Hi all:
I understand, of course, that some found that the Errandonee challenge was
insufficiently challenging for reasons of DC's mild winters and that 30 miles
is insufficiently awesomely to qualify as to the max. However, it was fun.
As someone who has no motorized vehicle, I was able to complete the challenge
with relative ease. I did find the picture taking and blog posting to be a
pleasant addition to the quotidian errand-running by bike.
If you go to the actual web page and read the various entries concerning the
challenge, such as it is, you will find, as many of the international
participant did, that the act of riding a bike for everyday purposes while
documenting the ride was, oddly enough, fun. Almost as if the point of the
challenge was to broadcast the fact that while no one can ride their bike
everywhere everyone can ride their bike somewhere and have a good time doing
it..
Today, long after my cue sheet had been accepted, I was out errandoneering, as
I usually do on my day off (bank, library, Target, and Grocery), and it
occurred to me that there is some big, nation-wide, month-long, bicycle
encouragement hoopla related whatnottery upcoming. I wondered what might happen
if some state-wide organization dedicated to advancing cyclists' interesting
or meeting some arbitrary percentage of errands errandoneed, in addition to
coffee and sinkers on this or that day, sponsor a Errandonee for all kind of a
deal.
Using the same general categories and minimum distance with the inclusion of
say Sub24 or school but still requiring one more than half of the categories
and no more than two for a winning ticket while keeping the picture taking and
writing about rule. The "prize" could even be developed to recognize different
distances.
So complete the minimum mileage for one month and get a button with a chain
link on it; complete 3 sequential months and get a button with 3 chain links.
Compile one hundred miles and get a button with one chain link and 1K, 200
miles 2k, 300 miles 3k 400 miles 4k, 500 and above an infinity symbol let's
say. The button when worn on lapel or shirt collar might even allow one's
workplace fellows to ask what on earth does that mean through which
conversation errandoneeing might spread organically.
Plus and also the challenge, such as it is, could be extended from one month to
12 or, indeed, infinity and beyond: complete twelve months and get a patch with
a complete chain with average monthly mileage, for example.
The sponsoring organization(s), were it (they) to engage in either lobbying for
cycling or dedicated to some specific percentage of errands run by some date or
another, could even offer a paid category in which those willing to pony up
some dough get, let's say, a cycling cap with a patch attached attesting to
their utilitarian cycling awesomeness.
Let's band together to errandonee our way to a bicycling friendly future.
Tom Bach
“Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of
the human race.”
—H. G. Wells, 1904
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