Bike to Work…and Beyond!

    We certainly have come a long way since a small group of bicycle enthusiasts began putting together a handout of events for May National Bike Month almost 20 years ago.

    Consider last year’s Bike to Work Week in Madison. Governor Tommy Thompson, Madison Mayor Sue Bauman, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and many other political and community leaders biked to a press conference to encourage others to try cycling to work. TV, radio and newspaper reporters were there to cover the event.

    This year’s Madison celebration, May 20 to May 26, is expected to attract 2000 registered participants. Of those, more than 10 percent will be first-time bike commuters. This year Milwaukee will also be doing a week-long celebration.

    Biking to work, the store, the movies or dinner is no longer something restricted to students and those who cannot drive. Many people are choosing to bicycle instead of drive for reasons ranging from health and environmental concerns, to low cost and speed. And, yes, sometimes it is faster to bike.

    Many events, many helpers

    From Madison’s Art Bikes Parade at the Farmers’ Market, to Friday’s Final Fiesta, public events and private prodding encourage commuters to make the pedals go around instead of to the floor. Work site coordinators at 100 businesses and government offices function as ambassadors of bicycling to others.

    Bike to Work Week mentors will work for weeks leading up to the event -- arranging lunchtime chats, planning routes to work for colleagues, publicizing activities, registering participants and answering the questions and concerns that all first-time commuters have:
How do I carry my work clothes and papers? Won’t I get sweaty? Isn’t it too dangerous to ride in the street? But I’m out of shape. I don’t have time.

    A week-long celebration?

    Everyone knows that biking is more fun and healthier than driving; so why spend a whole week talking about it?

    Because, a well-publicized event lures reluctant commuters to give bicycling a whirl.

    For those who might like the idea of biking to work, but who alone do not have the initiative to start, a week of celebration provides support, motivation and recognition that the individual is part of something bigger -- and that “something” is nothing less than a transportation and lifestyle revolution.

    Groups of workers can bike together and cheer one another on. Businesses offer incentives such as free breakfast for those biking in. Current bike commuters act as mentors and leaders and perhaps feel a little less odd for arriving to work after the ride with a bike bag in hand, a smile and a flush face.

    And maybe, for once, the roads are less congested and more friendly; the parking lot roomier; the air a little cleaner; and colleagues more energetic.

    Putting on a bike-to-work event takes organization.

    New commuters have many concerns. Many do not know, for example, that the travel route used for driving is most likely not the safest, nor the most pleasant, one for biking. Once nagging doubts and concerns are confronted, more commuters will jump out of sedans and onto saddles.

    As an incentive for bike commuters to register for Bike to Work Week (after all, anyone can participate by biking to work), Madison event organizers pass along to each registrant a goodie bags that contains coupons, a treat, and a reflective tag that doubles as a ticket to the big Fiesta.

    Employers, too, are encouraged to take note of the advantages to bike commuting: Workers who commute by bike take fewer sick days and are more productive. And parking lots could be much smaller, if only a small percentage of workers biked to work -- twenty bikes can be parked in one car stall!

    What support or help is available?

    To find out more about Bike to Work Week and bicycle commuting, contact the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. Information on Bike to Work Week in Madison, commuting in general and many useful educational materials can be found at www.btww.org.

    The Bicycle Federation also has information on other bicycling events around the state and a handbook for employers on how and why to make your workplace more bicycle friendly. Visit the BFW Web site at www.bfw.org or call them at 608-251-4456.

    Robbie Webber is the program manager for the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin and she is the Madison Bike to Work Coordinator.