As negative, rude and annoying as a question like this sounds, it probably needs to be one we are always prepared to answer.  Unless of course you really don’t care about other people, live completely for yourself, and tend to be quite comfortable going through life without purpose or principal.  Hey that’s cool, if you are happy there, and don’t strap bombs to your chest – it’s OK with me, but I doubt if you’d be reading this blog right now ☺

Strange way to start a blog on Thanksgiving Day right? Well maybe yes and maybe no.  Let’s just say if we had a time of the year where people begin to think more about giving, looking outside themselves, sharing with family and friends, it is the holiday season between Thanksgiving and New Years.  So perhaps the timing is actually perfect, because the “who cares” really will come down to us thinking of ourselves as a collective group.  The norm is for people to say – you guys have fun with that outside riding thing, I’ll stay safe and sound inside… or for the outdoor fanatic to not even grace the 4 walls of an indoor cycling class.  He or she is prepared to do the “real suffering” er, I mean work of training indoors by setting up their trainer and riding inside.[gallery]

If we an assume that we do care, then we will want to share the benefits – fun, comradarie, health benefits, performance improvements, memories, unforgettable experiences with friends and family.  All of these positive influences can be experienced inside and out.  If you are following this blog and this new movement of merging cyclists with spinners because you have already “been there”, then you know exactly what I am talking about.  My guess is that if you are already one of the “enlightened ones”, you will have a sincere interest in seeing us succeed – you can already think about those friends or family members that you just haven’t been able to convince yet, but whom you know would thoroughly enjoy one or the other activity.

Well, we are here to help, and without further chit chat, let’s start with a good list of why taking a trip on “the other side” makes sense.  The list below is just the “tip of the iceberg”.  Those of us who are avid in both indoor and outdoor riding know there are more reasons than one blog entry can possibly delineate.  So we’ve put them in a separate page where we are asking for folks to submit more reasons, and to vote on their favorites:

In General:

• It will double your opportunities to stay in shape
• It will add incredible variety to burning calories
• It will provide opportunities to meet new people
• You already have the needed starting fitness level to try
• It is a low cost activity compared to lots of other sports or recreation activities

Why Cyclists Should Invite Spinners/Indoor Cycling Folks to Ride:

1.    There is safety in numbers – Here is a recent quote from one of our related blogs:

It seems paradoxical but the more people ride bicycles on our city streets, the less likely they are to be injured in traffic accidents.

International research reveals that as cycling participation increases, a cyclist is far less likely to collide with a motor vehicle or suffer injury and death…And it’s not simply because there are fewer cars on the roads, but because motorists seem to change their behaviour and drive more safely when they see more cyclists and pedestrians around.

2.    Bike commuting is great for the environment and to minimize traffic.  For an entire site dedicated to this, see the Bike Commuter Blog.

3.    Road riding is not the only area where we NEED more riders.  Our Rails to Trails need more riders to encourage the continued development of the now almost extinct rail system in the U.S.  Who are they?  Taken from their website:

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nonprofit organization working with communities to preserve unused rail corridors by transforming them into trails, enhancing the health of America’s environment, economy, neighborhoods and people.

4.    Not far from the flat terrain of the rail trail, are often single track networks for Mountain Bikers.  IMBA is an organization like Rails to Trails that has been formed to help preserve these natural resources as well.  The more riders, the more advocates, the more likely all mountain bike trails will be preserved.  Taken from their website:

We have asked for diverse trail mileage and conditions, because we are diverse. Mountain bicycling beginners need wide, smooth trails where they can safely learn the sport. Accomplished technical riders need challenging features that test their nerves and skills. All of us savor that close-in feeling of being enveloped by nature and awed by animal sightings, wildflower blooms, and changing vistas.

Even saying this is the “tip of the iceberg” is an understatement.  There are so many reasons, and entire organizations that exist to preserve the rights and opportunities of cyclists that we will be using Cycling Fusion as a convenient place to provide quick over views and links to them.

Next blog entry… the other iceberg ☺.