Today is the dawning of a new day in the United States of America.
And on this day of dreams come true, when the collective pain and trauma of our country is temporarily lifted and the possibilities of unity ring out across the land, I continue to carry a simple dream.
And since a goal is simply a dream with a deadline, I’ve given it a deadline and asked our country’s leaders to consider embracing it, as it addresses all four of our named crises right now.
I offered to help. I invite you to join me. We can do this, if we want to. That is a fact, and it matters. Here’s why.
When you make our shared public spaces known as streets safer for women, you make them safer for everyone.
You also increase the flow of dollars to local businesses; community connections that diminish extremism; equitable education and job opportunities; and both physical and mental health for all ages and abilities (which, as we now know, affects our entire society’s ability to function) while reducing environmental impacts.
Plus, you breathe fun back into life, and lord knows we’re way more than a quart low on that right now.
See my fun little TikTok videos, free classes, and self-guided bike tours for tips and inspiration.
Meet 31 women across the USA who are already making it more welcoming to ride bikes.
Connect with me if you’d like me to answer any questions for your book club. Here’s a free discussion guide for your convenience:
Touch base if you’d just like to share your story about coming back-to-bike-riding — or riding for the first time, like Diana and Helena!
Contact your local, state, and federal representatives and tell them you will no longer accept compromises that kill and the gutter of failed imagination. That you have a better dream than that. In fact, you have a goal. (Here are 7 low-hanging-fruit actions your municipality can take now. Here are suggestions I made to my city hall at the beginning of the pandemic. Here’s my message to Metro Atlanta mayors and county CEOS.)
And then let’s see, together, where our path as a country-at-a-crossroads takes us.
Carpe diem, and as always . . .
Trust the journey,
Pattie
League Cycling Instructor #5382
Thank you for your support. 100% of proceeds from the sale of my book, Traveling at the Speed of Bike, as well as my original-art Artsy Bike Face Mask, are used to help more women and girls ride bikes.
* See more books about bike riding and its diverse issues and opportunities at Bike Books (the only book shop in the world carefully curated to feature only books about bike riding).
Traveling at the Speed of Bike 