(Corinne Winter is the executive director of the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition and a member of the League Board of Directors.)

I started riding a bike when I was a kid because it was fun: pure and simple.

Now it’s still fun, but it’s also so much more.

In high school and college I found it the fastest, cheapest, and most enjoyable way to get around town. After college, when I moved to San Jose (which is a huge sprawling city in Silicon Valley), I wanted to ride to work but found it a little intimidating. I was lucky — I had a colleague at work who helped set me up with a good road bike complete with a rack and also advised me on what panniers to buy, and what gear I would need. For years I rode my bike to work, often taking my bike on the train for part of the 10-mile route.

Over time, I began to notice that each time I chose to drive my car for some reason–maybe I thought I had too much to carry, maybe the weather was wet–it made me grumpy. Really grumpy.

Thus I learned the great secret that bike commuters keep: sitting in traffic in a car is really annoying, and flying by stopped traffic on your bicycle is really invigorating.

When I took the Executive Director position with Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, I was plunged head first into the world of bicycling. In Silicon Valley, where “bicycling is the new golf,” I quickly found myself in circles where our fundraising asks were best made while in the saddle. While I’d ridden some casual recreational rides before then, at that point I started doing more frequent hill climbs and longer rides.

Thus I learned the great secret that recreational riders and racers keep: rides on which you burn over 1000 calories are a great way to stay in shape while not having to pass up your favorite foods.

Finally, I started traveling around with my bicycle. I’ve now ridden my folding travel bike in France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao. This summer I’m going to hit England and Ireland. What an amazing way to see a country, and a culture. In Italy, a town elder in Sicily invited us into his home and shared some brandy with us while telling us all about his life. That sort of thing doesn’t happen very often when traveling by motor vehicle; traveling by bicycle is an entirely different way to see the world.

Thus I learned the great secret that bicycle travelers know: bike travel is the single best way to really see a foreign land and dive into its culture.

My typical week these days includes two or three recreational rides along with a bunch of commute trips. Our organization serves a very large area, so sometimes I drive when that is the most convenient option–but I much prefer it when I can ride. When riding a bike becomes the most convenient option for the majority of the trips taken in Silicon Valley, and all riders are given respect on the roadways, then I’ll be able to retire.

May is National Bike Month and this year’s theme is One Ride, Many Reasons. To highlight and celebrate the many benefits of bicycling, throughout May we’ll bring you the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast with our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature.

(Russ Roca is a bike advocate, traveler and co-founder of Path Less Pedaled)

I think every cyclist has that moment in their life when they are riding, feeling great and a little voice inside asks, “What if you just kept going?” For Laura and I, that voice got louder and louder until we couldn’t ignore it anymore, and we decided to embark on an open-ended bicycle tour.

In short order, we sold everything we owned and loaded our bikes and set off across the country. We ended up traveling continuously for 15 months in the U.S. — and have been living as nomads for the last three years.

As we traveled, we always looked at things through a bike advocate’s lens. We would meet and do presentations with local bike groups and talk about the growing nationwide bicycle movement (especially bicycle travel). When we first started PathLessPedaled.com, it was meant to document our personal experience,s but over the years it has changed to advocate and inspire others to travel by bike.

Our goal has been less about our own personal feats and exploits as it is about democratizing bicycle travel and making it accessible. Too often it is seen as the sport of young, adventurous, college-aged young men with stubble who sleep under bridges. We want to change that image and show that bike travel can just be another travel choice.

We’ve also recently been more interested in how bicycle tourism can revitalize rural communities. We traveled to New Zealand and rode the Otago Central Rail Trail and saw first-hand how a simple gravel rail trail conversion brought back a string of dying communities. We want to share that vision to others in the U.S. and work with communities to attract and promote bicycle travel.

We’ve already seen some people that get it in the U.S. Oregon is rolling out a series of Scenic Bikeways that go through some stunning rural areas, and we hope to ride those this summer and document, not only the riding, but the communities around the bikeways.

The last three years have been a strange journey where we’ve switched hats from being tourists to advocates of bike travel. I don’t think three years ago — when we listened to that voice that told us to keep going — we would have imagined doing what we’re doing now, but that’s just one of the joys of pedaling and wondering what’s around the next bend.

May is National Bike Month and this year’s theme is One Ride, Many Reasons. To highlight and celebrate the many benefits of bicycling, throughout May we’ll bring you the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast with our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature.

It’s a been a big week in the National Bike Challenge. We crossed the 1,000,000 mile mark last weekend, and several days this week set new records for miles entered into the system.

As of this glorious Bike to Work Day morning, we stand at 1.5 million miles logged, and over 36 million calories burned. One and half million miles is 3 round trips from the earth to the moon. But what does 36 million calories get you?

• 52,990 milkshakes
• 21,420 gallons of New Belgium Brewing’s Fat Tire ale, which can be conveniently hauled home in 1,392 kegs. I hope you brought your trailer.
• 182,818 donuts, which, stacked up, would become the highest point in the United States towering over Mount McKinley by 2,500 feet.

By our official calculations, Challenge riders have saved more than $358,000 in the three weeks of riding (this calculation includes only transport trips.) Once all the donuts are paid for, we’ll still have $267,000 left over. In somewhat more official calculations, U.S. bicyclists save $4.6 billion per year by riding instead of driving. That according to new data released today by the League of American Bicyclists, Sierra Club, and National Council of La Raza (NCLR).

I don’t mention New Belgium lightly — they’re one of two new prize sponsors, adding a bike, a case of beer, and a pair of socks to our prize list. We’ve also added prizes from the Better World Club, who will give 10 lucky winners Bicycle Roadside Assistance memberships. Look for an updated prize list on the Challenge site next week.

Looking at the leaderboards, not much has changed at the top since last week. While he hasn’t made the turn at Tranquility Base yet, Leonard Wright is still leading the personal challenge by a fair piece, and he’s the only rider so far to have attained platinum. There are more than 2,500 riders in easy striking distance of gold (500 points) by month’s end, making them eligible for the richest pot of monthly prizes.

Vermont is still leading the state challenge, but Wisconsin dominates the top 10 in the community (Madison at #1, and 5 more besides) and workplace (Trek at #1, Kimberly-Clark at #2, plus 3 more) categories. Trek Varsity leads the team competition. Scrolling down the state list a bit, Maryland, my Maryland, is struggling to stay in the top 20, and trailing Virgina by 2 spots.

The more interesting competition is in the comments, where it seems that each rider’s story is more inspiring than the last — people back on bikes for the first time in years, riding trips they would have taken by car, losing weight, and loving life. Fortunately, that’s a category where everyone wins.

Get up and ride, and get your friends involved — we still have a lot of recruiting to do if we’re to reach our goal of 50,000 riders.

Scott Williams
League Director of Membership

Williams joined the League in April 2010. For the four years prior, he worked providing technology consulting and solutions to nonprofit organizations with Community IT Innovators.

On Monday, Long Beach attained Silver Bicycle Friendly Community status. In this guest post, Allan Crawford, Bicycle Coordinator for Bike Long Beach, describes his community’s recent bicycle improvements — and push to become the nation’s most bike-friendly city.

