Blog Feature: Riders With Reason

We are just twenty days out from the big tour--crazy. Now that graduation and festivities are over, I'm feeling that the next three weeks are going to just fly by. This post, however, is going to be about my friends who just left on their bike trip across Florida, from Key West to Tallahassee.

www.riderswithreason.com

The Riders With Reason have just embarked on their journey, and they are riding to raise awareness against distracted driving and to educate others on the dangers of irresponsible road behavior. I'm sharing their efforts because I believe this type of advocacy and outreach needs all the support it can get. The tragic death of their friend, Anthony Branca, late last year is very much the inspiration behind their Florida tour, though they have a vision for future projects and endeavors. They currently have an Indiegogo campaign with a donation goal set for $5,000 which will be used to start up and legitimize their non-profit organization.

Sweet jerseys, dudes! 

Did you know that there are around 10 million traffic accidents, and around 30,000 motor vehicle deaths every year in the United States? Driving is one of the most dangerous daily activities a person can do, and it's dangerous because of the vast number of careless drivers on the road. I see it all the time: drivers speeding through neighborhoods and parking lots, running red lights, rolling through stop signs, not yielding to pedestrians--and you know what? These people are the same ones who ride around with the steering wheel in one hand and their f***ing cell phone in the other. People ride around in these careening, 4,000 pound heaps of metal like they (and everyone else around them) have extra lives. It's crazy, and I believe this is an enormous problem that I'm glad RWR is addressing. As their friend I am very proud of them for their work, and as a fellow cyclist I wish them all the luck in their fight.

I'm super excited for these guys. It seems an increasing number of people around me are investing more time into bike touring, and it makes me happy to see that as well.

Go out and ride your bike! And if you absolutely have to drive, do so responsibly dammit!

- Chris