Bicycle Commuter Mentor Program of Charlotte, North Carolina - How To

How Do I Get Started?

Fri, 23 Jul 2004 20:35:46 -0400

We welcome any adult in the Charlotte area who:

has the required equipment,
will travel a route and schedule compatible with an available mentor, and
signs the BCMP Release, Waiver and Assumption of Risk.

A day or two after you e-mail us at info@bikementor.org, one of the BCMP coordinators will contact you. We'll want to know:

What are your home and work locations?
What times do you need to travel to and from work?
How much do you already ride?
What equipment do you have or are thinking about obtaining?

This will help us select the best mentor for you and allow us to answer any questions you may have. E-mail us now and get the ball rolling!

What Can We Expect of Each Other?

Fri, 23 Jul 2004 20:36:33 -0400

Your Bike Mentor will be an experienced bicycle commuter who knows answers to many of the practical challenges of bike commuting in Charlotte – things like clothing, parking, washing facilities, dealing with traffic, and finding suitable routes.

You can count on a Mentor's knowledge, patience, and general cycling ability. He or she will be glad to answer your questions and help you get ready for bike commuting. When you're ready to give it a go, your Bike Mentor will accompany you on at least one trip to work.

Here's what we expect of you.

You are a competent and confident rider who's fit enough to ride the route to be traversed without excessive strain (but we do not require that you be experienced riding in urban traffic).
You have a suitable bicycle in good repair.
You always wear a helmet when riding.
You furnish all necessary clothing and equipment.
You keep appointments with your Mentor promptly or cancel them well in advance.
You commit enough time to try your commute several times – one try is usually not enough to work out all the kinks.
You listen to and observe your Mentor's suggestions.
In collaboration with your Mentor, you set a specific bike commuting goal (for example, two days a week for six weeks, one day more per month bike commuting than driving, etc.).

Finally, before your Mentor can work with you, you must sign our Release, Waiver and Assumption of Risk.

We'll give you our best advice, but as our Release underscores, you bear sole responsibility for your safety. Should you ever feel that you're heading for more risk than you want to assume, it's up to you to call a halt. Your Mentor will respect your decision and work with you to find alternatives or return to your starting point.

You're Invited to Join the Charlotte Bicycle Commuter Support Group

Sun, 25 Jul 2004 12:42:14 -0400

The Idea was started by John Cock, a Charlotte city planner and bike commuter. He collected names and email addresses of bike commuters he met on the road and used the email list to spread the word about regularly scheduled get-togethers.

The Get-Togethers happen twice a month.

Morning: 2^nd Friday of the month, approx. 7-9 AM at Reid's Grocery, 7^th St. Station.
Afternoon: 4^th Wednesday of the month, approx. 5-7 PM at Brixx Pizza, 6^th St. at 7^th St. Station.

They are informal and anyone is welcome to stop by. Typically there are from five to fifteen in attendance, even on cold winter mornings or rainy afternoons.

The Email List currently has over 140 names. There are a lot more bike commuters in Charlotte than you may have thought! An email is sent out to announce each get-together. Each email also contains several articles related to bicycle commuting. Occasionally, an extra email will be sent during the month if there is special information that needs to be distributed.