Four years ago, Long Beach put the audacious statement “Long Beach the most bike friendly city in the US” on the wall of our City Hall. We knew that wasn’t true at the time — but it gave us a something to strive for. And we knew that we needed milestones to measure our progress along the way.

In 2009, we were given Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community status from the League and we immediately set our sights on becoming Silver, then Gold and eventually Platinum. We knew that this recognition would be important to our civic and business leaders. We also knew that the measures and metrics that are set out in the League’s application were important measures for us. They helped us identify key things that where important to accomplish. All of this led us to apply for — and achieve — Silver status as soon as we thought we were ready, and will lead us to apply for Gold in the not-too-distant future.

Long Beach’s goal is to become the most bike friendly city in the U.S. and all that this title entails. We know that this is very bold goal. We know that other cities in the U.S. are sprinting to get ahead because they see, just as we do, the value in being bike friendly. But by setting this goal we have been able to enlist our civic and business leaders in the cause. We have been able to articulate to them what it takes to be truly bike friendly and, more importantly, what it takes for them to make our city bike friendly.

The city’s bike culture has and continues to change quickly. We used to be a city where riding a bike was something a few people did, but it wasn’t the norm. It was something that was accepted, but not necessarily encouraged. It was something that collage kids did to get to school and a few Lycra-clad folks did for fitness.

We had a few bike lanes along with beach and river paths that were mainly for recreation. But as a result of our efforts, over the past 24 months, more than 20 new bike-related businesses have opened in Long Beach. We have added over 170 bike friendly businesses to our Bike Saturday program. We have created four bike friendly business districts. And most importantly we are seeing more and more people on their bikes, riding for fun, to get to school, to get to work and to run errands.

On some streets, where we have put in new bike infrastructure, we have doubled the number of kids walking and tripled the number of kids riding bikes to school. We are seeing people move to Long Beach because of our biking and our active living culture. We are seeing conventions, such as Pro Walk Pro Bike, select Long Beach because of what we are doing.

Anytime there is change there are challenges. We have put streets on road diets. We have added separated bike lanes, removed vehicle travel lanes, added sharrows, and put in bike traffic signals. All of these are very noticeable changes that get people’s attention. For most people, these have been positive changes. Of course, not everyone has that view. But overall we’ve found that, if you’re willing to experiment and give things a try, people will find that Armageddon — or in the case of Southern California, Carmageddon — has not set in. Listening and adjusting your plans will take you a long way toward meeting your overall goals of becoming bike friendly.

Bicycling is making a big difference in our community. It is making Long Beach feel more friendly and more attractive to residents, businesses, and visitors. It is helping Long Beach become the type of city where the 20- and 30-somethings want to live; where people are eager to raise their families; and where baby boomers like to live car-light. We are not trying to say “Don’t use a car.” We are saying, “We want you to have options.” We want it to be safe and easy for you and your kids to walk and bike. We want it to be easy to go to the grocery store, the restaurant or the local merchants.

We have so many things on the horizon. We have several bike boulevard projects lined up over the next 18 months. These will greatly enhance our Safe Routes to Schools program and encourage more children to bike and walk to school. We have a two-year grant for safety education in the schools. We are launching a new website and doing more on the social media side to reach out to the community. But the most notable will be bike share. We are anticipating launching a city wide bike share program in January of 2013. We think that this will have an enormous impact on the day to day use of bikes in Long Beach.

From an advocacy perspective we are very excited about the Long Beach-based Women On Bikes SoCal program. Working closely with our cadre of Long Beach-based League Cycling Instructors (LCIs) the goal is to double the number of women and girls riding bikes in the next five years. We also see working closely with our Public Health, and Park and Recreation departments. We know that childhood obesity is a major problem in our city and we’re confident that by working with these departments and our schools, by providing safe places for kids to ride combined with our education programs, we can make a difference in our children’s future.

Click here to learn more about the Bicycle Friendly Community program.

New data released today by the League of American Bicyclists, Sierra Club, and National Council of La Raza (NCLR) highlights the tremendous economic benefits of bicycling and its importance as a safe transportation choice that should be available to every U.S. resident.

The fact sheet release coincides with National Bike to Work Day, as more than 1 million U.S. residents are expected to participate in hundreds of events across the country, showcasing bicycles as a healthy, affordable and efficient form of transportation.

New and key data highlighted in the fact sheet includes:

• Bicyclists in the U.S. save $4.6 billion per year by riding, instead of driving

• If American drivers replaced just one four-mile car trip with a bike each week for the whole year, it would save more than 2 billion gallons of gas.

• From 2001 to 2009, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans took up biking at faster rates than other Americans, representing 21 percent of all bike trips in the U.S. in 2009.

“There are so many reasons more people are riding, from improving their health to protecting the environment,” said League President Andy Clarke. “But, especially in tough economic times, bicycling can also be an economic catalyst, keeping billions of dollars in the pockets of American families.”

“Biking is an important piece of a 21st century transportation system,” said Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune. “Biking reduces America’s dependence on oil and lets individuals bypass the gas pump, saving individuals money and protecting our health and environment from dirty oil pollution.”

“Bicycling is a crucial mode of commuting for many Latinos,” said Catherine Singley, Senior Policy Analyst at NCLR. “Federal transportation policy should ensure that biking is a safe and viable way to connect people to jobs.”

Widespread desire for-and widespread benefits to be gained from-bicycling make it an important part of a 21st century transportation system. Everyone who chooses to bicycle should have access to safe infrastructure that lets them take advantage of the economic benefits of bicycling.

Click here or the image above to view the full fact sheet. (Click here to download the fact sheet in Spanish.)

Carolyn Szczepanski
Communications Director

Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.

(Ellen Fletcher volunteered at a Palo Alto Energizer station for Bike to Work Day for nearly four decades, in addition to  serving as a city council member and leading bicycle advocate.)

I was born in Berlin, Germany, in 1928 and was sent to England 10 years later. I don’t remember seeing anyone ride a bicycle in Berlin, but almost everyone, or so it seemed, rode a bicycle in England.

So I started riding, too. As I grew up I enjoyed riding my bike so much I took many pleasure rides, as well as the regular rides for various errands.

I moved to New York City in 1946 at the age of 17. The extreme crowding on public transit soon enticed me back on a bike, a rarity in the City in those days. I was the only one using the bike racks at Hunter College “uptown” in the Bronx all year round.

Moving to the California suburbs in 1958 with a baby, I thought my biking days were over. But it wasn’t long before I was again back on the bike, at least for short trips. But those short trips expanded greatly, partly for ideological reasons during the Arab oil boycott. Although I still owned a 1964 Plymouth Valiant until a few months ago, I rarely used it, filling my gas tank no more than once a year. The rest of my trips were by bike or with my bike on transit.

When my son entered elementary school here in Palo Alto I volunteered to be “Safety Chair” for the PTA. That got me started in bicycle advocacy. Bike lanes, under and over crossings at major obstacles, bikes on trains and buses and the Nation’s first bicycle boulevard.

At one point when the City Council balked at adopting some bike improvement policies in its General Plan, I decided to run for a seat on the City Council myself and served on the Council for twelve years, from 1977 to 1989.

I don’t remember when or where I started serving at Energizer stations on Bike to Work Day. Probably when BTWD started in the seventies (I’m not sure when that was). I’m skipping it this year due to my deteriorating physical condition.

