This winter, we were inspired by the Chasing Mailboxes blog, which challenged bicyclists to complete at least seven different errands by bike: the Errandonnee! That great idea got us thinking about National Bike Month — and all the different ways we enjoy biking in our daily lives. So we created a Bike Month Bingo card to challenge YOU to pedal somewhere new or use your bike in a different way.
Download the Bingo card and stick it on your fridge or wall — and check the boxes as you ride. Once you’re done, share a picture of you with your completed card on our Twitter feed (@Bikeleague) and you could win a prize!
And don’t forget to check out all the other Bike Month promotional items, from a Facebook timeline cover to your choice of four difefrent Bike Month posters here.
Five days and counting until the best month of the year…!
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
April is National Stress Awareness month, in addition to what I call “Get Ready for National Bike Month Month.”
I don’t know about you, but when I haven’t been riding for a bit — and then get back on my bike — I realize how tense I’ve been. We all have crazy lives, and, as it turns out, bicycling is both a stress-awareness and stress-fighting tool.
“Cycling is one of the most effective treatments for stress and in many cases has been proven to be as effective as medication – if not more so,” he said. “Riding a bike is ideal because it’s so accessible and achievable – and the mountain of scientific evidence pointing towards its stress-busting properties is growing by the day.”
So, I wanted to give a special shout-out and thank you to Bicycle Friendly Communities in Washington, D.C., where I work, and Arlington, Va., where I live. These cities have made my ride to and from work pretty comfortable and relatively hassle-free.
I know I’m preaching to the choir — but it’s a reminder of how bicycling transforms our lives for the better.
So help us spread The Good Life from coast to coast this May. Bring friends and colleagues, start a team for the National Bike Challenge and get involved in National Bike Month!
Bill Nesper League Vice President of Programs
Nesper directs the Bicycle Friendly America Program, which includes the Bicycle Friendly Community, Bicycle Friendly State, Bicycle Friendly University and Bicycle Friendly Business recognition programs. Bill first joined the League as a Membership Assistant in 2002 and moved in 2005 to manage the League education programs and Bicycle Friendly Community Program.
Well, it’s 12/21/12 and, despite the Mayan prediction, we’re all still here. But, proving that winter isn’t the end of the world for bicycling, Anchorage residents got a preview of the apocalypse thanks to a parade of cycling zombies this past weekend.
Photo by Andre Camara
The inaugural Zombie Apocalypse Winter Bike Ride, hosted by the non-profit Green Star, drew more than 60 costumed cyclists for a five-mile ride on road, trails, and even across a frozen lagoon.
“In recent years, an increasing number of people have been riding their bikes in winter, whether in bike races on single-track trails or to commute to work, creating a new snow-sport sub-culture in Anchorage,” Christina Grande, Green Star’s Community Outreach and Communications Coordinator, explained. “Seeing this trend, staff at Green Star thought it would be fun to organize a winter bike ride to celebrate and generate additional enthusiasm for winter bike commuting with an emphasis on safety.”
“The zombies met at a local Anchorage cafe for coffee and treats in the morning,” Grande continued. “Then the group took to the streets and trails decked out in true zombie fashion…blood, detached limbs, ripped clothes (with a puff jacket underneath most costumes). Halfway through the bike ride, the group rode across a frozen lagoon popular with ice skaters, racing around the rink with one very surprised ice skater! The ride wrapped up at a local restaurant and pub where bike valet parking for zombie bike riders was available thanks to Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage (BCA).”
Happy apocalypse to all!
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
Each day, my commute to work takes me down the National Mall and through the ellipse in front of the White House (yeah, I can’t complain). Lo and behold, this morning there was a group of carolers clad in Dickensian costumes at the wrought iron gates, harmonizing their dawn rendition of Deck the Halls.
Yep, it’s beginning to look a lot like the holidays.
And thanks to Rebecca Brookson, you can deck your halls with a bright little gift that benefits the League.
Brookson is the founder of Bicyclette, a company that features a collection of bikes, apparel and home decor geared toward “discerning, stylish women” who love to ride. This season, Brookson and the artisans at MAME Soy Candles created a signature candle — the Path Less Traveled — and all the proceeds will benefit the League.
“As I started to explore the idea of launching my own business, there were two things that were a requirement for me,” Brookson says. “First, it must make a positive impact and, second, I needed to spotlight and donate to an organization that tied in with the mission of my company. Bicyclette was born out of a desire to encourage more women to just have fun and get out and ride – and it was a natural fit to turn to the League as the organization I wanted to support.”
“The women I talk to (as well as mysefl!) love riding a bike — but have safety concerns,” she adds. “They want more paths, better bicycling communities! This is a big part of the League’s mission and I am so excited that, in my own small way, I can help get the word out about the organization and Women Bike!”
