Bike to Work Week May 14-18

[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.

[uforgot]

There isn't a lot of biking interest amond the adults in my town. I teach at the local high school, so I put in the announcements that Friday was bike to work/school day in the St. Louis area. Any student who rides their bike to school can stop by my room for a free Gatorade. I didn't know how it would go over, but there are quite a few who told me that they plan to ride on Friday, just for that Gatorade!

Isn't a big deal to me, as I commute almost every day, but it's fun getting others interested!

[F8th637]

Wow, Claudia! Good for you for offering some sort of incentive!

Sounds like you guys are really making headway in Seattle, mimitabby! Kudos!

[tangentgirl]

Yay Bike to Work Week! I drove Monday so I could bring my clothes in; I'm riding the rest of the week. It's about 10 miles each way.

I didn't see anyone else at my work doing it, but I think I saw a lot more cyclists on the road today. Or I just noticed them more.

[yellow]

In celebration of bike to work week, they started major construction on my route yesterday (construction that I have to walk the bike through since the road is so chopped up). Today on my way home they sent me on a detour to a very busy road that I normally will not get close to (9 lane arterial with no shoulder or bike lane...niiiiice) which, incidentally, is also under construction. (insert stream of expletives here)

I'm going a totally different route tomorrow.

[10ch]

Bike to work month this year has been awesome... It makes up for the jerks who harass us on the road.

That's awesome, Mimitabby!

BTW has been a good one, so far I am 2 for 3. We have several events each night and I haven't made it to a single one. Maybe tonight.

As for messenger bags vs. backpacks vs. panniers... I vote for baskets! I don't like panniers because of the weight they add to the back of the bike, but front loaded baskets don't feel the same for me. I biked for about six months with a backpack, which had better support but didn't look as cool as the messenger bag I used for over a year (a chrome). But using the basket blows those methods out of the water, especially when it's so hot. It's so much nicer to not have something weighing on and heating up my back. Strongly recommend.