Now at the age of 83, I have terminal lung cancer and can no longer pedal. I now have an electric motor in a trailer, the RideKick, to get me around, still on my bike. I’m so grateful because otherwise I’d have to rely on others for rides.

I’m so glad I can still get around by bike!

May is National Bike Month and this year’s theme is One Ride, Many Reasons. To highlight and celebrate the many benefits of bicycling, throughout May we’ll bring you the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast with our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature.

By Lindsay Plante, BFA Communications Intern

On Monday, Morgantown added another state to the Bicycle Friendly America map, becoming the first Bicycle Friendly Community in West Virginia. Having applied several years earlier, Morgantown used the League’s advice to guide its efforts and win the Bronze designation.

But this is just the first milestone for Morgantown. The community plans to become a city that is bike-friendly for riders of every background and purpose.

“Our goal is that bicycles will be 5 percent of all vehicles on Morgantown streets by 2020,” says Frank Gmeindl, Chairman of the Morgantown Municipal Bicycle Board. “Our mission is to get the everyday commuter, student or employee, to look beyond Morgantown’s hilly terrain and see the potential cycling holds individually and for our community.”

“Our city has seen unprecedented growth in the past few decades and, as a result, traffic congestion in popular university and commercial areas has increased,” he adds. “Cycling offers congestion relief, as well as personal benefits to body, mind, and pocketbook!”

Already Morgantown has seen an increase in bicycle commuting, recreational riding, and growth in general cycling culture. These changes haven’t always come easily. Like many communities across the country, Morgantown faces tough terrain and older street systems, as well as a lack of financial resources to change existing infrastructure. Rather than attempt a construction overhaul with a lack of political and community support, Morgantown has focused on mounting small, attainable achievements, like funding for cycling classes and improving bike rack facilities.

“There’s no switch you flip to become bike-friendly,” Gmeindl says. “We want our citizens to see the sum of all of these activities, and eventually draw their own conclusion that seeing bicyclists on the road is the norm. Overcoming challenges requires continuous cooperative effort among all stakeholders in becoming a bicycle-friendly community.”

After seeing such growth in cycling and the positive impacts to health and community, Morgantown will continue its effort with a new comprehensive bicycle plan. It’s not just city officials and cycling enthusiasts who are excited about riding in Morgantown.

“One local cyclist started commuting and used a tag-a-long to take his daughters to day care,” Gmeindl says. “One afternoon he overheard the other kids talking about how cool it was that her Dad brought to school on a bike!”

We couldn’t agree more!

(Geraldine Carter is the Co-Founder and Director of Climate Ride – the largest charity bicycle event that supports green organizations and bicycle advocacy.)

Simply put, I ride because riding a bicycle is, hands down, the best way to get around. Especially where I live in Missoula  – a wonderful Montana town tucked away in the sky-high Rocky Mountains.

I think perhaps it’s all too easy to list all of the reasons why I ride; I can think of a million of them. Because it’s free. Because I always get a parking spot right out front, and never get a parking ticket. Because I zip past traffic. Because a full bike tune up is 1/5th the price of tuning up my car. But really, all that stuff aside, I ride because it makes me feel free, and it transforms my everyday life into a new adventure.

I have learned so much seeing the world from behind my handlebars. The Blue Ridge Parkway taught me how to climb hills. Long, hard hills. I learned that just because butterflies sped past me does not mean I’m slow and weak. I can climb at my own speed, and get there all the same. The pace at which I take my life is my own to choose, and my own to determine.

Cycling in Burma taught me what it’s like to be fearless. Riding in France brought me back to my heritage. Each tour has taught me I was far more capable and stronger than I imagined myself to be.

I’ve been lucky. I’ve had the opportunity to bike in many places all over the world as a tour leader for Backroads Bicycling, and now as the Co-Founder and Director of Climate Ride… but there’s nothing like commuting and riding where I live now.

On my commute to work, I smile when I spot different varieties of tulips. I know which yards have the brightest blooms, and route myself accordingly. I know where all the big furry cats sit in windows, dying for something new to happen outside, and whoosh, I fly by and their eyes grow wide, curious and intrigued. I know them; I wonder if they recognize me.

In the fall, I ride under quaint neighborhood streets lined with shedding maple trees. From my bicycle seat, I look up through the bright yellow leaves to a crisp blue fall sky. I ride to the bridge that crosses the Clark Fork River and marvel at the kayakers flipping in the river’s whitewater. There’s so much of the world that you completely miss from a car.

I’ve been so inspired on bicycles, and that’s why I founded Climate Ride — a 300-mile, 5-day charity ride designed to raise money for more than 45 green organizations working to avert the climate crisis and get more people on bicycles.

When I organized the first Climate Ride from New York City to Washington, D.C., I really wanted to affect serious change and now, five years in, Climate Ride is doing just that. My vision was for people to experience for themselves that their abilities far exceed their limitations, to push themselves past the boundary of what they think they can do.

It’s exactly what I think the planet needs most right now – to discover that we all have the power within us to change the world – one person at a time, one bicycle at a time. And that’s really why I ride.

Well, that…and to give the window cats something to wonder about.

(Follow the 2012 NYC-DC Climate Ride starting this Saturday at www.ClimateRide.org)

May is National Bike Month and this year’s theme is One Ride, Many Reasons. To highlight and celebrate the many benefits of bicycling, throughout May we’ll bring you the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast with our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature.

In addition to the League’s announcement of new Bicycle Friendly Communities, Monday marked the launch of a new resource for cyclists: Bike Score.

From the creators of Walk Score and Transit Score, Bike Score is a quantitative measure of bikeability based on the availability of bike lanes, hilliness, road connectivity, nearby amenities, and the percent of people in that area who bike to work.

“Across the country, biking is growing in popularity and we’re excited to celebrate Bike to Work Week by introducing Bike Score to help more people find bicycle friendly places to live,” Josh Herst, Walk Score CEO, said in the press release.

Bike Score kicked off with rankings for ten major U.S. cities — and, not surprisingly, the League’s top Bicycle Friendly Communities came out on top.

1. Minneapolis (Bike score: 79 out of 100)
2. Portland (70)
3. San Francisco (70)
4. Boston (68)
5. Madison (67)
6. Washington, D.C. (65)
7. Seattle (64)
8. Tucson (64)
9. New York (62)
10. Chicago (62)

To request Bike Score for your city, visit www.walkscore.com/bike. Walk Score will add Bike Score for the top 10 cities receiving votes between May 14 and May 31, 2012.

Read more on the Walk Score blog.

Carolyn Szczepanski
Communications Director

Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.

With the announcement of the latest Bicycle Friendly Communities on Monday, we debuted a new map on our website. No longer will residents of the East Coast have to use a microscope to click on their state and see their new 2012 Bicycle Friendly Communities, Universities and Businesses.

But we’re not done yet: The 2012 Bicycle Friendly State rankings will be released NEXT WEEK. The current map still lists the 2011 rankings.

Where does your state rank THIS year? Find out on Tuesday!

Carolyn Szczepanski
Communications Director

Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.

By Lindsay Plante, BFA Communications Intern

This week, Lincoln, Neb., was among the 24 new Bicycle Friendly Communities, winning the bronze designation. The city now joins more than 200 other Bicycle Friendly Communities nationwide. A Q&A with Lincoln city staff, including Terry Genrich, manager of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, reveals a growing cycling culture and a community dedicated to improving their city.

