Commuting - May 20: National Bike to Work Day

Hey Gearheads,

Friday, May 20th is National Bike to Work Day. (http://www.bikemonth.com/) For those of you who have been thinking about doing it but haven't taken the plunge, this is a great opportunity. In the past, in my local area, local clubs and businesses volunteered energizer stations along busy areas during the morning commute. They handed out free food, t-shirts, messenger bags, water bottles, etc. to those who pulled up on a bike.

Because I have a personal interest in bike commuting, I've managed to talk my work into handing out free water bottles and a patch kit to all who ride in that day. Inexpensive yet a nice little token to let the riders know they're being recognized for their efforts. Now let's ride!

My bike shop is doing a promotion where you log all the miles you commute between 5/16 and 5/20 and then turn them into the bike shop, and you will be entered into a drawing for a $500 certificate good towards anything in the shop. Can you say $500 off a new bike!!!

Our Bike to Work Day comes a month earlier, because of the heat. The Valley's BTWD is on April 20, with a week of stuff happening. Ours is a little weird, in that the entity that promotes it and puts on the events is Valley Metro, the bus company! It always seems like a gimmick to me, and never a sustained effort to promote bicycling. I think they need a Bike to Work Day every month, with double or triple points for June, July, and August!

It looks like the Bay Area bike-to-work day is that Thursday, May 19:

http://bayareabikes.org/btwd/

Gotta get some organizin' around my workplace. BTWD last year is what got me started.

I thought everyday was bike to work day. It is for me anyway.

Maybe I'll drive to work for a change on that day. Nice to see how the other half lives.

jnbacon, for many transit agencies, it makes a lot of sense to promote cycling. It can be a significant portion of a larger multimodal transportation strategy, one that cultivates new transit riders. Sadly miy own MBTA is not one of those agencies. Business as usual is the watch-word here in eastern Mass.

As for gimmicky? Sure it is. Every promotional event is. But you pick the time when it's nicest, get some low cost swag and breakfasty things going on, get a few people who say, "You know, this isn't so hard after all. Maybe I'll try it next week, too."

Of course I don't know that I've seen anything that shows that it's effective, but I aso haven't seen the counter, either. At the very least it's an opportunity to have a few fun things going on and that's not all bad.

jnbacon, for many transit agencies, it makes a lot of sense to promote cycling. It can be a significant portion of a larger multimodal transportation strategy, one that cultivates new transit riders. Sadly miy own MBTA is not one of those agencies. Business as usual is the watch-word here in eastern Mass.

As for gimmicky? Sure it is. Every promotional event is. But you pick the time when it's nicest, get some low cost swag and breakfasty things going on, get a few people who say, "You know, this isn't so hard after all. Maybe I'll try it next week, too."

Of course I don't know that I've seen anything that shows that it's effective, but I aso haven't seen the counter, either. At the very least it's an opportunity to have a few fun things going on and that's not all bad.

Agreed to all of the above. Just feeling a little grouchy/cynical today. One idea occurs to me, tho': In Phoenix, do it in late October. The weather gets nicer after that rather than hotter, and more people may continue.

Thanks to original poster for the heads-up.
I never find out about BTWD until it's too late to try to urge my coworkers to try it (usually after the day itself).
I'll try to do some convincing around here in the next few weeks.

Hey Gearheads,

Friday, May 20th is National Bike to Work Day. (http://www.bikemonth.com/) For those of you who have been thinking about doing it but haven't taken the plunge, this is a great opportunity. In the past, in my local area, local clubs and businesses volunteered energizer stations along busy areas during the morning commute. They handed out free food, t-shirts, messenger bags, water bottles, etc. to those who pulled up on a bike.

Because I have a personal interest in bike commuting, I've managed to talk my work into handing out free water bottles and a patch kit to all who ride in that day. Inexpensive yet a nice little token to let the riders know they're being recognized for their efforts. Now let's ride!

That would be cool if the waterbottles had the compnay logo on them as well.

I'll definitely be riding to work that day, but I leave so early they don't have the free goody stations set up yet when I go by.

That would be cool if the waterbottles had the compnay logo on them as well.


Yup, they'll have the logo on them. They're actually leftovers from another event they did and had them in storage so why not use them? The patch kits will have the contributing shop's logo on them, too. Hope it'll bring them some business. :)

My bike shop is doing a promotion where you log all the miles you commute between 5/16 and 5/20 and then turn them into the bike shop, and you will be entered into a drawing for a $500 certificate good towards anything in the shop. Can you say $500 off a new bike!!!
Are you talking about Bicycles Unlimited? They've asked us (Atlanta Bicycle Campaign) to teach an Effective Cycling class at their store on May 7. Its open to anyone. Steve is hoping to use the class to prepare commuters and non-commuters for Bike-to-Work Week by teaching/showing them the things they'll need to know about safely and confidently riding in traffic.

When is NBtWD in Ontario, Canada? I want free swag too.

I'd like to get my company to participate. Is this a US only thing?

I'm looking for a site with information on this so I can shoot this to HR here. The only official website seemed like it was US only.

Is there something international?

I bike *from* work. Does that count?
(bike-on-train in the AM, 32 mile ride home).

-=$>Dave<$=-

Agreed to all of the above. Just feeling a little grouchy/cynical today. One idea occurs to me, tho': In Phoenix, do it in late October. The weather gets nicer after that rather than hotter, and more people may continue.
I freaking missed the free bagels yesterday morning since I wrote May-20 on my calendar. (Earlier this week I even argued with a co-worker that they were wrong about April-20, duh)
Oh well.

There was even a triathalon (bike, walk, bus)
"TIM (bus, bike, walk) Triathlon - Saturday, April 16 at 9 a.m.

This event requires pre-registration to participate. Registration is now closed.

Meet in the parking lot on the north side of Kiwanis Park (Baseline and Mill) at 8:30 a.m. to enjoy a leisurely nine mile bus, bike, walk triathlon. The first 100 participants will receive free T-shirts and all participants will receive free breakfast snacks from Trader Joe’s. All participants will be entered to win a free bicycle from Ehrhardt’s Schwinn.

Participants will bike 3.4 miles from Kiwanis Park to Daley Park. Helmets are required. Bicycles will be taken from Daley Park back to Kiwanis Park by City employees for participants to pick up at the end of the triathlon. Participants will then walk 1.6 miles from Daley Park to College Avenue and 6th Street in downtown Tempe. Participants will finish the triathlon by riding 3.6 miles on either City bus route 65 or 66 to Mill Avenue and Baseline Road near Kiwanis Park. Free bus passes will be provided to all registrants. "

Any way to find out what cities are doing big promotional events that day?

Koffee

My company is going to be promoting bike-to-work week to the employees. They have also bought bike racks and plan to install them in time for the event.

Any way to find out what cities are doing big promotional events that day?

Koffee
Many bike groups are posting their events on the bikemonth.com website.
http://www.bikemonth.com/States.htm

I printed out the flyer from the website. Ill stick it up at work.

http://bayareabikes.org/btwd/index_template.html

This site serves the San Francisco Bay Area.

Now, I have to get a job!! I thought cycling was a commutable disease. ;)

Now, I have to get a job!! I thought cycling was a commutable disease. ;)
Just ride with a group of commuters on BtW Day and get the free stuff. Then ride home. ;)