Scented with Gardenia + Grass, the eight-ounce candles are made from 100 percent soy wax, pure essential oils and cotton wicks. Order yours today!
Carolyn Szczepanski Communications Director
Carolyn joined the League in March 2012, after two years at the Alliance for Biking & Walking. In addition to managing the League's blog, magazine and other communications, Carolyn organized the first National Women's Bicycling Summit and launched the League's newest program: Women Bike. Before she crossed over to advocacy, she was a professional journalist for nearly 10 years.
… I can’t resist sharing this amazing picture I found.
Photo from http://www.culturecycles.com
Yesterday, we all be took some time to think of what we’re thankful for. What was on your list?
A riding club that keeps you pedaling in good company?
Communities where children can ride their bikes to school?
Amazing vintage cards of turkeys riding bikes that tote children?
Here at the League, we’re thankful for all the things that make our communities safe and fun, but we are thankful for one more thing, too: our members! Thanks to you, we’re able to continue to work to make roads safe for everyone who rides and create bicycle friendly communities across the country.
Thank you for your membership. And if you’re not a member (gasp!), you can join here.
Katie Omberg Events and Outreach Manager
Katie joined the League in April of 2010. For the two years prior, she worked at the Corcoran College of Art + Design as a programs coordinator. Katie has a BA in Religion from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. She enjoys biking to work.
So, I spent most of last night on Design Milk. If you haven’t been on it, it’s a beautiful site — basically a tumblr for design freaks who want to binge their eyeballs on architecture, interior design, and other gorgeous items.
On it, I found some gorgeous bikes, but I also discovered some great accessories. They’re not accessories for your bike; they’re accessories made out of bikes! What better way to show off your cycling lifestyle than bringing the aesthetic of your ride off the street and into your house.
Here are some pictures of awesome bike-related creations:
What parts of a bike would you make into a home accessory or jewelry?
Katie Omberg Events and Outreach Manager
Katie joined the League in April of 2010. For the two years prior, she worked at the Corcoran College of Art + Design as a programs coordinator. Katie has a BA in Religion from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. She enjoys biking to work.
When you think “bike club,” I’m sure there’s an image that comes into your mind. So you can imagine how surprised I was when I found a bike club that goes against this grain, the Real Rydaz in South LA.
They’re a group of about 30 individuals, but any one of their bikes would put Xzbit‘s masterpieces to shame. With gleaming chrome, hydraulics, and even some fuzzy dice, these low riders are not your ordinary Saturday morning ride. Couple this need for style with a real investment in the community, and you have the Real Rydaz. To learn more about this club with swag to spare, watch this video from Thrash Labs:
For more info on the Real Rydaz and the awesome work they do in their community, click here, here, and here.
Katie Omberg Events and Outreach Manager
Katie joined the League in April of 2010. For the two years prior, she worked at the Corcoran College of Art + Design as a programs coordinator. Katie has a BA in Religion from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. She enjoys biking to work.
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.
We’ve talked before about ads that dis on bikes (see the revoked GM ad), but let’s talk for a minute about companies that use biking in their ads to give them a “cool” factor.
At a clothing store I used to work at, I was told “you’re not just selling clothes, you’re selling a lifestyle people aspire to.” Biking has become the new shorthand for urban, healthy, hip, and eco-smart. I’ve had my eye on this factor for a while, but it really came to a head when I was at the gym last week and caught this little gem. Pay special attention starting at 0:51.
Really? I can only hope “American’s Power” is trying to be a little tongue-in-cheek, with a voice-over that describes “America’s most abundant, domestically-produced energy resource” over footage of a cyclist pumping his pedals. I’ve never thought I was fueling my bike with a “domestically-produced energy resource” while riding around town, but I think I’ll start to.
On further inspection of the internet, I found some other great examples of companies using bikes to give their product an edge. Blackberry seems to be trying to cut itself off from its stuffy, Capitol Hill reputation with this ad featuring fixies:
So hip! So fun! So….Blackberry?
I also found this little ditty from Kaiser Permanente. We already knew the insurance company loves bikes; they generously support bicycle advocacy in communities across the country. And, while some of the riders could benefit from taking our Traffic Skills 101 class, this ad perfectly captures how biking can be a fun, effective travel option for folks (and animals!) of all ages.
At the end of the day, it’s great to see companies realizing the power of the bicycle. The more we can normalize biking in American culture the better, and double points for us if part of this normalization is putting cycling in such a cool and healthy light.
Anyone out there have some links they’d like to share in the comments?
Katie Omberg Events and Outreach Manager
Katie joined the League in April of 2010. For the two years prior, she worked at the Corcoran College of Art + Design as a programs coordinator. Katie has a BA in Religion from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. She enjoys biking to work.
Blog
Subscribe