Why did Lincoln decide to apply for BFC status?

Lincoln has been working on several bicycle initiatives since we last applied in 2003 and felt we should be recognized for the accomplishments that have been made. It shows the community is embracing bicycling in Lincoln. Much still needs to happen and this award will hopefully encourage and inspire even further accomplishment.

What is Lincoln’s eventual goal?

We’d like to increase bicycle commuting in Lincoln to 5%. We are currently at 1.6% according to the 2010 ACS figures. We believe that with additional investment in on-street facilities and increased education we can achieve this goal over time.

How has cycling culture developed in Lincoln? How have community members responded?

The bicycle culture in Lincoln has increased dramatically over the past 5-10 years, with the community requesting more bicycle facilities to improve their commute, as well as to increase recreational opportunities. The community initially organized in the mid 1970’s, but advocacy really took off when a strategic planning process called Star Venture began and recognized the need for trail linkage in Downtown Lincoln.

It was at this time the Great Plains Trails Network was formed. This private bike advocacy organization is the financial backbone for many of Lincoln’s trails projects.  Lincoln also has a strong Pedestrian/Bicycle Advisory Committee which is involved in all bicycle projects.

Members of the community have supported and encouraged new projects. More recent community-supported projects include the first bike lanes and first sharrows in Lincoln, as well as current planning to implement protected bikeways in Downtown Lincoln.

Have any challenges arisen in becoming more bike friendly? How can communities overcome such challenges?

Developing new policies and procedures is never easy, but the community has expressed desire for new facilities and developed advocacy groups to support change.  Much of Lincoln’s older neighborhoods were not built to accommodate bicycle facilities, but one advantage is a backbone of trails built on abandoned railroads that once went through the city. From this, we have worked to make connections to schools, parks, commercial areas, and to integrate bicycle facilities with public transit.

Lincoln is fortunate to have a trail within one mile of 94% of dwelling units. This is one reason why, if more alternative routes with on street facilities for bicycle commuters are installed, bike activity will increase. Still, one of the biggest challenges is being ready to address change and encourage support from elected officials and opposition groups in the community.

Why do you believe cycling is important in your community? Why should other communities work to become more bike-friendly?

Bicycling is important in Lincoln as it is in the rest of the country for several reasons including providing an alternate mode of transportation other than a gas-powered vehicle, reducing traffic congestion, improving air quality, creating a more balanced system, and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

What’s next on the horizon for bike-friendly Lincoln? for cycling advocacy?

Next on the horizon is the further development of the on-street bicycle network, including better signing for on-street bike routes, adding new bike routes to the system, installing more sharrow facilities, and building the first protected bikeway in Downtown Lincoln.

(Chris Phelan is the founder of the Ride Of Silence, occurring in communities worldwide tonight at 7 p.m.)

Larry Schwartz ambled down the road on May 4, 2003, on his bike and without a care, into history. When he died that day 10 years ago, he became the initial inspiration for The Ride Of Silence.

It was late morning and everything was normal. He was well on his way to riding another 20,000 miles that year on his bike, a number that was numbing to other cyclists who thought getting in 2,000-5,000 miles for the year was outstanding. But not Larry. This was another normal day, and ride, for him. But Larry was anything but normal to those who knew and loved him.

His wife, Judith, supported his enthusiasm and zest for life. Together they rode to many of the area rallies. Once there, he rode the longest distance that was offered (70-100 miles, many times with the pack leaders). And then rode home. It wasn’t unusual for him to log 200-300 miles per day, for consecutive days, many times. This was normal.

On May 4 that year, all was normal. It was a work day, the kids were at school, and the sun was out. It was another beautiful spring day north of Dallas. Normal, until the only other vehicle that would share the road with him, a bus, came along in the same direction as Larry, with a full view of him riding alone through the windshield. It would be Larry’s final ride.

Two days later at the funeral, I talked with movers and shakers in the community. “We should do something,” I said. “Maybe go to the lake.” (White Rock Lake was one of the places where Larry used to train and enjoyed meeting up with other cyclists.)

No one did. There was not a lot of motivation by those I looked up to. All were non-committal, probably for very good reasons. Maybe they were jaded from all the previous deaths and near-death injuries caused by motorists in the past. Maybe it was hard to shake off a funeral for a friend on a bike, only to have to attend another a month later. Everyone knew there would be another one. It was just a matter of time.

No one seemed to know what to do next, least of all, me. I was primarily a runner and therefore outside the cycling circle. Certainly being an outsider, I wasn’t the one who would band cyclists together. I was “just” an outsider. But Larry was a friend. Very humble, he rode with anyone, at any time, including me: a pseudo runner and triathlete wanna-be.

Angry that no one appeared to be doing anything to mark Larry’s senseless death, I sent out a few e-mails in defiance, stating I was going to ride around Dallas’ nine-mile rim of White Rock Lake in silence, 10 days later, on Wednesday, May 21. It was intended to be a one-time only event. “Hope you can join me,” I wrote half pleading, and half with indignation.

When the day came, May 21, 2003, my wife Janalou, and a friend Mike Keel, joined me, probably thinking no one else would. Both feared I’d be embarrassed, looking a little out of place at Dallas’ premier recreation spot for runners and cyclists, riding silently and slowly, all alone.

We rode over the final rise at T. P. (Texas Pacific) Hill, and, there were over 1,000 cyclists gathered, waiting to be led in a procession of silence, a ride of which had never occurred before. I was overwhelmed, not just emotionally, but logistically, as well. There were no plans, speeches, amenities, cones, signs, or announcing system in place. It was a community bonded together over a common cause.

During the ride, one could hear a pin drop or, at least, sniffling and sobbing. I was choked up thinking about Larry and hearing the passion of people I was riding along side. People at the park with their families just came to a stop. Even motorists dramatically slowed down and gave us room on the road. It seemed everyone KNEW something was going on, something reverent, and important. They just didn’t know what.

When the ride finished, when we came over the rise at T.P. Hill, my friend Mike Keel said to me, “Life will never be the same.” He was right.

The next day, I had e-mails, and was getting phone calls about the ride. Among other things, they asked if I could put on a Ride Of Silence in their town. At first, I had no intention of doing it again. I had closure. My vision didn’t extend beyond that first ride. Needless to say, by January 2004 I relented. By the May 2004 event back at White Rock Lake, more than 50 rides had sprung up from Hawaii to Montreal.

I was stunned.

In 2005, the number of locations hosting a ride ballooned to 120. A board was created to help organize the now International Ride Of Silence. The following year, Texas alone had 13 locations, while the total number of sites more than doubled again to 220 worldwide. As I write this (in late April), we are on course to have even more locations this year.

As The Ride Of Silence founder, it’s humbling, unbelievable, and hard to comprehend the passion others have about something I thought only affected me. Alone we are but a whisper. But, tonight, at 7 p.m., we will speak loudly through a silence that will resonate around the world. It’s our hope we can change our laws, courts, and the perceptions of our legal right to the roads, and motorists’ legal responsibility to share the road.

