Hello there. I’m Scott Render (Pictured over there in the bicycle t-shirt.) I joined the board at FCCB this year and I’m lovin’ it!
Back around 1989, I was working as a new writer at WHAS Radio in downtown Louisville. At the time they wanted to charge me $50 a month to park my car. I was barely making $50 a week. Then I read an article by Joe Ward at the Courier-Journal. At the time, Joe had been bicycle commuting for many years, having started in the early 1970s. His article about his experiences bike commuting drew a stark contrast between driving the car and taking the more adventurous bicycle. Smelling flowers in the spring. Seeing and hearing things you never do in a closed up car. Staying in shape. Not polluting. Having an adventure twice a day, going and coming. I was inspired. The next day I got my bike out and gave it a try, riding the short distance from Butchertown to Chestnut and 6th. I was able to park my bike right next to my desk in my office. No one said a thing. I remember thinking I’m getting away with something here! This was too easy. And it felt great. That was 29 years ago, and except for a 4 year stretch working in Frankfort, I’ve been riding to work pretty consistently ever since, both in Louisville and Seattle where I lived in the 90’s for a few years. I can’t tell you how much money I’ve saved, how much more I’ve experienced, and how many cool people I’ve met along the way.
Riding to work today in Louisville, I’m likely to see a lot more folks out there joining me on any given morning. The city has a much more developed bicycle infrastructure now. It’s not perfect. It never will be. It certainly wasn’t when I started, or when Joe started. If you’re waiting for Louisville to be 100% safe and perfect to start riding for transportation, you’re riding down the wrong path. Just join us. Reach out to someone you know (someone at FCCB) and ask how you can start commuting. Reach out to me. It takes some time to get used to. Finding the right bike, the right clothing, the right gear, the best routes. But it’s all worth it. Bicycle commuting has changed my life in so many ways. I hope it can do the same for you.
For me it all started with a short article by Joe Ward. Thanks Joe for inspiring me to start commuting. Hopefully I can do the same for someone else. We really miss you!
Scott Render