Greensburg Glossary: Recycle-a-Bicycle

We all know cars are the scourge of the earth and that bicycles are the most efficient form of transportation (more about that below). Sooner or later, someone was bound to take this one more eco-step and that someone is Recycle-a-Bicycle (RAB). RAB "promotes everyday bicycle use, and it is a great place to learn bicycle mechanics, interact with positive, forward-thinking NYC youth." At RAB, kids and adults alike learn how bikes work and how to fix them when they don't work. Check it all out on video here.

Lessons learned at RAB promote a greener worldview. Since 40 percent of everyday travel in the U.S. are trips of two miles or less, choosing two wheels over four makes plenty of eco-sense. When Worldwatch Institute compared energy used per passenger-mile (calories), they found that a bicycle "needed only 35 calories, whereas a car expended a whopping 1,860. Bus and trains fell about midway between, and walking still took 3 times as many calories as riding a bike the same distance."

Find out how to work at RAB here. Those outside of NYC can get their bicycle news courtesy of Critical Mass