Bike to Work Week!

[shootingstar]

So this morning it was a steady rain when I was volunteering at one of the different spots for Bike to Work Wk. stations tents/table in our city. We were right in front of a community college.

About 45-50 cyclists in total did drop by in the rain for food, prizes and info. (8 am - 10 am). There was lots of food ...fresh fruit, juices, muffins, scones, donuts and coffee. Included a mother with her child in bike trailer.

Would say at least 15 cyclists whizzed by unwilling to stop because it was too wet or they had to get somewhere on time. A few didn't seem to notice our table.

This wk. there will at least 15-20 different bike to work week locations for bike commuter stop tents/tables for city and suburbs for food, info. Then there will be mega BQ downtown for bike commuters --several thousand cyclists. I plan to go, because it's so close to home...almost embarrassing that I cycle there, yet maybe not.
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Just heard from my partner who is in Brussels today, his lst day there. It is also Bike to Work Week or whatever there. He did roam around downtown but didn't see much evidence of the week/event being marketed as such.

[papaver]

I haven't heard about it. But there was a big article in the newspapers about the event your husband is attending. Apparently Gent (a real bikefriendly) city was supposed to organise the event, but Brussels snatched it away. You hardly see any bikes in Brussels.

What we often have (like once a year) is a car free day nation wide. Cars are not allowed in the streets then. I wish they did that weekly.

[shootingstar]

So on national car-free day in Belgium, do alot of towns/cities successfully kick out car driving in most neighbourhoods on that day? Ok, I have visions of empty highways. (If that happened, it would like either a miracle or a disaster occurred.)

This is the photo page (which doesn't look finished as of this morning) of lst day of Bike to Work Wk. I am in lst photo, lst row, left-hand. Click on photo to make it bigger. Am in the high vi jacket with red helmet.
http://www.momentumplanet.com/blog/r...langara-photos

[papaver]

So on national car-free day in Belgium, do alot of towns/cities successfully kick out car driving in most neighbourhoods on that day? Ok, I have visions of empty highways. (If that happened, it would like either a miracle or a disaster occurred.)

yep, but believe me the streets are crowded with bikes of all sorts. It's really great. There used to be carfree sundays back in the seventies because of economical reasons. Now it's just for fun. Cities like Gent are partly car free all year round.

[Skierchickie]

Okay, I rode the touring bike to work Monday, the mtb Tuesday (first time riding that to work - even on snowmobile trails and two-tracks, 12.5 miles one way on that is INFINITELY harder than 10 on the roadie!). Today was supposed to be rainy and windy, with 70% chance of thunderstorms, so I didn't ride (and it ended up not raining much ), and tomorrow we're supposed to have wind gusts of 50mph , so I'll skip that, too. Friday I'll ride the roadie .

Well, 3 out of 5 is better than I've ever done before.

I hope everyone is having fun!

[shootingstar]

I hope everyone is having fun!

2nd time I volunteered at a bike commuter stop station this wk. Why is that I choose time slots when it rains, today gusty winds?

Today's corner is a busy car traffic corner with intersecting bike lanes, with one coming off a road bridge.

But our commuter-team volunteer gang were whopping up at all the bike commuters stopping by for bagel cream 'cheese, juice, muffins, cinnamon buns,etc., bike maps, etc. or bypassing us. Music was blasting out of the boombox --if you could hear it above the traffic roar. Some of us were stuffing a free orange or banana in the cyclist's backpack/hand as they were waiting for traffic light to change.

I was the bean counter at this junction. 4 pm - 6pm: approx. 55 cyclists stopped by eat/pick up info/ chat up with plus 50 additional cyclists who did not stop in the cold rain. 10 pedestrians.

Kudos to those cyclists who did stop in the rain.

At several bike stations this wk. so far, there is always a willing volunteer to take photos of the booth, etc.
The Canadian Weather TV network channel will feature a short time slot at a bike commuter station duringthis week..for noon, this Sat. May 16. (Yea, ok when most people are running around town doing stuff, not snuggled up in living rm.)

[OakLeaf]

Well I'm working one day this week and right now there's a big red and yellow line of thunderstorms on its way here.

Wimpy excuse, I know. I WILL commute this summer more than the couple of times I did last year. But it doesn't look like it's going to happen this week.

[shootingstar]

I had no idea about this set of photos. Thanks for the link. It was pretty smoky being near the barbecues for nearly 2 hrs. And most interesting, ALOT of cyclists were after the all-meat burgers, not the hot dogs (meat, turkey and soy options) nor sausages. Food was donated by a supplier which might account for lack of soy burger.

For others, who can't be bothered to go through the slideshow, here is 1 photo highlight the all-women cycling dance troupe, BCyclettes from this area:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29347566@N02/3534847433/

Just lst 10-15 slides should give you a flavour.
It looks like the guy who shot this whole set of photos, has strung together photos from past 4 days on Bike to Work commuter different locations and events.