Commuting - What are you doing for Bike To Work week?

... Aside from your usual biking to work?

I joined the KCbike.info commuter challenge. My company has a (small!) team from last year. Teams and individuals compete against each other for miles commuted during the B2WW. I'm thinking of upping it and possibly trying to ride to and from work the entire distance (no bus!) the whole week. It's about 25-30 miles each way.

To put things into perspective, I was excited to meet my goal of 200 miles in march. I'm well on my way to beating my April goal of 300 miles for the month. Not terribly shabby when you consider I'm a clyde that just started back in August/September. Doing the math, if I can pull off a week of commuting only by bike, I will pretty much obliterate all of this month's mileage in a single week.

Anyone else planning on stepping it up for Bike To Work week? Try to brainwash a few cow-orkers into riding?

Well for one thing I'm going to ride my bike to work. No wait, I already do that. ;)

I'm looking into organizing a workplace team for the challenge. I'm the only one of several hundred associates who bikes to work, so we don't have much chance of winning, but it would be fun to get a couple people turned on to commuting. I already registered but now I have to do the legwork. I can't join any of the group commutes because I work second shift. I'll go to the festival for sure, and if my work schedule permits, I'll go on either the advocacy ride or the Ride of Silence, maybe both.

(Even though I have a problem with the idea of having the Ride of Silence during Bike Week--bringing up killed cyclists doesn't seem like the best way to turn new people on to riding.)

Who decides when bike to work week is? Seems like it's different in every state/county/zipcode/something. And it doesn't seem to exist some places.

Biking to work. I am the only person who rides to bike in a 800+ employee location. There is not a snowball's chance of talking anyone else into riding to this work location given the local road conditions. Am I supposed to be doing something else?

Biking to work. I am the only person who rides to bike in a 800+ employee location. There is not a snowball's chance of talking anyone else into riding to this work location given the local road conditions. Am I supposed to be doing something else?

I'm in pretty much the same boat, with more people in the building.

Things you can do, not that you're supposed to:

* Mention it to people to see if maybe they'd ride to the bus instead of all the way in.
* See if you have something like the KC Commuter Challenge. Just for giggles. http://kcbike.info/bike2work/2007/
* Participate in other Bike Week festivities, which seem to be happening in most major metro areas. It looks like in KC there are a few opportunities to meet cyclists for breakfast, dinner, and at the bar for a few cold ones.

I'll be biking to work, of course! When I started at my current job, there were two of us who biked to work. First we converted my boss, then some co-workers and an intern. I believe the cyclocommuter ranks are at seven and growing, with interest from several more (and at least one more who commutes partially by running). That's just for an office with ~80 employees.

Then again, I do work in dirty hippie town :)

I work for one of the sponsors for the DC Bike to Work Day, so I'm going to try to get my coworkers on board. I'm inviting people to come to my house, leave their cars, and ride in on my route. Most folks live way out in the 'burbs, so this will provide one less excuse not to ride.

Ironically, I'm going to miss it in DC this year- my dept is having an offsite training that day- about 30 miles from my house...

After last year I have half a mind to sit it out. Nutty cyclists riding the wrong way, taking up the entire trail, weaving, bobbing, etc. :rolleyes:
Instead I will switch my worst offending MUP to a street route that week.

Haven't even heard about it in ATL. I know its always in May, but I never hear any announcements until it is Bike to Work week.
Anyway, I won't be changing anything. I'll still commute as much as my schedule allows, like always.

4.5 person company and I'm the only bike commuter. The ".5" does from time to time, I've heard, but not during the ~3 months I've been here. The Boss and one other employee live within a mile and change of here, though, so they have no excuse, I say! (the remaining employee lives 20-25 miles away so she gets a pass from me :D)

Edit: my point is that I'm going to try to get the Boss and the other guy to ride in at least once.

Ill just be biking to work...

I'll be biking to work 5 days a week. Wait! I do that now.

There are over 2000 employees here and the bike racks are usually filled and the bike lockers are always full. In our 38 personnell unit 3 of us bike commute, 2 bike commute in the summer only, 4 take local transit and the rest drives. As soon as these chilly mornings comes to pass there will be more bike commuters coming out of the woodworks. It's good, it's all good.

