I have an idea for an intentional community/housing collective that I
figured would be appropriate to first convey here and elicit what other
cyclists think of the idea. It is my impression that there are a great many
potential bicycle commuters within our population who do not pursue such a
livelihood because they are not adequately supported in the beginning.
Therefore, I would like to propose a community that would be known as the
Cyclist Nursery or the Bird's Nest that would function as something of a
halfway house that would be open to new residents who would like to pursue
the goal of becoming a bicycle commuter and encourage them to later make
space for new cyclist seedlings after a number of months or as soon as they
feel comfortable.
There are two main areas that I feel new cyclists need notable support:
safety and sustenance. As for safety, there is not much that we can do to
change the presence of dangers on the road, but it would be prudent to offer
a living example of how to mitigate and minimize them through safe riding
practices. This would relate to the service provided by the founders, their
proteges and other experienced cyclists to accompany new commuters on their
regular route to work or school to familiarize them with the most calm and
flat paths, point out things/actions to avoid, and a general feeling of
being supported in their endeavor.
The other means of support would be the important pursuit of creating
sustenance composed only of whole, nutritious foods for every meal. This is
not very difficult, but vitally important for the levels of energy and
awareness required by regular bicycle commuters. The creation of such meals
would be a staple of creative pass-time and mutual support that would help
to provide a sense of solidarity among the residents. It would not be a
requirement that everyone be equally involved in such shared duties due to
varied obligations, but monetary support would be expected in lieu
collaborative labor for food expenses and time.
So, I would like to hear what the greater bike community thinks of this
proposal, any questions that have arisen and also where I might seek
additional feedback, guidance, fellow investors.