Fifteen excuses for not joining Brookline Bikes Beacon parade

The Fifth Annual Brookline Bikes Beacon Bicycle Parade is Sunday, May 20. Hundreds of cyclists will start out from Amory Park precisely at 12:30 p.m., and parade up Beacon Street with the police clearing the way and covering our backs. It?s fun! It?s free! It?s friendly! It?s 5 miles. What?s your excuse for not being in the parade?

I don?t have a bike.

You can rent one from UrbanAdventours. They?re one of the sponsors. Or join Hubway for a day (or a year) and pick a bike from the dock in Kenmore Square. Or borrow a bike from that friend of yours who is away for the weekend. Or use the parade as an incentive to buy a bike from one of our sponsors, such as Landry?s, Eastern Mountain Sports or East Coast Alpine.

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I?ve forgotten how to ride a bike.

They say you never really forget how to ride a bike. You might be a little shaky when you first get back on one. The Parade is a safe place to start riding again.

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I?m too old.

What?s too old? 100? The Brookline Senior Center often has a contingent ride in the Parade. If you?re between the ages of 8 and 88-plus, and have a reliable bike, there?s room for you in the big parade.

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I?m too young.

If you?re done with training wheels, you?re probably old enough for the novice ride through Cottage Farm. Does Mom or Dad have a child seat or trail-a-bike or a trailer to transport you in the big parade?

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I never learned how to ride a bike.

No time like the present. You?ll be surprised how easy it is to learn. You?ll acquire a lifelong skill and expand your opportunities.

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Too many cars.

The Parade is car free! The Brookline Police lead, ride in the middle and cover the back of the parade. This is a once-a-year opportunity to cycle on Beacon Street without having to worry about automobiles and trucks and pedestrians.

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I disagree with ?contraflow? lanes for bicyclists.

Okay. Join the Parade and you can ?go with the flow.?

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I?m in a snit about bicyclists who flout the laws.

The Parade has a big, supportive police presence. Ride with hundreds of people who are all obeying police directions all at the same time. And having fun. The police are major supporters of the Brookline Bikes Beacon Bicycle Parade.

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My tires need air.

Everybody needs air. Maybe we can help. Go to one of our bike shop supporters (Landrys, EMS, East Coast Alpine) to get air or to fix a flat. And we?ll have pumps at Amory Park.

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I hate to ride in the rain.

Assume the weather will be perfect. Last year it rained like crazy before and after the parade and still, 250 cyclists showed up.

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The Parade is too short and too slow. I ride 100 miles every Sunday morning.

Great! Grab some lunch and join us for a leisurely 5 more miles at 12:30. It won?t kill you.

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I don?t own Lycra shorts.

Most of us don?t. We ride in street clothes, casuals, gym shorts, bathing suits, garden overalls and even costumes!

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I don?t think I can make it all the way up the hill from St. Paul Street to Lancaster Terrace.

That?s okay. If you can?t keep up, you can always get off your bike, cross over Beacon Street and join the Parade as it?s returning from Cleveland Circle. It?s pretty much downhill on the back stretch with the wind behind you.

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Bicycling is for children.

Yes. And it?s for adults as well. One thousand-plus adult bicyclists commute through Brookline intersections every workday morning.

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I don?t need to bike. I drive a car.

Most of the paraders have driver?s licenses. But on May 20 they?re choosing to draw attention to the environmental, physical and social benefits of riding by hopping on their bikes. Join us.

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John Dempsey is a member of the Bicycle Advsiory Committee. You can register for the parade by going to www.BrooklineBikes.org or by showing up at Amory Park between 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. on Sunday, May 20.

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