Forget about bike to work week.

It's that time of the year again...bike to work week. I'm sure the nation is all buzzed about millions of people making the switch from driving their cars to riding a bike to work. Ha, ha. I think that the only people who even know, much less care, about bike to work week are the ones already doing it. Don't get me wrong, I do admire the concept and the organizers who try to spread the word. What I think we need, however, is a little something closer to home and easier if we really want to get people on their bikes. For most, I am sure the idea of riding a bike to work is almost unthinkable. How about something more manageable, like "bike to the corner store day", or "bike to a neighborhood friend Sunday". These are things almost anyone with a working bike can do, unless they live in remote areas where the nearest friend or store is several miles away. Running an errand or visiting a friend would be much less stressful than planning out the logistics of getting to work on time. Start out with riding down the street to pick up a quart of milk or a six pack of beer. Head over to a friends house to visit for a bit. Nothing stressful...even if you get a flat or your bike breaks down, just walk the rest of the way. No need to bring along a change of clothes or worry about arriving all sweaty.
I think this way more people could get introduced to biking in a whole new way. Maybe they would even see the pleasure in it, all the while doing a little something nice for our planet.