National Bike to Work Week

On my way to work this morning, I pulled up to the gas pump near my apartment and as I filled my car with unleaded fuel at $3.89 per gallon, my wallet swelled up and burst into tears.

Okay, okay, that’s obviously an absurd exaggeration, but I did overhear the grumbling of fellow commuters who were reluctantly burning holes into their pocketbooks as they filled their cars with unreasonably priced gasoline.

Milwaukee gas prices are at an all time high – it seems as though we’ve been saying this for the past few years, huh? But, given that gas prices are predicted to exceed $4 per gallon and we’re already on the brink of four bucks around here, it doesn’t seem like we’ll be cut any slack anytime soon. So, do we grin and bare it? Of course not. We’ll just have to find another means to get from place to place.

For instance, as part of National Bike Month, Milwaukee and the rest of the country will be celebrating National Bike to Work Week (BTWW). From Monday, May 12 to Friday, May 16, the League of American Bicyclists encourages both first time commuters and experienced road warriors to consider biking as an alternative to driving to work. After paying an arm and a leg for gas this morning, this event definitely motivates me to bike instead of drive.

Many people are catching onto this movement too. Last year, hordes of commuters biked to work with their ties flapping in the wind, briefcases strapped onto the rear of their bicycles, and a helmet safely secured on top of their heads. I actually saw one woman in stiletto heals peddling along Wisconsin Avenue probably on her way home from the office. Now, that’s dedication!

Evidently, BTWW has quickly turned into one of the fastest growing movements in the country. Young and old alike have started to participate in the annual week-long bicycling commute as it has become a great incentive to get people to bike to work who normally wouldn't or who don't realize the benefits bicycling has over driving.

Bicycling is an easy and effective way to combat the incessant drain on your bank account posed by driving to and from work daily. According to these bicycling advocates, in 2003, cars idling in traffic wasted five billion gallons of fuel! Hard to believe, huh? Furthermore, the average American spends 50 hours per year stuck in traffic, which certainly is a huge waste of time. So, in case you haven’t realized it, bicycling is the better option, bar none.

Besides saving that money you’d normally spend at the pump, there are several other benefits to riding your bike as well. For example, by making the decision to bike to work instead of drive, you are choosing to burn calories instead of gasoline.

I personally like to cycle for the physical and mental health benefits it provides. Bicycling offers sustained, moderate aerobic exercise, which is a fantastic workout that fits into my daily routine. Plus, it’s proved that regular physical activity reduces the risk of many diseases and illnesses, including coronary heart disease, hypertension, and forms of cancer. Additionally, bicycling improves the overall health of your muscles, bones and joints. Need I say more?

While biking definitely aids in developing those legs of steel you’ve always wanted, it’s also environmentally friendly in the sense that it reduces pollution that would come from the vehicle you’d otherwise be driving. According to the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, bikes help the city in its efforts to go green by not producing those greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, as well as, not releasing carbon monoxide and other oxides and carbons that pollute and stink up the Earth. Now, that ought to make you feel good!

If that isn’t enough to get you peddling, the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin along with many of their sponsors is hosting several BTWW events. Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., free coffee and baked goods will be on hand for bike commuters at the Alterra Foundry, Sigma Environmental Group and Urban Ecology Center; plus, there will be a final party at 8 p.m. on Friday at Media Garden (across from Trocadero). Click here for the full list of events!

Considering bicycling is good for your bank account, your health and your planet, why not make the haul to work by bicycle, especially during this week? I encourage you to hit the streets or the trails and make National Bike to Work Week a year-round event!

Photo from the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin's website

_________________________

National Bike to Work Week
Monday, March 12 through Friday, March 16
All day, all week
$0 (you'll save money!)

Comments

[wfbdoglover]

This is a great concept and practice. Only thing is, how do you handle biking to work and stay "fresh" shall we say.

If you also do not have access to the bike trail, then you do put your life in your hands on the regular road.

I hope some day, others will respect the riders and walkers of this world.

[Amanda]

I love the photo. I mean, the gas? Seriously? It's ridiculous!

[Eric]

When I used to bike to work in the summer time I would have to bring a change of clothes with me because I was absolutely drenched with sweat by the time I got to work

[Karen]

I certainly wouldn't be that woman biking in stiletto heals! I'd bring a fresh pair of clothes and shoes and a pretty smelling spray along with me in a backpack.

There are also some companies with locker rooms, so those employees have the luxury of leaving a change of clothes at work and even showering there before starting their day. Boy, wouldn’t that be convenient?

It’d be nice to be able to shower at work after going to the gym on my lunch break. I bet I’d have more “work friends” if I didn’t reek half the time. Just joking... My sweat smells like roses. :)

[SuzieQ]

I think riding on a high-traffic road is a little intimidating. If there are trails, I'd use those, otherwise I probably wouldn't bike to work since I'd have to go on major roadways.