In honor of National Bike Month, we’re spotlighting how bicycles are tools for personal empowerment, social justice and community development with our “Where the Ride Takes Us” web series. Today’s post comes from Mari Ruddy, who has had type 1 diabetes for 32 years, is a two-time breast cancer survivor, founded the Red Rider Program of the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure, and is the Director of TeamWILD Athletics.
I remember the thrill I got the first time my dad let go of the bicycle seat — and I felt the Schwinn moving 100% under in my control. My 5-year-old self immediately recognized the power I possessed. Little did I know how the bike would give me many gifts throughout my life — the most important being refuge for my health challenges.
I found out when I was 16 (like my father found out when he was 26) that I had type 1 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes requires diligent attention to balancing food, insulin, stress and exercise. It’s a balancing act that sometimes feels like I need a medical degree, an exercise physiology degree and a dietitian credential to manage.
When I was in my late 30s, after many years of poorly managed diabetes, I discovered that the key to it all was riding my bike — riding long slow distances to be precise.
I trained for and completed a 400-mile bike tour of Colorado and maintained the best blood sugar control of my life. All the while eating plenty of carbohydrates to fuel my effort climbing all those mountain passes. I finished the bike ride and, much to my chagrin, I couldn’t seem to recover. A few months later I found a lump in my right breast. I had Stage II breast cancer. I rode my bike on a trainer in my living room during chemo treatments and I rode my bike to and from the majority of my radiation sessions.
As the bike had given me hope with my diabetes management, the bike grounded me in who I was as I moved through breast cancer treatments. The week after finishing cancer treatments, I participated in my first triathlon and I loved the healing that came from being in the Survivor Wave. People celebrated and cheered for my survivorship, and that touched me.
I wanted to bring that same healing love to the world of diabetes.
I got involved with the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure and started the Red Rider Recognition Program. Red Riders are the more than 7,000 cyclists who ride in the Tour de Cure who have diabetes. Red Riders are the heroes of the ride, for we are not victims of our health struggles, but rather we courageously get on our bikes and take charge of our wellness.
During the Tour de Cure, cyclists call out “Go Red Rider!” to those of us with diabetes who wear the Red Rider jersey. “Go Red Rider!” offers encouragement and love for the challenge it is to live well with a difficult disease like diabetes. It touches my heart deeply to hear “Go Red Ride!” It makes all I’ve survived seem not so bad.
I found out in July of 2010 that I had a second primary occurrence of breast cancer. It was the Red Rider community who supported me through those treatments. And you better believe I rode my bike through it all! I’m again cancer-free, though I still have diabetes. So, I keep riding and I keep talking about the power of riding the bike for health.
See you out there!
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.
This morning, thousands of Americans will pedal out of their driveways, taking part in National Bike to Work Day. Sponsored by the League, Bike to Work Day is being celebrated in hundreds of communities nationwide, highlighting the health, economic and community benefits of bicycling with local commuter convoys, energizer stations, breakfast rallies and more.
The past decade has seen dramatic growth in biking, with the total number of trips more than doubling from 1.7 billion in 2001 to 4 billion in 2009, according to the National Household Travel Survey.
But where has bike commuting grown the most? In Bicycle Friendly Communities (BFC) that have made smart, strategic investments to make biking better.
From 2000 to 2011, the bicycle commuting rate has risen 80% in the largest Bicycle Friendly Communities — far above the average growth of 47% nationwide and more than double the rate of 32% in the cities not designated as bicycle-friendly.
In some Bicycle Friendly Communities, bicycle commuting rates have skyrocketed by more than 400% since 1990, including cities as diverse as Portland, Ore., and Lexington, Ky. Meanwhile, cities like Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Denver have more than doubled their bike commuter share since 2000.
Take it from League President, Andy Clarke: “I see the dramatic increase in ridership on my own daily bike commute, and it’s definitely more pronounced in those communities — like Arlington County and the District of Columbia — that are proactively improving conditions for bicycling and following the Bicycle Friendly Community blueprint.”
