Sunday, April 28, 2013

National Bike Month 2013

National Bike to Work Month is just around the corner. Celebrating 55 years of bike riding fun, there are events taking place across the country, region and upstate to mark May 2013 as National Bike to Work month.

May 2013 dates of significance.
Wednesday May 8 is National Bike to School Day. The week of May 13 - 17 is National Bike to Work week. Friday, May 17 is National Bike to Work Day. Invite co-workers to ride to work or go for a ride during the lunch hour. Ask school leaders to encourage bike riding and rewarding students for their choice to participate. Talk to a local leader to host an event for National Bike Month. Consider committing to participating in one of these events this year.

Learn or refresh on how to commute by bike. To help potential or novice bike commuters, I've been writing a series called "How to Commute by Bike." This is a min-series of posts about the process of preparing for bike commuting It's meant to be a 'how-to' guide for beginners and a refresher for veteran riders. If you're considering adding a bike commute to your routine, I would encourage you to check it out. The series will continue throughout May.

Join the National Bike Challenge. If you aren't able to bike to work during the week of May 13 - 17 or on National Bike to Work Day May 17, you can still participate. The League of American Bicyclists is encouraging folks to track their bike rides in May and over the course of the summer by joining the National Bike Challenge. Last year over 30,000 folks rode over 12,000,000 miles! That's a lot of time - and fun - on two wheels.

You can ride "solo" or join a team. Consider challenging friends, neighbors, family or co-workers to join in the fun and log miles. Stats and stories can be tracked at the national and state level. It was kind of fun to watch the number of miles I commuted (and CO2 I saved) during the challenged. If you're looking for a team to join and you're a part of the Clemson University community, consider joining the team called "Clemson University."

Local events. The City of Greenville has information on local events listed on the city website. Stay tuned and search other community websites to see what other events will be happening in the upstate.

National Bike to Work Month is a fun way to get out and get moving in the spring before the summer heat hits. Make a commitment to tuning up that bike and getting out on one (or a few) bike rides. Invite others and explore familiar places in a new way. Get outside and have fun!

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