@grammasaurus asks:
Q7a. Are rising gas prices helping any of your friends take cycling more seriously?
Q7b. Have you (or your bike group) discussed how cycling fits into emergency preparedness planning?
I feel some urgency about both of these issues.
#BikeNiteQ #BikeNite #BikeTooter #Cycling #MastoBikes cc @bikenite
@ascentale @grammasaurus @bikenite
#BikeNite A7a. I wish. It's been heatwave combined with gas prices, so unclear if it's changing behavior. And we live in a car-dependent suburb. Even I am not out much during the day because when it's 90F+ outdoors, not great cycling.
A7b. What is a "bike group"? LOL. I believe bicycles have a huge role in emergency preparedness, or could. The example I will give is the folks (here on the Fediverse) who used bicycles to get around Asheville, NC after Hurricane Helene... really a much more efficient means of transport when other transport is not possible, IMHO.
@genex @ascentale @grammasaurus @bikenite
There are a bunch of these... This is a cool one where a kid was helping distribute supplies for the Salvation Army after the disaster... using his bike.
"An Unlikely Hero Emerges after Helene: The Story of a Boy, His Bike, and His Community"
Buncombe County, NC (October 11, 2024)–If you travel through the mountains northeast of Asheville, you might catch a glimpse of 11-year-old Connor pedaling furiously up the mountainside. You could say he’s a man on a mission—a mission to check on his neighbors and deliver much-needed supplies and hot meals to people whose power has not been restored. Many of the roads leading up the mountain remain blocked by fallen trees or are completely washed out, making vehicle travel almost impossible. Connor’s daily delivery service has become a lifeline for many.
Connor has a basket on the front of his bike, but to expand his carrying capacity, he keeps handy a cardboard box and some bungee cords to put on top. He visits The Salvation Army mobile feeding unit stationed in his community several times a day to pick up hot meals and cold drinks, which he delivers to his neighbors on the mountain and to workers helping rebuild the community.
“We have gotten to know Connor during the week we’ve been serving here,” said Barbara Still, a disaster relief worker from The Salvation Army of Greensboro. “In addition to being a great kid, he’s a son, a hunter, a fisherman, and an awesome big brother to his sister. We have added one more title to his name—Hero. He’s out here working tirelessly, riding his bike through these trails to help his neighbors.”
....
@genex @ascentale @grammasaurus @bikenite
"...Thousands of volunteers have flocked to western North Carolina to help the region cover from Helene. WFAE’s Tommy Tomlinson, in his "On My Mind" commentary, says their actions cut through all our normal differences.
They came on mules. A group out of Rowan County called the Mountain Mule Packers went over muddy trails and through the woods to deliver help to those recovering from the storm Helene.
They came on bikes. A friend told me the other night about folks living in the mountains who organized a bicycle brigade to get supplies to places where cars and trucks couldn’t go...."
Phil (ascentale)
AI6YR Ben
gene x