kweichsel
Hi everyone,
Bike to Work week is coming up soon - May 12-16. The city of Boston has a lot of events planned to attract new commuters, including a "bike buddy" program where experienced cyclists ride along with commuting rookies, and a set of group rides to Government Center on Friday morning. Even if you don't plan on participating in the events, register at www.baystatebikeweek.org so your commuting miles count. Who knows when that data may be used to prod government action.
There are also a lot of volunteer opportunities available, if you're interested please see the Bike Week website to sign up. Here's a list from MassBike:
1. Stuffing the Bay State Bike Week "Goody" Water Bottles
On Tuesday, May 6th (the regular MassBike Volunteer time 5pm-8pm) we will be assembling the Bay State Bike Week "Goody" Water Bottles. The Water Bottles will include bike related schwag that will be distributed to Bike Week participants; make sure you register: you, your friends, your neighbor's cat, etc....
2. Assembling the Bay State Bike Week Spoke Cards
Also on Tuesday, May 6th at the MassBike office we aim to be assembling the Spoke Cards for Bay State Bike Week. In the event that you are not familiar with Spoke Cards, think of when you were a kid and use to stick baseball cards in your spokes.
3. Leading/ assisting with the Bicycle Convoys that begin at points outside of Boston and end at Government Center
On the morning of Friday, May 16th, there will be a number of Bicycle Convoys that will be making their way from points outside of Boston in to government center. Think of this as a "bicycle train"; the ride makes pre-determined stops along a mapped out route where cyclists can either join or break away from the group. We need assistance with the routes: handing out waivers, keeping riders together, etc.. And the routes are as follows:
Dorchester, Allston, JP, West Roxbury/ Roslindale. We are also specifically looking for two-three volunteers to lead the Cambridge convoy. The route will begin on the Min. Man path right beyond Alewife and depart around 7:15/ 7:30am. All other departure times will be around the same time. Please note that the convoys will be traveling at a easy pace so as to accommodate all levels of cyclists.
4. Signing up to be a "Bike Buddy"
We are looking for experienced cyclists (read: you are comfortable leading another person on bike) to be "Bike Buddies". Veterans like yourself are encouraged to take the lead by finding a non-cyclists friend and volunteer to be his/her personal cycling guide and mentor for one day, or if you are both up for it, the entire Bay State Bike Week. All that is required is door-to-door service and lots of encouragement!
Flexibility is key with this job. It might mean you go 20 mins out of your way to accommodate your "buddy's" schedule. But, keep in mind, that extra attention might be just the thing that gets your buddy from thinking about bicycle commuting to actually bicycle commuting. So, please budget the extra time needed to help your "buddies" feel comfortable.
5. Government Center, MassBike Tent, Friday May 16th
MassBike will be managing the final destination point --Government Center-- for all the bicycle convoys. We will need assistance from 7am-10am on handing out "goody bottles", food, etc....
See you on the roads!
Bike to Work week is coming up soon - May 12-16. The city of Boston has a lot of events planned to attract new commuters, including a "bike buddy" program where experienced cyclists ride along with commuting rookies, and a set of group rides to Government Center on Friday morning. Even if you don't plan on participating in the events, register at www.baystatebikeweek.org so your commuting miles count. Who knows when that data may be used to prod government action.
There are also a lot of volunteer opportunities available, if you're interested please see the Bike Week website to sign up. Here's a list from MassBike:
1. Stuffing the Bay State Bike Week "Goody" Water Bottles
On Tuesday, May 6th (the regular MassBike Volunteer time 5pm-8pm) we will be assembling the Bay State Bike Week "Goody" Water Bottles. The Water Bottles will include bike related schwag that will be distributed to Bike Week participants; make sure you register: you, your friends, your neighbor's cat, etc....
2. Assembling the Bay State Bike Week Spoke Cards
Also on Tuesday, May 6th at the MassBike office we aim to be assembling the Spoke Cards for Bay State Bike Week. In the event that you are not familiar with Spoke Cards, think of when you were a kid and use to stick baseball cards in your spokes.
3. Leading/ assisting with the Bicycle Convoys that begin at points outside of Boston and end at Government Center
On the morning of Friday, May 16th, there will be a number of Bicycle Convoys that will be making their way from points outside of Boston in to government center. Think of this as a "bicycle train"; the ride makes pre-determined stops along a mapped out route where cyclists can either join or break away from the group. We need assistance with the routes: handing out waivers, keeping riders together, etc.. And the routes are as follows:
Dorchester, Allston, JP, West Roxbury/ Roslindale. We are also specifically looking for two-three volunteers to lead the Cambridge convoy. The route will begin on the Min. Man path right beyond Alewife and depart around 7:15/ 7:30am. All other departure times will be around the same time. Please note that the convoys will be traveling at a easy pace so as to accommodate all levels of cyclists.
4. Signing up to be a "Bike Buddy"
We are looking for experienced cyclists (read: you are comfortable leading another person on bike) to be "Bike Buddies". Veterans like yourself are encouraged to take the lead by finding a non-cyclists friend and volunteer to be his/her personal cycling guide and mentor for one day, or if you are both up for it, the entire Bay State Bike Week. All that is required is door-to-door service and lots of encouragement!
Flexibility is key with this job. It might mean you go 20 mins out of your way to accommodate your "buddy's" schedule. But, keep in mind, that extra attention might be just the thing that gets your buddy from thinking about bicycle commuting to actually bicycle commuting. So, please budget the extra time needed to help your "buddies" feel comfortable.
5. Government Center, MassBike Tent, Friday May 16th
MassBike will be managing the final destination point --Government Center-- for all the bicycle convoys. We will need assistance from 7am-10am on handing out "goody bottles", food, etc....
See you on the roads!