Looking for bike commute data for your area?
Click here to download 2010 bicycle commuting data for all 375 cities included in the American Community Survey
Click here to download bicycle commute data from 1990 to 2011 for the 70 largest U.S. cities, including percentage of bicycle commuters and percent change
Click here for 2011 state commute rates, including bicycle commuting by gender
Learn more about Bike to Work Day, find events in your area and statistics about bicycle commuting at www.bikeleague.org/bikemonth. Is your community a BFC? Find out here — and get involved in the program to make biking better in your area!
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.
In honor of National Bike Month, we’re spotlighting how bicycles are tools for personal empowerment, social justice and community development with our “Where the Ride Takes Us” web series. Today’s post comes from Tafarai Bayne, a board member of CicLAvia.
Waking up on April 21, reminded me of waking up on the morning of a big field trip in grade school — except today I was going right down the street from my house. Frankly, I couldn’t even sleep. This was the biggest CicLAvia ever and no one knew exactly what was going to happen.
After four events mostly centered around downtown with shifting spurs in all directions, the latest endeavor extended from the heart of the city 15 miles to Venice Beach. So many communities along the way to explore — so many Los Angelenos to meet.
It’s the unique mix of place activation and community engagement that makes this event so special and critical for the future of places like Los Angeles.
In a city that is such a victim of it’s own sprawl, events like CicLAvia can help fill in the gaps that separate communities socially, economically and geographically. And much like the previous additions, CicLAvia to the Sea proved to be another notch in the belt of our amazing cities evolving waistline.
From the moment I arrived on the route for my volunteer duty at the Koreatown Hub and heard one of the volunteers yelling at the top of her lungs, arms waving, ”Good Morning LA!!! Good Morning LA!!!” the magic started to take hold.
Evaporated like a spring shower on a warm day, gone were the differences that often prevent strangers from meeting eye-to-eye and exchanging words. They were replaced by lots (and lots) of sweaty people and pumping legs.
Gone were all the four-wheeled individual universes speeding through neighborhoods ignorant of the many nooks and crannies that represent the individual pages of the full LA story. They were replaced by curious eye’s and open hearts looking for the next corner to rest on… a new restaurant to grab a bite… some new neighborhood to explore and shops to make return visits to. In this way, the cultural salad that makes up our amazing city is put on display. Traffic jams waiting for lights become chatty speed-date sessions for new friends and riding companions.
The real treat tends to be watching Los Angeles play though.
Some people can forget just how diverse Los Angeles is when you spend your days floating between workplaces and home lives. Los Angelenos are as diverse as the bikes they ride. From Schwinns to fixies to beach cruisers to 14-foot tall bikes to high-end racing bikes, much like LA’s famous car culture, the kind of wheels say a lot about all the different types of riders that come out to play when the cars are put away.
LA’s cultural heritage is put on display and, what I really love is that, when the field is leveled everybody actually gets along really well.
As people made their way, at their own speed, through the communities of Downtown, Pico-Union, Koreatown, Mid-City, Culver City, Mar Vista, and Venice Beach another CicLAvia made it’s way into the history books. Soon, new communities will be introduced to what Open Streets can mean for them and the “new” Los Angeles we are getting more glimpses of will be that much closer.
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.
In honor of National Bike Month, we’re spotlighting how bicycles are tools for personal empowerment, social justice and community development with our “Where the Ride Takes Us” web series. Today’s post comes from Briana Orr, a participant in Bike & Build, which organizes cross-country bicycle trips to benefit affordable housing groups.
“Where are you headed?”
This was a daily question we received, from inside a car or from behind a counter. Being on a bike in the middle of North Dakota does wonders to spark conversation.
My response — “Vancouver, BC!” — always created looks of disbelief or confusion.
“Canada?!”
