Test Drive: Trading In The Car For A Bike
(CBS)
When I was assigned a story for tonight’s CBS Evening News with Katie Couric on bike commuting – how more Americans are getting to work on two wheels instead of four due to gas prices – I had a couple of questions. A few were serious, one somewhat vain. Who is really doing this? Could it be the start of a new trend? Is it safe? (Biking on New York City streets is not for the faint of heart!) Should I consider commuting by bike? And now to the superficial inquiry – what do you do about helmet head?
What my producer, Tony Maciulis, and I learned is that people of all ages are pulling out their old bicycles from the garage – or buying new ones (sales for bikes have doubled in one Philadelphia store we visited). People like Rich Himmer, a 55-year-old software engineer, who now spends about 45 minutes biking seven miles to his office. Rich cited gas prices, concerns about global warming and the timesaver of doing his workout while travelling to work as his reasons for joining the growing ranks of bike commuters. “I’m saying if I can get in shape now, when it (gas) gets to $8 a gallon, I’ll be all set,” he joked.
Ex-NBA ref Tim Donaghy 