I'm one of up to eight fair-weather bike commuters, and the only foul weather bike commuter. I'll have to find out when bike-to-work week is this year. Last year, the weather wasn't really nice enough to convince anyone.

I'm not changing my schedule, since I already ride to work. There's a few fairweather commuters that I might be able to sway and get them riding in the whole week. I'll definitely get a bunch of people for May 18th, for bike to work day.

There's a few fairweather commuters that I might be able to sway and get them riding in the whole week.

Why is fairweather such a dirty word? Can't I be fat if I want to? Or spare my physical energy to do and learn something new like salsa?

Peace

Why is fairweather such a dirty word?

Peace

It's all in the tone and context. In this case, I'm talking politely about people that just prefer not to ride to work in crummy weather. They're still bike commuters, just not year 'round. Mostly it's because they only live a short distance, and A) don't want to purchase a bunch of raingear for a 1 or 2 mile ride, or B) don't want to haul a towel and dry clothes to change when they get to work. Meh, their call, and nothing I can do about it but ask them to try riding for a whole week and see what they think about it.

If I'd have said "stinking inconsiderate fairweather Tour de MUP racer wannabes", then I'm being mean. ;)

..or put it in bold red letters with :rolleyes: surrounding it :p

It's all in the tone and context. In this case, I'm talking politely about people that just prefer not to ride to work in crummy weather. They're still bike commuters, just not year 'round. Mostly it's because they only live a short distance, and A) don't want to purchase a bunch of raingear for a 1 or 2 mile ride 1 or 2 miles?! I wouldn't bother using any wheels for that unless I had errands after work. Feet all the way. Well, maybe a kick-scooter. :)

http://curtis.corlew.com/hosting/bike-to-work-day.jpg
I'm promoting at my college. I have the student government involved and my design class making posters. This is the first time I've tried this. We'll have a rally at noon for a group photo. I'm hoping that more than 2 people show up.

Ironically, I'm going to miss it in DC this year- my dept is having an offsite training that day- about 30 miles from my house...

Isn't it bike to offsite training week also? :p

I'll be trying to enlist some newbies, and will help them out or even ride with 'em if they want. The boss just got a new bike and rode it in yesterday so I'm sure he'll ride some too.

I just figured out one more thing I'm going to do for Bike To Work "Day".

I'm going to hit 4 Energizer stations along my route. I figure it will add 5 to 6 miles to my commute that morning. I'm greedy like that.

I just figured out one more thing I'm going to do for Bike To Work "Day".

I'm going to hit 4 Energizer stations along my route. I figure it will add 5 to 6 miles to my commute that morning. I'm greedy like that.

What's this about??? Something for free???

I hope so. Otherwise it will just be added mileage. The workstations I'm planning to go to are sponsored by the ff:

REI and VTA
Google
NASA/Ames
Moffett Park Business & Transportation

Hoping for some cool, minuscule, free stuff. :D Or am I setting myself up for some major disappointment.:(

I am throwing a party. I put a challenge out back in March and a couple of guys have actually dusted off thier bikes and are getting out. We will throw a party on May 18th. I've actually logged the most miles so far cause I actually am car lite and everyone else is 10+ miles away from work.

aside from biking to work, I plan on stopping by my town's pit stop.

no participating in the ride for me unfortunately though, since I live and work in the same town and all the BTW rides go into the city.

It's all in the tone and context. In this case, I'm talking politely about people that just prefer not to ride to work in crummy weather. They're still bike commuters...

Your tone and context were cool and I took no offense at all. My fat self just wanted to be heard :)

i will freely admit to being a fairweather commuter, and May is usually the start of my commuting season. i live in seattle, so in the winter it's pretty miserable, but i recently moved to a place where i have better access to a better way to get to work, so i think my commuting season will expand.

Group Health and Cascade.org sponsor a Bike to Work Month Commuter Challenge every May and i guess i've started an annual team at my office (last year was the first year). last year we were about 40-50 people and more than a quarter of the office rides in. now we're around 100 and still over a quarter of the office rides in. most of us avg a 10mi one way trip, so 10 people doing 20 miles a day can add up. but somehow the Boeing and REI teams always destroy the competition. the REI team had something like 6700 miles last year. not sure if that was one 10-man team or all the teams at REI combined.