I learned two things about long-distance bike travel that summer:
1) Traveling by bike — especially in a large group in identical attire — is a conversation starter. As my friend and riding partner Stella Day said, “It’s novel – it takes passion and dedication to ride a bike all the way across the country – and people want to know why you are riding so far.”
2) Learning the “contours of the country” is best done by bike, as Ernest Hemingway famously proclaimed. I also learned that getting to know the people and communities of our country is also best done by bike.
Why were we pedaling across the country?
Stella and I were a part of the non-profit Bike & Build, joining 31 other young adults raising money and raising roofs for affordable housing. We collectively raised $166,000 for affordable housing organizations and volunteered 1,980 hours over the course of 10 weeks. Our group, the Northern U.S. route, was just one of 10 groups pedaling for affordable housing that summer.
Over the past 10 seasons Bike & Build has donated more than $4 million; built for more than 120,000 hours; pedaled more than 6 million miles; and engaged more than 1,750 young adults in spreading the word about the affordable housing crisis in America.
Flood damaged house in Minot, North Dakota
Opening the conversation on the subject of our cross-country ride allowed us to raise awareness of affordable housing issues along the way and talk about what we saw and experienced first-hand in other communities.
In the past, I’d always traveled to experience the outdoors, not necessarily to experience the people. I sought out country roads and trails in the Northwest. I’ll admit North Dakota was never on my “must-see list.” In fact, I was not enthusiastic about riding Highway 2 all the way across the state.
But we had to. It was sitting there in between Minnesota’s 10,000 Lakes and Montana’s Big Sky country. Plus, we were scheduled to volunteer in Minot, a town that had been severely hit by floods in June 2011. Newspaper articles called it the worst flood in decades, damaging more than 4,000 homes and businesses.
And as much as I longed for the river paths in Oregon while on Highway 2, in the end I’m glad we rode through North Dakota. One image in particular will be etched in my mind for a long time:
The house was nearly bare to the studs — no doors or windows. The roof was the only thing that had been newly repaired. Our task for this “build” day was to tear down the remaining walls, which were damaged by the floods.
After working for five hours, we paused to meet kids from an after-school church group. They had come in hand with cold water and popsicles for us as a thank-you. The kids were probably no more than 7 years old. While I was saddened by the devastation and the dismal state of neighborhood, the people we met were enlivened by our presence and were so incredibly grateful. The adults we met spoke highly of the progress their community was making to rebuild.
This is perhaps the most amazing potential of a bicycle – to break down walls between our reality and other’s realities.
It forces us to see one another and to remember places for how they actually are.
Want to learn more about Bike & Build or support the cause? Visit bikeandbuild.org
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.
In honor of National Bike Month, we’re spotlighting how bicycles are tools for personal empowerment, social justice and community development in our with our “Where the Ride Takes Us” web series. Today’s post features the radical revolution of the Ovarian Psycos, an all-womyn bike crew in Los Angeles.
“Ovarian Psycos is a bicycle brigade. Ovarian Psycos is a movement comprised of young women of color who refuse to accept the status quo. We’re trying to create change in our neighborhoods, so we are forging our own path with bicycles. This is our own way of protesting. We think our bicycles are a revolutionary concept.” – Ovarian Psycos documentary
In 2010, a small band of young womyn in East L.A. found solidarity in riding bikes together — and discovered the power of the bicycle as a vehicle for revolution.
Established in Boyle Heights on the East Side of Los Angeles, the Ovarian Psycos host monthly rides on the full moon, raising awareness about issues that directly impact women, like domestic abuse. They’ve shattered stereotypes about bicycling with their assertive presence and slogan: “Ovaries so big, we don’t need no balls.” Both playful and powerful, they’ve reclaimed the streets with “Clitoral Mass” and created a strong voice for womyn of color in the bicycle movement.
