How to Get Coworkers to Bike to Work

Biking to work saves gas, energy and stress while helping you to exercise and stay healthy. It works even better if you can get your coworkers to bike to work as well, but sometimes people are reluctant to try new things. Questions of distance and safety may keep some coworkers in their cars and there will always be reasons not to bike to work. You can take steps to get them there with some gentle encouragement.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Stress the benefits of taking a bike to work. Many coworkers would consider it more seriously if they realized how it would help them. Not only does it avoid the stress of commuting, but it saves considerable money on gas and car repairs and when you factor in traffic jams and the struggle to find parking, it may be quicker to boot. Furthermore, a regular bike routine gets them in the habit of exercising and if they include it as a part of their rides to work, it won't take up any additional time.
2. Lead by example. If you yourself bike to work, it becomes much more credible when you extol its virtues. Conversely, if you don't bike to work, few coworkers will be inclined to listen when you talk about how great it is. Set the pace in your own routine and let the advantages speak for themselves.
3. Organize "bike pools." While biking to work together doesn't save any more gas or energy than biking separately, your coworkers are more likely to stick with it if they have a group to bike with to and from the office. Figure out which coworkers live within a reasonable distance of each other and set up a central point where they can meet at a specific time and ride into work together.
4. Ask your employers for support. They get a number of benefits from workers who bike into the office: improved parking conditions, less stress, healthier employees (which keeps health care costs down) and the camaraderie of a shared experience. Get them to encourage it by offering extra vacation days for bikers, racks or storage areas for bikes and perhaps a more relaxed dress code so that employees don't have to change.
5. Map out routes for your coworkers. Find out how they get to work and look for easier routes that can get them there via bike. Keep an eye out for parks, bike trails or open areas. These are pleasant places for biking which cars can't normally access.

Tips & Warnings

• Always be respectful when asking your coworkers to bike to work. Some may have things in their lives (such as health conditions) that prevent them from biking, while others may live too far away or engage in activities after work that necessitate the use of a car. Encourage them to bike as enthusiastically as you can, but don't continue to hassle them if they keep saying "no."