Thanks to Harald Legner, a fellow cyclist from Germany, I just stumbled over another inspiring clip on Vimeo, and watching it made me instantly happy after a rather average ride today. This (video) is exactly what we need to encourage more people to cycle, not the ever ongoing discussion we have in the UK how unsafe cycling is. I am pretty sure the infrastructure over there in California is not much better than here, and neither is it in New Zealand, where I spent two years commuting before moving to Scotland. Treating every journey like a mini adventure is exactly the trick I use everyday I negotiate a rather long 65k to Stirling, things have not become boring, and I doubt they will. The clip (below) is great, as it points out exactly the benefits of commuting to work on a bike:

• Pretty cheap! Once you have paid the bike off it’s pretty much for free. You might have to eat and drink a bit more, and change parts every now and then (on bike and body). Apart from that, you can poke fun at your colleagues when they complain about the latest fuel price rise and treat yourself to a coffee, because you can!
• You can switch off, or think about things you would really like to think about. Commuting gives you those few and rare moments in a day where you are to preoccupied with cycling, you can’t answer your phone, type emails etc. Just stick fingers to handlebars and feet to pedals, and possibly come up with some great ideas. Or just enjoy the moment, especially if the weather is in your favour (I predict this happens more in California than in Scotland)
• Burn fat, not oil. Cycling makes you more attractive! Guess what this (link for ladies) or this (link for male followers) would look like if it would be driven in a car each day. No words needed for further explanation.
• Cycling is a lifestyle, not just a mode of transport. Have you ever seen any video that explains how cool taking public transport or commuting by car is? No!

Enjoy your commute! RIDE!

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/38861315 w=500&h=281]