‘Shifting Gears’ on Bicycles, Motorcycles

Not many people are up to making a long commute by bicycle; few people work close enough to home to walk to work, and roller skating is an amusing idea but not likely to make much of a dent in the problem. However, with proper training, a person in average condition can become a safe, defensive motorcycle driver.

An average motorcycle gets approximately 50 miles per gallon, so commuting by motorcycle saves as much gas as two or three people car-pooling in an average car. Two people sharing a cycle commute doubles the fuel savings. Cycles also take up much less space on roads and in parking lots than do cars.

Although I don’t own a motorcycle, I have several friends who use them as their primary means of transportation, including commuting to professional jobs. And I feel much less vulnerable as a passenger on a motorcycle than I would trying to make my way through hostile, rush hour traffic on a 10-speed.

IRENE STRUTHERS

Altadena