Bike to Work Week May 14-18

[mimitabby]

In Seattle we have May as bike to work MONTH.
I have already logged 5 trips in less than 2 weeks.
I am the team captain for 9 people in my lab (well, one is my husband
who doesn't work there but he's on our team anyway)
and we're in a big competition with some guys in a lab nearby.
It's not always convenient to ride, but I'm glad to be doing it.

[Trek420]

Bike to work Month
Within which there is bike to work week
In which there's Bike to Work Day

You'll be able to bike both ways in no time!!

CA Bay Area events here

http://www.bayareabikes.org/btwd/ind...age=events.php

[suzieqtwa]

I biked to work the last 3 days....not bad ,6 miles each way ,but its the getting changed to look presentable thats hard to do. Its also kinda hard to carry a back pack.

[Geonz]

One of our bike club guys went to the coffee shops & got 'em to give discounts to cycilsts on bike to work day, which we're doing on Friday May 18. ( Maybe he told each one the all the other ones were doing it or something? )

[Pax]

One of our bike club guys went to the coffee shops & got 'em to give discounts to cycilsts on bike to work day, which we're doing on Friday May 18. ( Maybe he told each one the all the other ones were doing it or something? )

Do we just walk in all sweaty with smashed helmet hair to qualify for the discount?

[Kimmyt]

Suzie, I use a backpack to commute with. It's actually not that bad, you just have to make sure it rides up high on your back (i.e. crank those shoulder straps tight). As long as I'm not a packrat and only bring the minimal stuff (small camp towel, travel shower stuff, clothes for the day/LIGHT shoes... this requires serious outfit consideration but is easier in the summer) then it's not bad, and I ride a road bike and even find it comfortable to ride in the drops with the bag on for most of the time!

I would love to get some of my coworkers to ride in, but they've got the kids excuse. I'm working on them for the summer though...

K.

[mimitabby]

I use a backpack too. I actually like it better than loading down the back of the bike.
All I carry is a change of clothes and a lunch and my wallet and cellphone it's just not THAT heavy.

[nicole309]

In Seattle we have May as bike to work MONTH.
.

Here in Port Townsend I am celebrating Bike to Work YEAR!!!

[Kimmyt]

This is good news! I spoke to one of the guys who is taking over leadership of our pseudo-defunct work cycling team and told him that since it's Bike to Work Week that I'd be willing to give my name out to members as a contact if they are interested in starting to bike to work. I figure that some people want to do it, but just need help figuring out the logistics, so they can contact me and we can talk and I can get them to commute!

Also, I managed to coerce a few other riding buddies to meet me for my commute on Bike To Work Day (May 18) and then we'll ride in together. There's talk of a group dinner afterwards to celebrate. I'm going to try and get more people to try it for just one day so they can see that it's fun and easy!

K.

[Micki Rider]

Doin' my first Bike To Work week and at first I thought I'd dread carting a messenger pack. I thought it would feel heavy and would hamper my ability to get off the seat fast or get in the way; but that hasn't been the case.

It's a bag made by Sherpani and rides in the best place right above my hips so it doesn't make my back sweat. It also sinches up around my waste and stays put.

On the other hand, last year I wore a hydration pack on my back and it was hot, hot, hot. Have switched to water bottles since.

[Tri Girl]

Our official day is May 18th in Oklahoma City. This year I get to do it (had to take the morning off work tho and it'll cost me $25 for a sub, but it's worth it).
Last year there were so many cyclists that rode downtown to City Hall, that as a result they had a committee gathered to talk about trails and appropriated a million + dollars to make new trails around the city. I'm excited about the prospects for this year.

I have tried commuting the last 2 weeks, but there's been so much rain that I can't do it (and roads are such that I feel very unsafe riding in the rain).
Hopefully it'll dry out soon!!

[Trek420]

Doin' my first Bike To Work week and at first I thought I'd dread carting a messenger pack. I thought it would feel heavy and would hamper my ability to get off the seat fast or get in the way; but that hasn't been the case.

It's a bag made by Sherpani and rides in the best place right above my hips so it doesn't make my back sweat. It also sinches up around my waste and stays put.

On the other hand, last year I wore a hydration pack on my back and it was hot, hot, hot. Have switched to water bottles since.

I think that's the idea of BTW month/week/day.

We think "oh I could never bike to work, my wingtips aren't SPD compatible, I dread messenger bags, I'll have helmet hair in a meeting. But ok, one day, I can do this one day for fun"

And then we find the messenger bag is easy cool and hip, we can keep a spare pair of shoes under the desk and it's wonderful looking under my desk and seeing the SIDIS and .... best of all .... coworkers think your helmet hair is awesome "you BIKED to work! wow, I can try it too!"

[mimitabby]

what keeps the messenger bag from shifting around on your back?

I use a backpack (which was cheap and is now starting to fall apart) and can't understand why someone would carry a messenger bag instead.

[F8th637]

I did a trial run of my commute for next Friday today. It's about 15 miles one way. My husband works in the same office and we only have one bike currently so I won't have to make the commute back. I did it more for myself to see if I could do it and I can! Woo hoo!

[mimitabby]

Bike to work month this year has been awesome. We are finding all sorts of new (to us) bike commuters. There are probably 20 in our building alone. We are working with facilities to provide better bike parking, and for the men at least, more lockers for them to put their stuff in (plenty of room for women, the ratio of men to women here is 7:1 !!)
I got published in the paper (a letter to the editor about my trials and tribulations on my commute) and someone else did yesterday. our company's commute office has heard of us, and they are thinking of having an awards
luncheon for all the top teams (in the commute challenge) at the end of the month. This is terrific stuff. It makes up for the jerks who harass us on the road.