Two Wheels Takes the Win!

May is National Bike Month. Who knew? (I didn’t until I went on the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia’s Web site.) Over the past few weeks, various events took place around here to celebrate the freedom of two wheels, including the Ride of Silence I blogged about.

In the BCGP’s annual staged race on Wednesday, three people commuted by bike, bus and car to see who would get to “work” the fastest. At 8:00 a.m., a man on a bike, a woman in a convertible Zipcar and a woman riding a Route 48 bus raced from 29th and Poplar Streets to City Hall.

True to form, two wheels took the win. Pat Cunnane, president of Fuji Bicycles, was the bike rider. Cunnane had this to say when interviewed for KYW:

"Cycling in the city, especially during rush hour, is the fastest way to travel…You just really have to pay attention. You have to be looking at the people in the cars to see what they might do. A lot of people don't use turn signals. A lot of people don't pay attention."

The bike rider completed the 4-mile commute in 12 minutes and 21 seconds, with the Zipcar finishing one minute later. The woman stuck riding SEPTA turned up after a 10-minute gap.

I didn't need proof that riding in the city is fun and fast. I just need to do it more often.