I've been a passionate cyclist for more than half my life. I started riding to school every day in New York City when I was a teenager, and started racing after I saw the movie "Breaking Away". In this picture I'm in recovery mode following a ride in the coastal hills near La Honda, CA, with my friends Harlan, Liz, and Tom (L-R).

After many years of being a snotty lycra-clad racer who looked down his nose at tourists and recreational cyclists and drove hundreds of miles to races, I expanded my horizons to include a little more of the Big Picture: I now volunteer for bicycle advocacy programs such as MassBike. The new Pioneer Valley Chapter of MassBike meets monthly to plan local action. I own a car but pretend I don't, riding to work rain or shine, and doing all my shopping and other errands by bike. I have a trailer for carrying heavy loads.

Check out the photo of me and Kelly Moore at the 1998 Transportation Alternatives NYC Century!

Here are some tips for comfortable and safe nighttime and cold-weather commuting.

And here are an article and photo about the Pioneer Valley's first Critical Mass ride crossing over the Coolidge Memorial Bridge.




Do we NEED cars???

Automobiles and their use are responsible for more pollution and other environmental destruction, including the largest share of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming, than any other human pursuit in the world. Cars also cause 40,000 human and 400,000,000 animal deaths every year in the US. Cars lead to suburban growth (= natural habitat destruction) and social isolation.

Every day, Americans drive the equivalent of a round trip to Pluto (source: the Federal Highway Administration).

In October and November of 1993 I bicycled solo across Vietnam, starting in Saigon and ending in Hanoi.

For more bike- and transportation-related links, visit

...and for a view of the Dark Side, look at
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