Rain on Your Bike Parade?

So it looks like it may rain on your parade, eh?  Don’t rule out that cycle trip yet!

Think bicycling has to be an all or nothing activity?  Au contraire!

Below is just a brief outline of what’s available in the Bike-and-Ride section of Tips for Tourists Bicycling Monterey County.  (The tips are helpful to visitors and anyone who bikes in MoCo!)

Photo courtesy of Monterey Salinas Transit.

While bicycling is a great way to get around, most people have times when combining cycling with other transportation is exactly what they need.   Here are some examples:

1. High winds or heavy rains
2. Change of plans for which you weren’t prepared (i.e., didn’t bring bicycle lights with you and you’ve decided to return after dark)
3. Find your way on unfamiliar routes
4. Visit remote spots that are otherwise hard to reach
5. Conserve your physical energy for other activities
6. Avoid less safe/less comfortable bikeways
7. Save time (Sometimes!  However, note that the cyclist got there quicker than the vehicle driver in Monterey County’s Bike Week challenge.)
8. Have a fun and unique shopping trip, including avoiding traffic and parking problems
9. You choose not to own a car/you live a car-free lifestyle
10. HER Helmet Thursdays – Besides your immediate neighborhood, you want to support participants in other parts of the county too.

What are some of the transportation options available in Monterey County–ways to transport your bicycle, as well as yourself?

1. A bicycle rack for your car
2. Monterey Salinas Transit system (MST) – “The Bus”
3. Amtrak (train and train-bus combo system)
4. Taxicabs
5. Hotel shuttles
6. Airport shuttle

Click here for details on the above!

8/24/10 update:  And for some photos of rain on a parade, with cyclists managing just fine, see the Amsterdamize 8/10/10 blog post, “Rain on Our Parade.”