Dump the Pump — now more than ever

This Friday June 20 is the third of the Dump the Pump days, this one corresponding with APTA‘s Dump the Pump. So, leave the car at home and catch a CAT (throw your bike on the front rack), bike, walk or carpool.  You  can print out this poster and hang it in your office!

As we know, bikes are a very efficient way to get from A to B. If your office does not have a shower and are thinking that you could not manage sweat and odor, here are a few tips courtesy of Tricks and Tips for Biking to Work (reprinted from this excellent book):

1. Change clothes and clean up in a washroom. For privacy, use a toilet stall. Use wheelchair-accessible stalls for the most room.
2. Remove your work clothes from your bag and hang them up. If stalls don’t have wall hooks, buy adhesive ones and put them in the stalls yourself.
3. Take off your cycling clothes and put them in your bag. If you’ve nowhere to let cycling clothes dry, put them inside a plastic bag.
4. If you store your bike in a secure, private area, lay your cycling clothes on the top tube and handlebars to dry.
5. Use a towel to dry off sweat.
6. If you feel smelly: Carry a package of disposable, moist towelettes and use them to sponge off. Or use a washcloth.
7. Apply talcum powder.
8. Towel off hair, wet it if necessary, and brush, comb, and/or blow-dry.
9. Put on jewelry away from toilets and sinks so you don’t drop it in.

With prices the way they are, pedal power is getting more and more attractive to the average American. Check out this from Mike Luckovich of the AJC last week: