Bike-to-Work Update

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So, it’s Bike Month and Bike-to-Work day was almost two weeks ago. We’re still riding in. So far this month I have a 4 for 5 and two 5 for 5 weeks. Four other coworkers are committed to riding as part of the Team Bike Challenge. We also have a couple of other coworkers who occasionally ride or at least ride at lunch instead of taking the car.

How many of you participated in BTWD? How did it go? Did you stop at an Energizer Station? Congrats to Dale, who rode in a couple of days that week. Readers, please leave a comment if you participated.

Bike-to-Work Day is Thursday, May 14th

May is Bike Month and this Thursday is Bike-to-Work Day. Get out your bike and ride!

In addition to a group of us meeting to ride to work on Thursday, my coworkers and I are participating in the Team Bike Challenge. On our team of 5 riders, we have three riders who ride to work 4 or 5 days a week and as often as possible on weekends and are committed to riding during the month of May. The other two riders on the team try to ride as often as they can, even though it’s not everyday. Sometimes it’s as simple as riding the bike to get your latte instead of hopping in the car. The farmers market, a quick trip to Trader Joe’s, or to the local park or market are all good reasons to ride the bike. I rode my bike to coach soccer my son’s team last fall.

If you are heading out on Thursday, be sure to check out the “Energizer Stations” where you can pick up a musette bag of goodies and bike-related SWAG. Some stations also offer refreshments. See the full list of Energizer Stations in the east bay.

For route planning, check out Bikely.com, a great bike mapping resource. For more info on local biking, see Walk Oakland Bike Oakland (aka WOBO) and the East Bay Bike Coalition.

Hope to see you on the road Tuesday!

–L

Bike to Work Day is Coming!

Bike to Work Day is Thursday, May 14th. Do you ride a bike to work sometimes or even every day? Would you like to? If there was an Energizer Station in Piedmont, would you stop by?

Add your thoughts to the comments section of this post or join the Piedmont Cyclists group to provide your input. If you are a Piedmont cyclist, we’d like to hear about your riding experiences.

Bike-to-Work Day Follow-up

I wanted to let you know I ended up riding about 37 miles on bike to work day. The ~4 mile trip to Emeryville was a cinch. I got there 40+ minutes before my co-workers and had a nice chat with the people at the Energizer Station at Powell while I waited.

You can see more pictures in my flickr Bike-to-Work set

6 of my coworkers met me in Emeryville and we headed up the Bay Trail toward Richmond for another 9+ miles. The pace was a bit slower than I’m used to because of the wide range of bike experience, but it was a beautiful morning and a fun ride. We met two more co-workers on the trail and the 9 of us made our way to the Richmond marina.

We had a work event at Albany bowl at lunch that day, so 4 of us biked there. It was very hot at this point and one biker hitched a ride back for herself and her bike in someone’s car. This was the record-breaking heat day. On the evening commute back to Emeryville, 5 of the 9 made the trip back, the others opting out because of the heat.

Overall, my bike mileage was about 37 miles including the Albany Bowl lunch trip. It was fun and I was not terribly physically affected the next day except for my right arm, which was sore from bowling! Remember that a typical ride for me is 5-12 miles, so this was a big step up.

One of our co-workers rides to work every day. One rides 3 times a week using a drive-bike combo. Another does a train-bike combo. As a result of the great experience, two or three of us who have typically been “car- only” decided to try to bike to work at least once or twice a month. Should be a fun challenge to see if we can do it.

Did anyone else bike to work? Are you riding for National Bike Month?

–L

Bike to Work Day – Thursday May 15th

It’s National Bike Month (since 1956) with the biggest day of the month being Bike to Work Day on May 15th. I’ll be riding from Piedmont to Richmond on Bike to Work Day. My route will head down toward the bay for a stop in Emeryville at the Powell St Energizer Station, where I’ll be meeting my coworkers for a ride along the bay trail to the office at the Richmond marina. My approximate route is on bikely.com. The Piedmont-to-Emeryville part is about 3.5 miles. If you’d like to ride with me, even part of the way, let me know (leave a comment on this post or I’m in the directory). I’m riding a 40-year old Raleigh 3-speed, so I’m not hard to keep up with. On your way home from work, Rudy’s Can’t Fail Cafe in Emeryville is hosting a Bike Away from Work Day party 5:30-8:30pm. Free valet bike parking, raffle prizes, and stories to share.

Downtown Oakland’s Bike to Work Energizer Station is huge, with extra giveaways and a pancake breakfast. If you work downtown, it’s an easy bike commute and you’ll see lots of fellow bikers and there is valet bike parking! Also checkout the Walk Oakland – Bike Oakland site for information about other BTWD events and proposed bike lane projects for on Broadway, Oakland/Harrison, Webster, and Franklin. Each of these would improve bicycling to and from Piedmont.

And if you bring your bike on AC Transit or BART to San Francisco, you’ll be in the mecca of BTWD goodies and freebies. The SF Bicycle Coalition has a huge amount of activity planned.

I am also participating in a Team Bike Challenge with some coworkers. The goal is to get points by using your bike instead of your car. Currently we are in second place in Contra Costa County. Typically I leave my bike at the office and use it for rides to lunch, for errands, or to go to Peets. On the 15th I’ll be riding the whole way.

Hope to see you on your bike this month!

Len