Bicycle Friendly

Here's a great idea arising from a great story:

The cycling team at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky, takes regular, long training rides on the roads surrounding the college. They were approached by some local residents who said (paraphrasing), "We like seeing the cycling team come by on their training rides and would like to support the team. We'd like them to know that if they ever need any assistance, especially in more rural areas—food or water, a phone, medical or mechanical help, directions—they are free to knock on our doors and we'll help them any way we can."

So together, they came up with the "Bicycle Friendly" sticker above. It's large—about 6" in diameter—to affix to the mailboxes of homes that are "Bicycle Friendly." When cyclists see the sticker, they know there are "friendlies" living there who will welcome the opportunity to assist them if they need help. And local businesses have gotten on the bandwagon—coffee shops, restaurants, and others who welcome cyclists are displaying the stickers on their storefronts.

In a day when cyclists are viewed as a nuisance by many folks, it's encouraging to find people who, even though they don't ride themselves, are still "Bicycle Friendly."

You can learn more about the program here, and order your own "Bicycle Friendly" stickers for your own mailbox or storefront. Ordering info is on the web site, or you can send a PayPal payment to grigsbyd@lindsey.edu. Stickers are $1 each and $1 for s/h for every 25 stickers ordered. That's obviously a break-even price, but proceeds support the Lindsey Wilson College cycling team. I've ordered some and plan to take a few by the two bike shops near me to encourage them to participate in distributing them.

They've already sold the first run of 10,000 stickers with more on order!