Focused on providing a safe space for womyn of color, the Ova also become a uniting presence in their community, organizing events like the Black & Brown Unity Ride, with other diverse groups like the Black Kids on Bikes.
When a trio of Ovarian Psycos took the podium at the National Women’s Bicycling Summit for the “Beyond Spandex, Toward Social Justice” panel, they ignited the crowd. Twitter blew up with folks sharing their vision and pride. They instantly became an inspiration to everyone in the room.
I dare you to try to watch the trailer for their new documentary just once.
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Read more about the Ovarian Psycos and their work here.
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.
In honor of National Bike Month, we’re spotlighting how bicycles are tools for personal empowerment, social justice and community development in our with our “Where the Ride Takes Us” web series. Today’s post comes from Mary Brown, one of the bicyclists featured in Ride in Living Color, who’s still rolling at age 83.
My journey with cycling has taken me farther than I ever imaged.
Starting at age fifty, I chose to start exercising — doing some yoga and some running. It didn’t take long to see some improvement in my mental and physical health. I was coping with life better, not as depressed and increased self-esteem to name a few.
Retiring at 65 and experiencing some joint pain, I added cycling to my regiment. Little did I know that at age 69 I would be one of a team of four doing Race Across America, riding from Irvine, Calif. to Savannah, Ga., with three other seniors. This was my greatest cycling experience. The benefits were many — mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally.
Then at 81 in 2011, doing Tour de Cure ride for diabetes, I fell and broke my leg. This was my worse experience. I had always been able to get up from a fall and continue my ride. The recovery went well physically. Mentally, fear has been a very present force, slowly I am beginning to ride again and enjoying my bike.
Attitude determines your altitude — with determination, dedication and devotion each ride is a joy.
Cycling is a wonderful way to meet new people, see the world and support other.
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.
In honor of National Bike Month, we’re spotlighting how bicycles are tools for personal empowerment, social justice and community development in our with our “Where the Ride Takes Us” web series. Today’s post features the work of World Bicycle Relief — and their new partner, Po Campo.
We were about halfway through our tour of SRAM headquarters in Chicago, when we heard a strange sound coming from a small work room and caught the sight of F.K. Day.
One of the founders of the leading bicycle components manufacturer, Day was hunched over a bulky black bike next to a bucket of… corn. Attached to the side of the bicycle, operated by the spinning wheel, was a grinder that shucked the kernels right off the cob.
For F.K. and wife, Leah Misbach Day, driving innovation is more than providing the revolutionary components for the ultimate ride. It’s also about turning bikes into a flour grinder — and transforming the lives of residents in small villages in Africa.
In the wake of the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, F.K. and Leah founded the global non-profit World Bicycle Relief. In the two years following the disaster, WBR provided 24,000 bicycles to the residents of Sri Lanka, supplying a key resource to citizens in rebuilding their lives. In partnership with local aid organizations, World Bicycle Relief shifted its efforts to Africa in 2006, providing 23,000 specially designed, locally assembled, rugged bicycles to healthcare workers treating HIV/AIDS patients. And they continued to expand their efforts.
Leah Misbach Day
To date, WBR has supplied more than 125,000 bicycles through programs in Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
At the National Women’s Bicycling Summit in September, we got a chance to see one of those amazing bikes in person — and hear from Leah about the amazing impact of WBR’s work in Africa. “When addressing global development challenges, a single-speed bicycle can improve the dignity and quality of life for women,” she says. “Entrepreneurs can get their goods to market; mothers gain access to life-saving medical clinics; girls are able to attend — and stay in — school.”
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After all, compared to walking, an individual can ride four times the distance on a bicycle — and can carry five times the amount of cargo. But, like SRAM, WBR is continuing to innovate, continuing to re-imagine how a bicycle can be a tool for more than transportation. As I saw firsthand, a simple metal device can turn a bike into a mill, eliminating the need to haul raw materials long distances and turn corn into meal in local villages.
And WBR’s reach is growing, too.