Michael Ortiz lost his brother on March 22, 2012 as he was riding his bike to work in San Diego. He will be organizing a Ride Of Silence in his brother’s name. He wrote me this April 16: “Three weeks ago, I had no ties to the bike community; I don’t even own a bike. Now I find myself becoming an advocate for safer conditions for bicyclists. This event continues to grow because people have been and continue to be affected adversely by tragic bicycle accidents, whether directly or indirectly. My brother was my best friend, and now he is gone. Riding in his honor next month will let his family and friends know he still has a voice and will be remembered.”

This is the 10th Ride Of Silence. Let us ride for Schwartz, Ortiz and every cyclist who’s been hit. Let us be consoled that our ride is attracting attention to the deaths of cyclists that are taking place. These cyclists did not die in vain. Let us come together to remember, and to feel what it’s like to ride a bike.

Let us ride in silence.

May is National Bike Month and this year’s theme is One Ride, Many Reasons. To highlight and celebrate the many benefits of bicycling, throughout May we’ll bring you the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast with our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature.

One of the most common laments of the bicycling policy community is the lack of consistent, reliable data on bicycle travel. As of last week, when the House voted to eliminate the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), the only comprehensive, national survey that captures bike commuting data at the local level is in danger of being cut.

It’s not just bike commuting data that would be lost if Congress eliminates the ACS. It’s a whole range of economic, household, and community information. ACS data are used by all sorts of decision-makers. Federal, state, and local governments make critical decisions about how to distribute resources based on ACS data. Academics and researchers at think tanks use ACS data to track trends.

Private businesses, large and small, use the ACS to assess population profiles and spending power of neighborhoods, influencing investment decisions. Target, for example, decides what size packages to carry in their stores based on population density statistics from the ACS: the denser the neighborhood, the smaller the containers for smaller apartments and folks carting their purchases on transit. It is for its economic importance that organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, which often oppose government spending, strongly support preserving the ACS and have come out against the House vote.

Here’s the Census Bureau Director on the necessity of the ACS:

Of course, the ACS is a critical source of transportation data. ACS commuting data are used by planners and engineers to mitigate traffic congestion by gauging peak travel demand. The ACS allows public and private investors to measure the success (or failure) of their transportation infrastructure investments. Transit planners use it to determine unmet transportation needs. And – most important of all! – the ACS tracks bicycle commuters (among the other modes).

We’ve talked before about the limitations of the survey question, but the ACS is undeniably one of the most important national data sources for bicycling. (The intermittent National Household Travel Survey, NHTS, is another important one.) The ACS is annual, giving us the ability to track change over time. The ACS is the source of our commuter statistics and a cornerstone of the Alliance for Biking & Walking’s biennial Benchmarking Report.

Without the ACS, it would become harder to show the results of your community’s bicycling investments, especially in comparison to other cities, since the standardized methodology makes comparisons more reliable. And we wouldn’t be able to tell you that bicycle commuting increased 40 percent nationally since 2000 and 77 percent in Bicycle Friendly Communities.

Now that the House has voted to 1) make the survey optional, and 2) to do away with it all together, it is up to the Senate to block both measures. The National Low Income Housing Coalition is hosting a sign-on letter to tell the Senate the importance of the ACS. If you’re part of an organization that would like to sign the letter, email your organization’s name, along with the city and state in parentheses (city, state abbreviation) to Brendan Nichols bnichols@ccmc.org at The Census Project. The letter is available here.

Darren Flusche
League Policy Analyst

Flusche joined the League in April 2009 and has a B.A. in history from Syracuse University and a Masters of Public Administration with a concentration in public policy analysis from New York University.

By Mary Lauran Hall, Communications Coordinator, America Bikes

Just two months ago, the Senate passed a transportation bill that included the Cardin-Cochran agreement. This bipartisan compromise would ensure that local governments and school systems are able to access much-needed funds to make bicycling and walking safer and more accessible.

Now, poll results show that an overwhelming majority of Americans support federal funding for biking and walking. In a Princeton survey, 83 percent of Americans said that they support maintaining or increasing funding for sidewalks, bike lanes, and bike paths.

If most Americans support federal biking and walking funding, Congress should, too.

As selected Senators and Representatives conference to create a transportation bill, we must protect the hard-fought Cardin Cochran agreement.

The Cardin-Cochran agreement ensures local control over a small portion of funds for biking and walking. The provision devolves decision-making on a small portion of funds from the states to local governments, whose leaders know the transportation needs of their communities best.

We’ve heard again and again from local elected officials across the country that local governments want and need federal funding to build sidewalks, bike lanes, and bike paths.

Without the Cardin-Cochran agreement, states could choose to direct these limited funds towards building more roads and highway lanes.

Will you help us get the message to Congress that the transportation bill conferees should preserve the Cardin-Cochran agreement?

By Lindsay Plante, BFA Communications intern

For many communities advocacy plays a central role in becoming more bicycle friendly. From the beginning push to continuing motivation, advocacy groups can provide specialized insight needed for creative solutions and are dedicated to seeing the positive development of their communities.

In Durango, Colo., an advocacy partnership has been at the helm of the community’s progress, and initiated the city’s involvement with the Bicycle Friendly America program.

We spoke to Mary Monroe of Trails 2000 to understand how cycling advocacy helped Durango become a Gold BFC. Here’s her story.

“Mary Oswald (now of Bicycle Friendly Durango) came running over to me at the Farmer’s Market in 2007 and said, ‘I have a great idea!’ and we worked together, with the infrastructure of Trails 2000, to form a working group called Bicycle Friendly Durango.

Trails 2000 was able to help [Durango’s BFC progress] thanks to the passion in the community for all of the things BFC stands for. Most successful nonprofits are based on a strong mission that resonates with their members and the community and we have a 3-pronged mission: 1) to build and maintain trails 2) to educate trail users and 3) to encourage connectivity on the roads, paths and trails.

The BFC is a perfect fit.

The culture of cycling in Durango may have started in 1896 with the Durango Wheel Club, but in 1990 Durango hosted the World Mountain Bike Championships and several Durangoans won gold. It was a ‘coming out’ of sorts for the strong biking culture that existed. Ned Overend, Juli Furtado, Daryl Price, Greg Herbold, Ruthie Mathes and others all called Durango home. Their dedication and passion to our community put Durango on the map.

Since then, community members have responded by continuing to live here and insuring our future success. Our community builds and maintains our trail network with over 3,500 hours of trailwork each and every season. DEVO, the mountain bike junior development program, has more than 300 kids enrolled — and they are the future.

Challenges have come up, mostly based on people just thinking about the here and now and not understanding that long-range plans require long-range thinking. A bike path takes 10-20 years to complete and you have to take advantage of funding sources as they come along. The best way for communities to overcome the challenges is to set out with a vision in the beginning: ‘Okay, this is where we want to go and we can hang in there.’ But, people come and go, leaders come and go, and we tend to think we were all here first.

On the subject of challenges and long range planning, we learned that retro accommodation of bike infrastructure is a bigger project than accommodating that infrastructure initially. Fortunately, as we come up with creative solutions to accommodate this infrastructure within existing transportation development, the community value on that infrastructure is so clear that bicycle friendly and multi-modal infrastructure is now integral with new development.

