Today June 4 World Bicycle Day #BicycleDay brings up many memories for me of living in our trailer park and Charlie getting out his bike and me getting my bike Bertha out to ride around the neighborhood. As Charlie gets older I sure miss those times. My bike is in storage. I don’t know if I will ever be able to get it outside to ride along with my treadmill which stinks.
If you want a 3-wheel tricycle/ bike or a treadmill that is full size but folds up I may have some for sale soon as need to downsize our storage unit to save money for this Townhome we live in and to help Charlie be able to get a car now that h is learning to drive. It looks like if I plan on losing weight the way I need to and want then I’m going to have to bite the bullet and just walk Everday. Would you like to come with me?
For many of us, riding a bicycle without training wheels is the first challenging physical activity we ever learn how to master. We all remember that time don’t we? The protective hand secured to the bicycle seat is released. And then ZOOM! were off and peddling, and a lifetime of adventure and freedom awaits a journey of beloved two-wheeled celebrations. In the spirit of that very first trip, let’s take a closer look at World Bicycle Day.
HISTORY OF WORLD BICYCLE DAY
Getting your first bicycle and learning how to ride it is a rite of passage for most of us. Despite the marks from falling from our bicycles while learning, it is a memory we always cherish. Bicycling is quite a useful activity in the hustle and bustle of today’s world, bicycling allows us to exercise our muscles, cut back on fuel consumption because riding a bike is quite a popular alternative to driving a car, and feeling the wind in our hair.
Really, there is nothing quite like the feeling of riding a bicycle. World Bicycle Day acknowledges this and the durability and longevity of the bicycle. Providing a simple and sustainable means of transportation, bicycling is rejuvenating for our physical and mental health, and good for the economy, and the environment.
Did you know The United Nations established World Bicycle Day for many reasons. and as basic as it is, the impact of the bicycle on Society is quite transformative. Even the poorest people get access to basic transport with the bicycle. If you don’t have access to a Bike if your town is like mine you can rent a bike in Cities close to you and go riding just don’t forget to bring your friends and family along with a picnic lunch.
World Bicycle Day all started when U.S.-based Professor Leszek Sibilski initiated a grassroots campaign with his Sociology class to promote a U.N. resolution that would designate a day for the advocacy and celebration of the humble bicycle all over the world. In 2015, Sibilski dedicated himself to an academic project, exploring bicycles and their role in development.
Leszek Sibilski project catapulted into a massive movement backed by ‘Sustainable Mobility for All,’ and eventually resulted in a dedicated international day set by the United Nations for the promotion of bicycling. On April 12, 2018, the resolution declaring June 3 as World Bicycle Day was unanimously adopted by all 193 member states of the UN General Assembly. The resolution was greatly supported by Turkmenistan and co-sponsored by around 56 Countries.
A logo was also designed by Isaac Feld, with an accompanying animation created by Professor John E. Swanson, showing bicyclists riding on various types of bicycles around the world. The message here is that a simple contraption serves all of humanity and bridges the gap between people from different walks of life. The two designers also created the current blue and white logo for the cause.
The bicycle itself is a tradition that all of us have fond memories of riding through our neighborhood as children on our favorite bicycles with their add-ons like bells and baskets. Growing up, cycling has been a rite of passage, and its significance only increases with time. Whether it is a basic two-wheeler, a mountain bike, or a bike with training wheels, World Bicycle Day celebrates cycling.
Bicycles that have been locked away are dusted off and taken out for a spin with friends and family. Many commute to work today on their bicycles, while others consider buying a bike as a daily mode of transportation. I have a question for you this afternoon. What are your plans for World Bicycle Day and why?
WORLD BICYCLE DAY ACTIVITIES
- Many Cities have dedicated bike lanes that allow you to ride at your own pace and convenience. Bicyclists love to get outside of town to take in the sweeping vistas and wind-in-your-hair excitement of rural bicycling.
- European Cyclists’ Federation Secretary General Dr. Bernhard Ensink says of the United Nations’ declaration of June 3 as World Bicycle Day: “Cycling is a source for social, economic and environmental benefits, and it is bringing people together.”
FACTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT BICYCLES
- The “dandy horse,” and early forerunner of the bicycle, was invented by German Karl Drais and patented in February 1818. The “dandy Horse” was heavy almost 50 pounds! and powered by running the rider’s feet along the ground.
- A blacksmith in Scotland named Kirkpatrick Macmillan is generally credited with inventing the first pedal-driven bicycle in 1839.
- Frenchman Pierre Lallement, living in Connecticut, filed the earliest American patent application for a pedal bicycle in 1866.
- The “safety bicycle” was designed by English engineer Harry Lawson in 1876 which is now the most common type of bicycle, although nobody calls it by its original name anymore.
- Tandem bicycles aren’t only two seaters and the longest tandem bicycle seated 35 people, and the bike was more than 65 feet long.
WHY PEOPLE LOVE WORLD BICYCLE DAY
- Millions of people around the world use a bicycle as their primary means of transportation, meaning they get a healthy dose of physical activity as part of their daily routines. World Bicycle Day is the day to join them if you don’t bike every day already as a special celebration of one of history’s best inventions.
- The only power needed to ride a bicycle is foot power or perhaps peddle power and there’s no dirty exhaust fumes to clog and smog up the air.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