Maria Boustead, owner of Po Campo, was also a presenter at the Women’s Summit in September. Inspired by Leah’s presentation, the stylish bag maker is now a WBR partner — for every 25 bags sold, Po Campo is donating the funds for one new bike.
“WBR shares our passion for supporting girls in realizing their dreams as well as recognizing the bicycle as the perfect tool for gaining access to new opportunities,” Boustead said in the announcement this week. “By working with WBR, we are delighted to play an active role in equipping the female leaders of tomorrow with the tools they need to change the world for the better.”
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.
In honor of National Bike Month, we’re spotlighting how bicycles are tools for personal empowerment, social justice and community development in our with our “Where the Ride Takes Us” web series. Today’s post comes from Neil Walker,a leading League Cycling Instructor Coach, a youth program coordinator for Metro Atlanta Cycling Club, founder of Cycles and Change and member of the League’s Equity Advisory Council.
Two years ago, the Atlanta Bike Coalition, the Dream Team and Metro Atlanta Cycling Club partnered with City Councilman Aaron Watson to do a series of rides called “Living Smarter.” These rides were developed to support farmers markets and community gardens.
There has always been the conversation about quality food and the fact that it isn’t affordable for those that are financially challenged. Unfortunately, whole foods are not an option when you are living on a limited budget — but visiting the local community gardens and understanding how they work gives parents a more viable option.
The initial idea was to find a way to deal with obesity and Type 2 diabetes. We have always worked with nutrition as part of our programming but most of it had been done through our partnership with the East Atlanta Kids Club. The Tour de Farm was different than anything else that had been done in Atlanta — an opportunity to educate our youth contingent (The Dream Team and The Drew Charter School Bike Club) on healthy eating choices and affordable food options other than the local supermarkets.
Each farm or vendor site represented a unique aspect of local sustainable agriculture, offering a great learning experience — with riders having the option of participating in the whole tour with camping or for one-day only. All meals and snacks were provided and primarily sourced from the farms on the tour and other market vendors and partners fincluded the East Atlanta Farmers Market, the Grant Park Farmers Market, Whole Foods, The Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, Loose Nuts Cycles, Georgia Organics, and the participating farm sites.
While bike tours are common, it’s not often you get to camp out on an urban farm and have a casual dinner with one of the city’s hottest chefs. The kids not only saw the backyards and patched pieces of land that urban farmers are utilizing; they also get to see behind the scenes of some of the most popular new food entrepreneurs. From experiencing sausage making to perfecting a croissant, the event highlighted the most unique and edgy parts of the Atlanta local food scene.
The response from the kids was superb; after all, they love to ride and they love to eat! The most fascinating part for me was to see them get involved. They have no problems getting their hands dirty. The knowledge they received during those rides and the various classes have birthed two new Community Gardens in areas that were once abandoned lots.
The other aspect is that they are aware of terms such as GMO (genetically modified organism), saturated fats, cholesterol and pesticide. They now know that “you are what you eat.” They know that potato chips and sodas are not an option — and the proper foods they should eat to help fuel their bodies on our weekly bike rides.
It all works together, exercise (cycling), proper nutrition and the rest. Overall, it has been a success for the farms, the farmers markets and for the riders. We are looking forward to the second annual Tour de Farms and to continuing to ride, as well as educate and inform.
The collaboration of bicycling and proper nutrition is just one of the ways we are fighting against obesity and other health related disparities in our city.
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.
In honor of National Bike Month, we’re spotlighting how bicycles are tools for personal empowerment, social justice and community development in our with our “Where the Ride Takes Us” web series. Today’s post comes from Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, who lost both her legs when her Blackhawk helicopter was shot down in Iraqi and credits bicycling as a tool of empower, strength and recovery.
We were the top of the physical conditioning heap out of high school and college, and, if you weren’t, when you joined the military, they got you into shape. So, for the most part, we were at peak condition and, in the blink of an eye, became disabled — unable to control our bodies.