After last year I have half a mind to sit it out. Nutty cyclists riding the wrong way, taking up the entire trail, weaving, bobbing, etc. :rolleyes:
Instead I will switch my worst offending MUP to a street route that week.

+1 and angry cagers too

I'll be riding, because how else could I get to work? There is one person at work who sometimes rides,
when the bus doesn't suit his schedule. But he usually rides my other bike. Most of my employees use public transit to get to work. I think only 4 out of 25 have cars, so its not to bad. But they all stare at me like I'm crazy when I mention riding a bike.

My problem is, will the local municipalities break out the street sweepers and clean up the bike lanes and right sides of the roads soon? I know that BTW week is a big deal to a lot of people out here, so I am anticipating a LOT more bikes next week than I am used to, but there is so much debris on the roads that I find myself spending a lot of time avoiding it. I'd hate to see people who aren't as used to it getting flats on their maiden voyages. Nothing like that to discourage them from trying again.

I'll be riding. For B2WD, I'm considering asking my boss if I can come in later so I can browse the freebies at the local energizer station.

I'm still the lone cyclist at my work after all these years, and there's no chance on my part of getting them to bicycle to work. Probably the only way that I'll get some of my co-workers to bike to work is when I pry their cold dead fingers from around their steering wheels. I think there's also a conspiracy going on at work; this makes the third year in a row that on Bike to Work day, I've been scheduled a day off. I think I'll celebrate that day by starting up the SUV, and head down to the gas station and do my bi-annual fill up. :D

I'll be spending Bike To Work week at a client site in Manhattan, walking a block from the hotel to their office. It's also the first year that someone's set up a breakfast station on my regular commute route back home.

The world has a cruel sense of humor sometimes.

That's ok, in the last week, I've converted two women at work to bike commuting, so both of them will be carrying the torch for me. Or, so I hope.

I'll bike to work as usual. I emailed everyone else (~80 faculty) encouraging them to bike. So far I've got 1 yes, 2 maybes, and 40 ridicules. I even offered to ride to their houses and let them follow me in. When that didn't work I offered to ride to their houses on my tandem and let them 'sit' on the back while I do most of the work-even more ridicule.:mad:

Oh well, at least I'm not bitter about it.

I'll bike to work as usual. I emailed everyone else (~80 faculty) encouraging them to bike. So far I've got 1 yes, 2 maybes, and 40 ridicules. I even offered to ride to their houses and let them follow me in. When that didn't work I offered to ride to their houses on my tandem and let them 'sit' on the back while I do most of the work-even more ridicule.:mad:

Oh well, at least I'm not bitter about it. Two years ago, for Bike To Work Week, I got a bunch of coworkers to meet at a coffee shop and ride in together as a group. It wasn't sustainable as a regular commute pattern, but for the purposes of giving folks an early social outlet for the week, it was rather popular.

Nowadays, I have a standing offer that I'll be at that coffee shop at 8 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If anyone wants company, they're welcome to meet me there and ride in with me.

Bike To Work Week is a big event here in Victoria BC. Nearly 600 Teams with a total of over over 5500 cyclists. Government, municipal, Bike Shop, Corporate and individual sponsors, There are events and several "Celebartions Stations" every day, all over the city, free Bar-B-Q's, tons of prizes, and tons of fun. All for doing what we do anyway!!

At my office of over 200 poeple we usually have two teams of about 40 each. We hold an event every day of the week. There are breakfasts, bike maintenance sessions, Local Bike Shops come and speak and or provide tunes-ups and repairs, Safety videos, Bicycle Poker. Everyone gets a prize, we even give a couple of prizes out to people who don't ride their bike, as incentives for next year. Our teams have placed at least in the top ten and often 1 st or second place in the whole city..

We have a blast all week, It's our time to enjoy the rewards of all those dark wet winter rides.

