Another Green Monday: Bike To Work week begins
If you're reading this, hopefully one of these two scenarios are accurate: You’re A) sitting in front of your computer at work tired yet happy that you rode your bike today and you’re in a bit of a sugar coma from the pancake feed this morning in Riverfront Park or B) you just realized there’s a pancake feed going on in Riverfront Park for the kick-off of Bike To Work week and you won’t even finish this sentence because you’re racing out the door to your bike so you can come down and join the fun. Yeah.
Image courtesy of Hank Greer at Cycling Spokane.
If those assumptions are accurate you’re one of hundreds who registered for Spokane Bikes and you’re one of the people who understand the importance of being loud and proud of your alternative transportation decision. At the heart, Bike To Work Week is an effort by cyclists to create more cyclists; to share their passions, to raise awareness about the benefit of cycling - both from an alternative transportation standpoint and a health and fitness standpoint - and to actively champion improved bicycle amenities, infrastructure, and regulations.
Over the years, Spokane’s Bike To Work Week has grown warranting the expansion into Spokane Bikes and May being declared bike month. However, the challenges cyclists and cycling advocates face has grown as well.
That means the participation level and enthusiasm of Spokane Bikes organizers and participants is as important now as it’s ever been. As part of Spokane Bikes, many local folks are sponsoring Energizer Stations on Wednesday May 18, 2011 from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. (unless a different day is noted below) providing snacks, coffee and other goodies to bicycle commuters.
View Spokane Bikes: 2011 Energizer Stations in a larger map
As part of Spokane Bikes, this week is the “Ride of Silence”. The mission of the worldwide Ride of Silence is to honor bicyclists killed, promote sharing the road, and provide awareness on bicycling safety. A group will be gathering to ride through downtown Spokane on Wednesday, May 18th at 6:00pm, meeting in the parking lot on the southeast corner of Riverside Ave and Howard. Cyclists are asked to ride no faster than 12 mph and remain silent during the ride. There are no sponsors and no registration fees. You are merely asked to join and share the message on a 3.4 mile ride. RSVP here.
There will also be rides of joy and celebration, many of them, as we look back on a wonderful year of growing Spokane’s bicycle culture and look forward to future successes like Summer Parkways and Spokefest. Remember, riding a bike is fun. And at the end of the day, that’s all that matters so ride safe Spokane!