These same bodies that had been so full of vigor and energy, that had been used to flying helicopters and commanding tanks. These bodies that had been used to rescuing people and pulling buddies out of harm’s way and helping civilian populations. These bodies that responded to whatever we asked of them our entire lives, no longer responded, or they were so broken they were no longer capable of doing the things we thought they should do.
And that has a psychological toll on our wounded, to go from strength to absolute weakness. I couldn’t even scratch my nose. I couldn’t move a single part of my body, except for my left wrist. To go from commanding a Blackhawk helicopter — like I used to say, strapping that 20,000-pound machine to my back — to not being able to even roll over in bed, I needed something, and biking was it for me.
They said, “Here’s a bike. We’ll start you in one that’s slightly more recumbent, because you’ve lost all the strength in your abs. This will cradle you and you can start to move your arms.” It was from there that I fully progressed to this bike that you see here (pictured), which, the entire thing weighs 18 pounds. I’ve done three Chicago marathons, which is amazing… I belong to two bicycling clubs, the Achilles Freedom Team, which deals with directly with wounded warriors across the country and also people with disabilities, and I also belong to the Missing Parts in Action team, which is macabre but funny, and we do the Army 10-miler and the Marine Corp Marathon each year.
What’s great about it is, for the wounded, when they start doing these marathons, you feel powerful, you feel strong, you feel in control. If your body can do this, you can do anything. And to have that as part of your rehabilitation, to know that, I can do this, gets the guys and gals thinking about what else can they do in their lives, where else can they go. They can ride bikes with their kids again. They can travel and go on trips with their spouses and bring their bikes along. It’s really quite an amazing gift to have.
My doctors wanted me to be in better shape than I was before I lost my legs, and this was my avenue forward… My bike I can take it anywhere, and, for myself and other wounded veterans, it’s something that represents our commitment to never giving up, and striving to do things that once seemed impossible.
Our country today faces so many challenge, not the least of which is too many Americans are unhealthy. Too many children suffer from childhood obesity. Too many Americans will see their lives cut short for lack of exercise, and good nutrition. While it won’t be easy to make this country healthier, I know that it’s possible, and I know that it takes the work of everyone in this room to promote this lifestyle… For those who are disabled, staying healthy is even more difficult. Finding a way to be healthy, finding a way to connect with your family, is something you’re always looking to do, because so often you’re isolated — and biking allows us to do that.
You know, I think of it as a leveler in a way. It’s a way we can all be on the same playing field. A way we can all enjoying the same thing. You’re seeing nature, you’re commuting together, you all have this shared experience — and you’re all on your different bikes participating in this.
If you’ve never had a chance to see what disability biking is like, there’s all sort of permutations, and all sorts of amazing folks out there working with bikes. Whatever configuration you need, you can make it work. I see kids with cerebral palsy who can only move one arm. I see kids who are blind, riding on a two-seater with their parents. I see folks, like myself, who don’t have legs, so we use our arms.
I’ve got a dear friend, Melissa Stockwell, who was the first amputee out of Iraq. She was hit by an IED and now she’s a triathlete. She doesn’t have her right leg, so she does all her biking with just the left, which is quite amazing… She’s now a paralympic champion and she would not have got into this new lifestyle had it not been for those first bikes that we got at Walter Reed, that cradled us gently in the seats and helped us build back our strength.
Watch the full video of the Congresswoman’s remarks here.
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.
In honor of National Bike Month, we’re spotlighting how bicycles are tools for personal empowerment, social justice and community development in our with our “Where the Ride Takes Us” web series. Today’s post comes from Kristin Gavin, founder of Gearing Up, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that uses bicycles to help women transition from abuse, addiction and incarceration.
In my early twenties I began using a bicycle for transportation, to get around Seattle and, frankly, to avoid having to pay for parking or wait for public transportation. Nearly immediately, I recognized I was arriving to my destinations in much better spirits than I would have had I driven. This enthusiasm led me to find a job as a bicycle tour guide.