Check it out:
Bike To Work Victoria
http://biketowork.ca/victoria

Unfortunately, our school is in the middle of a residential area and the ones who are already riding live in the neighborhood. Others are comming from all different directions, so theres no good meeting place. I might sweeten the pot by providing breakfast for bikers (out of own pocket though-definitly not a long term solution)

For bike to work week? Um, i guess i'll continue to bike to work? :D

Actually, i usually only do it 2-3 times a week, but maybe i'll try it for the whole 5 days and see how it goes. :)

Apparently I'm handing out literature and hanging up posters. :) I just got back from 3 days PTO, and in my mailbox was an envelope from our main HR office. They know that I bike commute and that I organized the company TdC team, so they sent me a big packet of pamphlets and posters for Bike to Work Day, Bike to Work Month, and the Redmond Summer Bicycle Commuter Challenge.

1 or 2 miles?! I wouldn't bother using any wheels for that unless I had errands after work. Feet all the way. Well, maybe a kick-scooter. :)
Hey! I resemble that remark. No really, it is a time thing. My commute is just shy of 2 miles, and I'm averaging over 20 mph on a good day with a lucky wind. That translates into a very, very short time period. Walking would take over 20 minutes.

Mind you, when I run in the morning three days a week I go right past the office...4 times (big loop path I take).

What is fun is that my office complex has pretty controlled speeds, and between speed, route, and the distance from the parking lot to my building I can ride faster than I can drive, door-to-door time.

Plus it is fun.

Where to we register for bike-to-work-life? This week always makes me chuckle, but it does raise awareness.

I plan on biking to work as I usually do. There is an event at a Ribs place in somerville, (http://www.redbones.com/bikeparty.html) which is just north of Boston, that I'll try to go to. Ironically, my wife and kids will probably drive there to meet me, but it is not realistic that they would bike to this.

This thread made me realize that I have been considering biking to a retreat in Rockport, MA on Friday next week. That would be 50 miles each way. I am probably going to take the train part of the way, though as I'm planning on doing a century 2 days later.

... Aside from your usual biking to work?


I don't bike to work yet, and I won't be biking to work next week, because I am on vacation. However, provided I can rent a bike, I hope to ride in a Livestrong rally in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, on the 16th.

Around here, the whole month is for biking and teams form for many of the companies. Last year was a blast being on a team. I was team lead and had the most miles. Company sponsored prizes, breakfasts and a lunch.

This year it's just solo. But still fun.

I'm gonna start my car and leave it running in the driveway overnight, it's been over a month since the last fill up and the gas is getting stale... (actually happened last summer/fall, compounded by an extended timing belt change and explosion the car was on the same tank of gas for about 3 months, when I finally replaced various broken bits it still wouldn't start smoothly till I filled the tank. anyways...) Plans are to hit as many of the breakfast things as I can for free bagels, muffins and trinkets, adding 10-20 miles a morning to my ride. I went to the Redbones BBQ a few years back and it was tasty, especially the harpoon beer. I think I'll be back there this year so say hi if you see a tall skinny guy riding an old Puch fixed gear conversion/barcalounger.

I've been interviewed for an article set to run this weekend promoting B2WW. I was photgraphed for the article on my commute home. On Bike to Work Day I'll pick up my Bike Commuter of The Year award at our city's energizer station. ;) I've talked Bike to Work Week up at work, but everyone still thinks I'm crazy. They're right:D, but that's no reason not to give it a try.

I am getting one of these to protect my bike rack space.
http://www.movieprop.com/tvandmovie/robocop/robocop3ed209a.jpg
Oh and get there an hour early.

try to get as much bike swag as possible. i want to hit up a few energizer stations during the morning commute, and a couple during the evening!!!

I wasn't going to do anything, but there was actually a little interest on the in-house forum here, so I'm running a small maintenance thing at lunch tomorrow. Just tire changing, brake adjustment, etc. Probably a lot of Q&A. I'll mount up my rack trunk and both panniers to show some flexibility and carrying capacity (unfortunately I don't have a garment bag but I can talk about them), and possibly some spare blinkies and such to compare, as well as a studded tire so I can show how hardcore you can get if you want.

I'm thinking I might go grab a dozen Krispy Kremes as well, so I can say "bike to work and you can eat donuts and still lose weight!"

Wow, it's amazing to read the posts here and realize that there are places where bicycle commuters aren't just random freaks to stay away from. You guys got it good to see any support at all.

Wow, it's amazing to read the posts here and realize that there are places where bicycle commuters aren't just random freaks to stay away froml.
No, no. We're random freaks. But you don't have to stay away from us. Some of us are lonely random freaks. :D