the store by bike instead of a 4,156 pound vehicle for a carton of milk makes a huge difference in how much climate and air pollution you generate. And short trips by internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles are the most polluting, because every time we start the ignition, high levels of toxic emissions are created before pollution control devices can work effectively. Short car trips are more polluting, but easier to bike!
    
5. If we encourage cities to add protected biking infrastructure (not just paint), more people will feel safe biking even when there's snow and ice on the roads.
    
6. Many people already have a bike but don't use it. There's no need to spend $$ or wait another day to ride. Bicycling is the single most efficient form of transportation as we transition to a lower-energy economy.
    
7. You don't have to be young or in top physical shape. In some parts of the world seniors bike with a cane hung from the handlebars. You can go your own speed and distance. And you can bond with your grandkids as you ride.
    
8. With warmer weather in the spring, we can encourage more people to commute to work by bike, which could be a game-changer for the climate.

Need more tips or inspiration? Here are some great winter bicycling resources from our friends at Our Streets Minneapolis and Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota.

Happy riding!