Kristin Gavin, pictured right
Over the course of four seasons leading bicycle tours, I witnessed countless emotional and social changes among accomplished professionals and recreational enthusiasts. Week after week the same theme was unfolding: a day in the saddle can be transformative.
It’s a relational experience in which new friendships are established, new places explored, and unforgiving emotions managed. My experiences as a tour guide inspired me to return to graduate school to study exercise and sport psychology – and further investigate how physical activity can be an effective intervention for adults managing anxiety and depression.
Gearing Up is a result of my master’s internship experience at a women’s residential recovery home in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded on National Bike to Work Day in 2009, Gearing Up is a Philadelphia-based non-profit organization whose mission is to provide women in transition from abuse, addiction, and incarceration with the skills, equipment, and guidance needed to safely ride a bicycle for exercise, transportation, and personal growth.
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While in transition, bicycling offers a mode of transportation, opportunities for social connectedness and employment, and positive psychological and physical health benefits. The Gearing Up program helps provide women with regular coaching, mentoring, and support to help them adopt healthy lifestyle changes, promote personal growth, and use biking for constructive confidence building as well as a healthy, practical means of transportation.
In addition to the scientifically proven benefits of exercise in combating depression and anxiety – which for many are both root causes of addiction and obstacles to recovery – exercise-based programs build self-esteem through tangible accomplishment and the ongoing goal of positive progress. Group bike riding in particular has additional advantages, including learning how to build and maintain something valuable (the bike), gaining a mode of transportation for potential employment purposes and, of course, the camaraderie of accomplishing a common goal through teamwork.
Bicycles – they can save the world!
Click here to watch the trailer of a new documentary about Gearing Up.
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.
Last year, the League celebrated Bike Month with our daily Why I Ride web series. This year, in our “Where the Ride Takes Us” series, we’re spotlighting how bicycles are tools for personal empowerment, social justice and community development. Today’s post comes from Mario Giampieri, a delivery cyclist in New York City and a co-founder of the Biking Public Project.
I started riding a bike in the suburbs of Denver when I was seven years old, but, as I grew up and my world expanded, distances made riding an impossible means of transportation (even my school was 20 miles away). That same mentality persisted throughout high school, especially after I turned 16 and got a car.
But, when I moved to New York two years later, I noticed that everyone that rode around on a bike just seemed so… happy. I saw people riding and they looked free and in control of how they got around, and they were always smiling.
Needless to say, I wanted in on that action.
The first bike I bought in New York was dumpy to say the least — it literally fell apart over the course of two years. One day, as I was riding, a pedal just… fell off in the middle of the street. But I guess that’s what you get when you pay $20 for a rusty road bike at a stoop sale. After that, I decided to invest some more money in my ride! Soon after, I was looking for a job and a friend of mine delivered cookies. I realized that getting paid to ride a bike was about as good a gig as I could ever hope for, and started delivering for this bakery. After about a year-and-a-half, and several vicious struggles between fellow delivery workers and management, most of us quit. They cut our hourly rate (which was $5/hr, plus tips) and were generally very nasty to us.
Over the course of the next year, I started delivering for another four restaurants at various levels of frequency, and was generally happy doing it. The money was usually decent, although it fluctuated quite a bit (as it goes, when you depend on tips). I’ve been doored on several occasions on the job, and have been in a number of other accidents in the line of work, which of course went on no matter what the weather was like. Sadly, tips didn’t often reflect conditions, and were often stingy even in snow storms or downpours.
From Bicycle Utopia’s “Am I Invisible? A Portrait of New York City Bicyclists” Credit Andrew Shiue
After about a year and a half into this line of work, it really began to strike me as to just how much I stood out as a delivery guy — the vast majority of other delivery workers I saw out on the streets were Latino or Asian, and I became curious as to why that was. It didn’t take long to find out that there was very little being done to represent this huge, ever-present (but often ignored or scorned) workforce that provided such a widely used service to a lot of New Yorkers.
