Square & Compas

Are you going to attend events and participate in your state?

Here is what is going on in Iowa;
https://www.bikeiowa.com/asp/bike/

hubcap01

Today was the start of Cleveland bike week. www.clevelandbicycleweek.org
I went to the Slavic Village ride today. I live in the area and it's always nice to learn new things about ones neighborhood. Nice weather and more people attended. I took the week of work so I can attend all of the events I can. Hope to see some of you Clevelanders out there. Ride safe... Paul

kegoguinness

Funny enough, on BTW day, our company HR department just sent a note that the same afternoon, about 4:00 (about when I am usually leaving on bike days) they are having a beer tasting party! I better take it easy so I'm sharp for my commute on a Friday afternoon.

hubcap01

Are you going to TASTE the beer or DRINK the beer?

destikon

Starbucks in my city (Billings, MT) is giving away free coffee if you show up on your bike. Pretty cool, eh?

hubcap01

There are a couple of free bees in our area too. Keeps things fun and anything free is always a good thing.

TechKnowGN

They actually did 2 weeks in columbus starting last week. I didnt get any rides in because of weather/tapering for triathlon. I am riding tomorrow through thursday though. We rode over to a cookout party tonight that was nicely but not overly attended. Im part of a team that has done well without my contribution so far, so I'll be glad to help even more.

ryanwood

Bike week is all for kids out here in Iowa city
https://www.bikeiowa.com/asp/bike/

Commuter76

In Austin, TX we're having events all over the city. The taqueria down the street from my work will be giving out free breakfast tacos for people riding in to work.

The Austin Cycling Association published a bike week itinerary. I picked one up at the LBS and left it out on the table in the break room.

ragboy

My city had some political dog and pony show to mark the day, but I biked to work like I do every day -- nothing out of the ordinary. Bike to work week seems to be for fair-weather people, more or less. I won't see 95 percent of the cyclists that I saw today when the sun isn't shining.

crhilton

Amen to that.

I still believe there's value in it. I started as a fair weather commuter. The impetus was the desire to squeeze in more time in the saddle. Then winter came and I couldn't ride at all (I thought). I really wanted to ride anyway though: So I did some research and found a way. Now I ride rain, shine, snow, sleet, thunderstorms (okay, I wait those out, I'm not stupid), clouds, day, night, ice, whatever.

So I'm thinking there's a small percentage of people who currently don't ride, but will try it this week and end up full time commuters for a while.

Everyone gets there start for some reason or other. You need a spark.

All that said: I'd like to see cities emphasize education for new cyclists:
* Riding safely (this might involve rules of the road)
* Riding in inclement weather
* Riding long distance (for commuting I'd say this is 10-30 miles one way)

Basically education to tell people: Yes, bike commuting can entirely replace many cars. It can be a fair weather thing, but it can also be a reliable means of conveyance.

This seems more worthwhile than free donuts and water.

o-dog

I'm actually joining the convoy into DC on Friday this year, this is the first year I don't live and work in the same town and therefore the first year that doing so is practical.

other than that, I'm doing my usual multi-modal bike/metro jaunt to school for the rest of the week.

ragboy

I suppose you're correct. But I do loathe the newbies who can't ride in traffic and effectively manage to piss off motorists during the two or three weeks they have a hard-on for bike commuting for the rest of us who ride all year. I look at bike to work week in the same vein as I look at fitness club goers just after New Year's day.

dynodonn 

New riders don't bother me, most stay clear of the streets that I ride on anyway, or they are slow enough that I can easily pass them.
Not all of the cyclists that I do see during bike to work day/week are new though, it seems to me that most could be experienced weekend riders coming out for the day/week and have good road skills.

As for new cyclists getting the motorists ire, for me at least, it seems to be the opposite in nature since it seems that the motorists are more cautious around me, not knowing if I'm an experienced rider or not.

ragboy

That hasn't been my experience. When I get off work at 5 downtown in my city this week, I'll see many more newbs traversing downtown traffic by toodling along at 10 mph in a 25 mph zone with their saddles riding on the frame, clogging up traffic, irking motorists, etc.

MrRamonG

Sorry... I had to laugh.

I-Like-To-Bike

"Newbs" "toodling" at 10 mph with bicycles different than yours ain't good enough? How fast do bike commuters need to ride to be righteous like you?

The Human Car

We are doing our first Bike From Work Celebration: https://www.baltimorespokes.org/artic...90508164536388

Should be fun.

revelstone

bike to work week is every week for me. i'm just barely starting to ride in rain. haven't tried snow, yet. but november is coming. everyone talks about how far they commute. ok 5 miles one way. 5 back. not much right. wrong. 40 - 45 minutes uphill to work. 24 minutes to get home. i can get to work 3 different routes, 4 if i have a death wish. i don't. it ain't all about distance. but i love doing it. i'll put a picture in the proper thread of my new commuter. some will laugh, but others will be like the guy at my LBS. when i tell him what i do, he says "at least your out there riding"

JCFlack

Thanks, I-Like-To-Bike, for sticking up for us Newbs. All of you were Newbs once, even ragboy. Some will try it out on Bike to Work day and like it. Some of those will stick with it - same as with the gym - and many won't. Some, like me, will start on a cheap bike that can't go much faster than 10MPH. Why spend a lot of money until I know I'm going to stick with it? So pass me - I don't mind (though I would appreciate a friendly "on your left"). If I don't know what I'm doing, teach me. If I DO stick with it, eventually I'll get better, probably buy a better bike, and commute happy ever after.

making

I hope 13 mph is good enough, hate to find out I am not a commuter after all.

ragboy

To ride fast enough to go with the flow of traffic. Then they can be righteous like me. Sorry you can't keep up.

lambo_vt

My office has an event Thursday, and there's another Friday downtown. I hope I can get to both, but we might see thunderstorms Thursday.

I'm always happy to see more people on two wheels. Even if that's the only day all year they'll ride, and even if they're slow and wobbly. They don't affect me, and most motorists don't see the distinction between newbies and "serious" cyclists anyway.

ragboy

Yes they do. Serious cyclists ride with traffic, the rest impede traffic.

making

I thought that was the idea of the ride to work day. Newbies can ride along with us more experienced riders and pick up a few tips. Just dont make friends with them, they might not last long.