Our community certainly sees the many reasons cycling is important. It is an economic driver for tourism. One local realtor says 30% of his sales are based on where the trails are located. It is absolutely important for health and well-being. There are so many statistics about how bike-friendly communities are just more friendly communities in general: they care about the greater community.

Now that we’ve achieved Gold, Bicycle Friendly Durango is going to work hard to continue that forward momentum. Cycling advocacy will need to work together with city leaders to create that movement. There is no way to be effective in this BFC process without collaboration. Although, we are talking about Trails 2000 right now, it was truly the Bicycle Friendly Durango crew of Mary Oswald, Jenny Wrenn and others who made this absolutely a reality. I really want to thank our BFD crew for their hard work.

The idea of ‘connecting’ can only happen through these connections and collaborations.”

(Helen Ho is the co-founder of POW! People on Wheels and the Development Director for Recycle-A-Bicycle, in New York City.)

I learned to ride my bike, like most New York City kids, on the sidewalk with my mom running up and down the street next to me. My first bike was a pink Ross with white flowers on the banana seat. My pink bike and I had some good times rolling up and down the sidewalk, but we were never allowed to cross the street because it was too dangerous.

Actually, a lot of things were dangerous for us in the neighborhood, so I spent a lot of time indoors watching TV and eating snacks. Not surprisingly, I was a chunky kid.

Picture a fat Asian kid with a perm and coke bottle glasses. That’s me.

Twenty years later, as an adult, I happened to stumble upon a group of bike advocates and for the first time allowed myself to “cross the street” with my bike. It’s totally scary the first time because you don’t really know what to expect. I gathered up all my courage one day in 2007 and rode my bike five miles to work from Astoria to Flushing, Queens. What a liberating feeling it is to propel yourself to your destination!

I took that same route many times and started to notice things — most notably that I was the only woman cycling on the road. There were lots of other men; men in spandex, men in suits, deliverymen; but curiously no women.

Then I starting going to bike meetings and events and noticed that I was frequently the only minority in the room and that no deliverymen ever came to our meetings.

I have met several others who share this same experience. During a visioning session at the 2^nd Annual Youth Bike Summit (which was inspired by the National Bike Summit 2010!) on the third day, we were envisioning the future. I was in the diversity group. Someone mentioned that diversity was a topic that was frequently talked in the bicycle advocacy movement about but rarely did anything happen past the point of conversation. I can see why if there are other priorities in an organization whose mission is not explicitly about diversity. Also that people of color and immigrants and deliverymen may be a harder group of folks to reach for existing advocates.

But then I thought that it should be *someone’s* priority.

We all had to go around in a circle and say an “I will…” statement.  Before fully realizing the impact of the words, I said, “I will start a minority bike coalition.”

While that statement was made just a few months back, I’ve since found some friends, advocates and students to form a new group called POW! which stands for People On Wheels. We’ve had a few meetings and decided that we would be a project-based group looking to expand the universe of cycling advocates to engage more women, minority and delivery cyclists in NYC.

POW!’s first foray will be a storytelling project, taking portraits of cyclists and celebrating the cyclists, who are often ignored by pedestrians, cars and even each other. We further seek to engage workers, residents, and commuters on a grassroots, local level to create a safe space so that women, minorities, immigrants and working cyclists can share their thoughts and ideas about how cycling, the neighborhood, and the street impacts their day to day life. Whether working with the underserved communities of Roosevelt Ave in Queens or the East New York neighborhood in Brooklyn, we seek to envision a more inclusive future for all cyclists and identify local resources to fill the gaps and support that vision.

We seek to create a dynamic, replicable model that can be integrated into cities across the U.S. Join us, “cross the street” and expand your cycling universes too!  In the end, more advocates equals more voices to champion cycling and that’s a good thing, isn’t it?

We hope to bring what we will learn from this process to the National Bike Summit 2013. See you there! POW!

May is National Bike Month and this year’s theme is One Ride, Many Reasons. To highlight and celebrate the many benefits of bicycling, throughout May we’ll bring you the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast with our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature.

Adding more excitement to Bike to Work Week, AAA has partnered with the League to produce a series of bicycle safety videos, designed to educate both motorists and bicyclists on the importance of sharing the road.

AAA’s newly redesigned ShareTheRoad.AAA.com offers bicycle and helmet fit guides, safety tips and riding skills advice.

“This year’s theme for Bike Month — One Ride, Many Reasons — recognizes that cycling enhances our lives in countless ways, from keeping us fit to giving us a fun way to get to work,” said League president Andy Clarke. “We’re excited about AAA’s strong support of Bike Month and commitment to educate motorists, so every ride is safe and comfortable for drivers and bicyclists alike.”

Check out all the great tips and resources on the new Share the Road site and AAA’s YouTube channel!

Carolyn Szczepanski
Communications Director

Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.

Kicking off National Bike to Work Week, today the League announced the largest round of Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) in the program’s history. While communities from California to Connecticut joined the ranks of BFCs, the Mountain West rose above the rest, including two new Gold Level BFCs in Durango, Colo., and Missoula, Mont.

“We aren’t surprised that this was the largest number of new and renewing applicants that we’ve ever had,” said League President Andy Clarke. “The popularity of this program is clear evidence that simple steps to make bicycling safe and comfortable pay huge dividends in civic, community and economic development.”

With this impressive round, there are now 214 BFCs in 47 states. By evaluating and recognizing investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and pro-bicycling policies, the BFC program is revolutionizing the way communities evaluate their quality of life.

A long history of strong advocates working with visionary policymakers to create a comprehensive bicycle network boosted Missoula to the Gold standard — a distinction reserved for just 16 communities nationwide. With the recent additions of protected bike lanes, path system signage and new bike parking, more than 7 percent of local residents commute by bike, making this city a model for the state and region.

“The City of Missoula, together with numerous citizen advocates, have worked hard for more than 30 years to integrate and promote bicycle commuting, and we’re proud that our extensive off-street bike/ped trail system, together with our miles of bike lanes, and bike education and encouragement programs, reflect that,” said Missoula Mayor John Engen. “It’s an honor to achieve the Gold standard.”

Durango, Colo., also joined the elite group of Gold BFCs. With 300 miles of mountain bike trails and a growing network of city bike lanes, bicycling has become integral to the town’s culture and identity. “The City has worked hard to expand the bicycle footprint in our community,” said Durango City Manager Ron LeBlanc. “We want everyone to know that people on bikes are given special status in our community.”

Also in Colorado, Aspen earned a Silver award on its very first application. Aspen’s network of bike paths, recent Comprehensive Bike Survey and increased enforcement of its Share the Road program have made cycling safe and comfortable. In Aspen, people choose to bike commute at roughly 10 times the national average — and the next generation of cyclists are offered bicycling safety education in all of Aspen’s schools.

“Obtaining this designation was a team effort,” said Aspen Mayor Michael Ireland. “Everyone rose to the challenge because establishing the proper bike infrastructure, safety mechanisms and education are efforts we all embrace. Getting the Silver award allows us to celebrate our accomplishments, continue to grow in our bike friendliness and achieve even more as a community.”

Click here for a list of the new and renewing awards, and honorable mentions, from the Spring 2012 round. Learn more about the program and view the full list of Bicycle Friendly Communities at www.bikeleague.org/bfa.

Carolyn Szczepanski
Communications Director

Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.

(Brian Griggs  — along with Rick Smith — is the author of the popular bicycling comic, Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery.)

When I was a kid, the bicycle was my main mode of transportation and it expanded the borders of my little world. These days I still love to use my bicycle for transportation, but less for exploration and more for appreciation of all of the characteristics of my community.

When I ride, it’s not just about arriving at my destination; I enjoy every bit of the route and all the additional sensory details. When I ride to the market, I enjoy the sound of kids playing when I pass the park. When I see a friend on the street, not only can we exchange a hello and actually hear each other, but it’s never a hassle to pull over and chat.

I love the smell of freshly cut grass or of fresh coffee and pastries as I pass the local cafe. If I stop in and grab a couple of cupcakes, I’m not a glutton… I’m refueling!

Sure, I could hop in a car and simply arrive at my destination, but there is too much lost when you close that door and cut yourself off from your community.

Get out, get going, and enjoy the ride.

May is National Bike Month and this year’s theme is One Ride, Many Reasons. To highlight and celebrate the many benefits of bicycling, throughout May we’ll bring you the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast with our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature.

(Robin Bylenga is the founder of Pedal Chic, the nation’s first woman-owned, women-specific bike store, based in Greenville, South Carolina.)

Bike fashion … when I began cycling, that was a complete oxymoron.

Those were the days of awkward toe cages, heavy steel bikes, very few cyclists on the road (of any kind) and zero style on the bike. The choices for cyclists of every genre have finally (and thankfully) massively improved.

As an avid rider of city, road, triathlon and cruiser bikes, as well as a bike shop owner and self-proclaimed fashionista — I’m thrilled to experience first-hand the shift toward chic bike style. I thoroughly enjoy outfitting my customers in fashion-forward and cutting edge apparel, beautiful bikes and fabulous accessories.

I loved the day I watched my best friend cross the finish line of a race and the announcer proclaimed, “Congratulations Danette! You came in first and you’re wearing … a dress?”  Thank you Sheila Moon for that memorable moment and your stylish, colorful cycling apparel!

At Pedal Chic, I encourage my clients to “bling your bike”…. personalize it.  After all, your bicycle is an extension of your personality, so why not celebrate it?

On my Bianchi road bike, I color-coordinated my bar tape, cables, water bottle cage, put on a colorful seat bag and even a matching chain. Yes, it makes me look a bit “girly” but my bike is beautiful and I ride as strong as ever! On my city bike — a Linus Dutchie — I added a handwoven basket, headlamp, back light, an crystal “rock star” bell and my favorite Basil pannier. It’s so much fun to ride, and I feel elegant and sophisticated when I cruise around downtown running errands.

And I’m not the only one strutting my own style on two wheels.

One of my customers purchased the Nirve “Minx” bike — talk about a fashion piece and personality bike! This bike has leopard fenders, faux leopard suede saddle and matching handlebars. A matching bell and basket liner complete the ensemble – she even added a matching flask! The bike has garnered so much attention that she now has a toy box filled with additional accessories her friends have been sending her from all over the world. Hysterical and a fun story… but more importantly, she now loves getting on her bike and that’s what it’s all about!

Remember, Roadways are the new Runways! Enjoy Bike Month!!!

May is National Bike Month and this year’s theme is One Ride, Many Reasons. To highlight and celebrate the many benefits of bicycling, throughout May we’ll bring you the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast with our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature.

(Nino Pacini is a board member for Programs to Educate All Cyclists in Michigan and the founder of its 2×2 program, which allows people with visual impairments the opportunity to cycle regularly.)

Cycling isn’t just a word to me.

When I think of “cycling,” immediately other words pop into my mind.

Words like, exercise, outdoors, relaxation, workout, and health come together to form the word “cycling.”

More specific words like freedom and equality are particularly important for me because, on the back of a tandem, my lack of vision doesn’t matter. Pedaling there I am just like everyone else.

So, the freedom to exercise my ability in an equal manner outdoors provides a fabulous relaxing workout and leads to a healthier life style!

All that in just one word!

May is National Bike Month and this year’s theme is One Ride, Many Reasons. To highlight and celebrate the many benefits of bicycling, throughout May we’ll bring you the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast with our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature.

Just two weeks in, we’re already on track to far exceed our goal of 50,000 riders in the National Bike Challenge. And the team spirit is strong in the Endomondo virtual locker room, as pedalers across the country trade advice, share their stories and provide encouragement to their fellow cyclists.

If you haven’t already, join the network of 20,000 riders — register for the National Challenge today!

So who’s on top this week?

• Leonard Wright is still in the lead among individuals as he logged multiple century rides in a single week, leading some to wonder: Has the Florida retiree discovered the Fountain of Youth? Of course, he’s not alone: The “Retired” team is making waves, rising to third place among workplaces.

• Joining Trek (still #1 among all workplaces), major corporations like Ingersoll Rand, Facebook, Texas Instruments and, of course, Kimberly-Clark are putting in impressive efforts that have landed them in the Top 10, too.

• Universities are making a strong showing, as well, with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Nebraska, Temple University, Carnegie Mellon and the University of Vermont all ranking among the Top 20 workplaces.

• Speaking of Vermont, they’re still in the top spot among states, extending their lead over Wisconsin and Nebraska. And, at least this week, Georgia is edging out South Carolina in the friendly Georga-lina throw-down.

• The Hawkeye State is also stretching its wings with cities like Iowa City, Ames and Council Bluffs creeping up the communities’ ladder thanks to inspiring individual efforts from Iowans like Jamie Shea from Cedar Rapids (who’s number #2, just behind Wright) and the leading female rider, Cindy Dodd, in Cedar Falls.

But more important than stats or scoreboards, the Challenge is creating community and providing encouragement.

As Michael L noted on the comments this week: This national challenge has been a godsend for me. Riding is all I think about. I’m so proud of myself for doing what I’ve done in these past 10 days and can’t wait to see where the next few months.

Keep on logging those miles!

Carolyn Szczepanski
Communications Director

Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.

National Bike Month is in full effect and, as anticipated, the wheels are turning in communities from coast to coast.

Perhaps most notably, it was a big week in the Golden State as many cities celebrated Bike to Work Day yesterday. According to San Francisco organizers, a record number of cyclists took to the streets in the Bay City, boosting BTWD participation by a staggering 20 percent over 2011. And that’s saying a lot. Last year, more than 75 percent of traffic on Market Street the morning of BTWD was bicycles.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition used the festive occasion to announce its local Bicycle-Friendly Business awards (based on nominations from SFBC members and the general public), while the East Bay Bicycle Coalition encouraged new riders with its Bike Buddies program and rewarded commuters with a happy hour party sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Company.

Across the nation, Governors continued to voice their support for bicycling by putting their official stamp of approval on National Bike Month. Governor Paul LePage of Maine, Governor Sean Parnell of Alaska, Governor Mark Dayton of Minnesota, Governor Gary Herbert of Utah and Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee are just a handful of state executives who have signed proclamations designating May as Bike Month within their borders.

Mayors are putting pen to paper, too. Mayor John Cook of El Paso, Texas; Mayor Joey Durel of Lafayette, La.; Mayor David Bowers of Roanoke, Va.; Mayor Harvey Hall of Bakersfield, Calif.; and countless others have issued Bike Month proclamations, as well.

School kids got in on the action this week, too. As Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood wrote on his blog, the inaugural National Bike to School Day was a tremendous success, with more than 700 schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia participating! (Go, Grace, go!)

Decidedly not for children: Up in the Northwest, Schooner Exact Brewing Company is partnering with the Bicycle Alliance of Washington on a special beer in honor of Bike Month: the Ale-Lliance IPA. Kegs of the limited edition beer are now available at select Puget Sound locations, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Alliance’s work. Meanwhile, down in Jacksonville, Fla., Bike Month organizers are using film to encourage folks to start pedaling with a 5-minute film noire movie: The Convert.

Speaking of PSAs, the Michigan Department of Transportation unveiled a new Share the Road safety video in honor of Bike Month that asks motorists to pass cyclists at a safe distance, even if it means a little extra noise from a centerline rumble strip.

The folks at timbuk2 (maker of great cycling bags) are celebrating with an exciting storytelling project: Women Who Ride. Meet Jessica Nguyen, their first showcased profile, and submit your own stories.

Major corporations are spreading the word this month, too. Retail giant Walmart has the Bike Month logo showcased on its national homepage and League Policy Director Darren Flusche was excited to see that, even the maker of his wife’s engagement ring, is hosting a bicycle charm give-away this May.

Last but not least, for your Moment of Bike Month Zen this week: A humorous story from Washington, D.C.

What bike events happened in your community this week? Share in the comments!

Carolyn Szczepanski
Communications Director

Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.

(Natalie Ramsland is the founder and framebuilder behind Sweetpea Bicycles in Portland, Oregon.)

My bike is a time machine.

It isn’t the sexy DeLorean sort of time machine that takes me back to some other time or place. Such as a time when I had no adorable baby, no beloved business to run, and could spend weekends riding without a care in the world… Nope. It’s better. My bike time machine is more like a bread machine of sci-fi mechanics, making a particular quality of time. Warm fluffy loaves of time to slice into.

Barely a year into parenthood, I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time driving a car. In the early months, the car was the only option available to us. But as my daughter Inga grew and we started using the bike trailer, I was choosing the bike sometimes and the car at other times. Often, it was the feeling of having too much to do in too little time that buckled us in. Driving had, for the first time in my life, become something of a habit.

One night, over dinner, my husband and I chatted about an interesting, timely tidbit of information: marketers know that the disruption of having a child is so great that it is the one of the best opportunities to change consumer habits, forge new brand loyalties, transform the way we spend our money. And so much of what is sold to new parents is the promise of more time. We’ve all seen it: kid-specific food that spares us time in the kitchen or Baby Einstein videos to buy us a moment of guilt-free relaxation. I’m not buying any of that, and yet I had to admit that I had been unwittingly buying fuel for the idea that I could save time behind the wheel of the car.

Reflecting on this conversation, I realized two things. First, that I missed my bike. Second, that I care less about saving time than I care about spending time well.

When I ride my bike, I can’t go everywhere and do everything that occurs to me. I have to choose what is the most important, and by choosing, I don’t end up doing a bunch of less-than-critical errands. I have to limit even “fun” obligations. But I have also noticed that the boundaries between work and leisure blur more on a bike. Recently I’ve begun inviting a friend of mine, with whom I typically ride the West Hills on the weekend, to join me on bike errands. While we pedaled more slowly and stopped more frequently, the joys are the same: great conversations and the suspension of time in play.

When I choose to go by bike, I leave myself open to an adventure that is different than what I had planned. I am more likely to make an impromptu stop, more likely to pause and say hello to somebody I know. More likely to see somebody I know. That might seem like it takes more time, and it does, but it also makes the time feel less task-driven.

I am not car-free. But I am choosing the bike as my default transportation on weekdays, when I most need the structural reminder that my time can be full – not of doing the endless tasks of work and family – but full of movement and breathing and physicality. In doing so, I choose to be immersed in the slower rhythm of the life that cycling creates.

My bike may not break any land speed records, but it makes (a) good time.

May is National Bike Month and this year’s theme is One Ride, Many Reasons. To highlight and celebrate the many benefits of bicycling, throughout May we’ll bring you the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast with our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature.

Grace Williams wasn’t the only happy bicyclist who participated in National Bike to School Day yesterday. From coast to coast, thousands of kids pedaled to class making the first ever event a huge success.

Here are just a few snapshots that captured the celebrations — big and small — across the country. Thanks to everyone who shared their photos!

Carolyn Szczepanski
Communications Director

Szczepanski joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.

(Carlos Morales is the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Omaha, Nebraska)

Like many others, I began my love affair with biking at an early age. I still remember the first time I experienced the thrill of riding down a hill and immediately transforming my tricycle into a full-on rocket ship (okay, so I was young and had a very lively imagination). Throughout the whole ride, I had the biggest smile on my face.

There are many reasons why I choose to ride now. But the reason that keeps me going is that it’s just plain fun! I never have a ride where I don’t enjoy every minute and have a smile on my face.

I started riding more seriously as a form of transportation while living in Los Angeles. I still remember the first time I started biking to graduate school and work in LA. Everyone I knew kept telling me that commuting by bike in Los Angeles was nearly impossible. But after trying a couple of different routes and finding out that it took less time to bike to my destinations than it took riding the bus, I quickly became what I like to call a bike addict.

I later took my addiction to my new job in Omaha, Nebraska where I am the first Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Omaha. I continue to ride primarily for transportation and as part of my daily life. Lately, I have started branching out to ride for recreation. With all the trails and all the rides taking place all the time it is hard not to ride for recreation in Omaha.

My commute is a lot more relaxed than the rides I would accomplish in the urban jungles of LA. Instead of gritting my teeth and fighting with traffic, my commute in Omaha now takes me through serene neighborhoods on a more leisurely pace.

Although I have more hills to climb, I also have more thrilling descents which always brings a smile back on my face even during cold Nebraska winters. Keep riding and smiling this May, you know I will!

May is National Bike Month and this year’s theme is One Ride, Many Reasons. To highlight and celebrate the many benefits of bicycling, throughout May we’ll bring you the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast with our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature.

I skipped the Capitol Hill press conference this morning to participate in the Takoma Park, Maryland, bike to school day with my daughter, Grace.

Grace and I ride to her school together several times a week. We’ve been doing so since she started Kindergarten in the fall of 2010, first riding together on a trail-a-bike, and, more recently with Grace on her own two wheels.  We very rarely see other kids riding, or other bikes in the rack at her school.

This morning was very different — we saw a dozen kids on scooters or bikes on the Sligo Creek Trail. By the time the official two-block ride to school commenced, there were easily 100 kids on wheels.

In honor of Bike to School Day, I interviewed Grace, passing questions and answers back and forth on a piece of notebook paper.

What is the best part of biking to school?

Going down hills.

Do many kids bike to your school? 

No!  You’ve seen how the bike rack looks!

Why do you think that more kids don’t bike to school more often?

Because they are learning how to bike.

Based on the evidence from this morning, there are certainly plenty of kids who know how to ride, at least at Piney Branch Elementary, which houses grades 3-5 ( Grace’s school, Takoma Park Elementary runs from K-2.)  Let’s hope that this morning’s event inspires more of those kids to ride more often.