There was some existing support systems in place for traditional bike messengers, and others still for restaurant workers, but very little work has been done at this intersection of the two. It was about at this time in 2012 that Helen [Ho, now development director for Recycle-A-Bicycle] and I went to the Youth Bike Summit and realized that little work had also been done to reach out and connect with and engage female and minority riders more broadly. It was after that conversation that the two of us, along with our friends Shelma Jun and Jessame Hannus started the Biking Public Project to try and change that.
The goal of BPP: Expand local cycling advocacy discussions by reaching out to underrepresented bicyclists around New York City including women, people of color, and delivery cyclists.
From left: Mario, Helen Ho, Shelma Jun and Jessame Hannus
These days, I ride mostly for fun or to commute around — the bicycle still represents freedom and a sense of agency to me, just as it did when I first saw people riding around New York five years ago. It makes it easy to travel in between places that public transportation forgot, and transforms any sort of mundane trip into a healthy endorphin rush. I recently started delivering pizzas again on the side, partially as a favor to friends at a restaurant I always very much enjoyed working for, and partially because any excuse to ride a bike for seven hours is reason enough.
I still think that being a food delivery worker is a largely thankless job, but I have high hopes that through our work at the BPP we can celebrate the diversity of the cycling community — including, and highlighting, the thriving economic system that depends on bicycles and workers — and get more delivery cyclists involved in ensuring that they can do their jobs safely (and have fun, too!).
I wouldn’t trade my years of experience as a delivery worker for anything, nor would I ever trade in the freedom my bike offers for the confines of a car.
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.
Last year, the League celebrated Bike Month with our daily Why I Ride web series. This year, in our “Where the Ride Takes Us” series, we’ll be spotlighting how bicycles are more than means of recreation and transportation, but tools for personal empowerment, social justice and community development. Today’s post comes from Mathew Portell, the founder of Ride for Reading, in Nashville, Tenn.
During my first year of teaching, I asked my students to read for 15 minutes at home each night. One student replied that he didn’t have any books at home to read. It didn’t take me long to realize that student’s problem wasn’t unique. According to the Handbook of Early Literacy Research, the ratio of books per child in low-income neighborhoods is 1 age-appropriate book for every 300 children.
I felt compelled to do something to help my students and others like them — so I combined my passion for cycling and reading. The result: Ride for Reading.
Our mission is to promote literacy and healthy living by donating books via bicycle to children from low-income areas. Since our start in February 2008, RfR has donated more than 110,000 books, delivering them by bicycle to kids at Title I schools.
Every month in Nashville, as many as 40 cyclists gather and ride to the city’s most impoverished neighborhoods with books in tow. The riders arrive to smiles, homemade welcome signs, and cheering children. Once they come to a stop, a RfR representative speaks to the children about the importance of a healthy life and literacy — and describe the various types of bikes ridden by the volunteers (mountain, road, commuter, tandem, etc.).
Then the children raise their right hand and pledge: I promise to read my book twice. I will never ever throw my book away. I will pass it on to a friend, family member, neighbor, classmate or someone else I know. And I promise to be the best student for the rest of the year
In 2011, we brought our mission to Interbike — and, with the help of several industry companies, government agencies, and other organizations, more than 100 volunteers showed up to help transport more than 2,500 books to the students of Peterson Elementary School in Las Vegas. The first year was such a success that RfR completed a second Interbike delivery in 2012 and is planning its third delivery during Interbike 2013!
In order to help more children, we began a national push called Ride for Reading Week in May. During this week, RfR volunteers and partners across the nation host their own book delivery via bicycle. In 2013, there are 20 cities, from Maryland to California, who will be spreading Ride for Reading’s mission to children who come from low-income areas. The organization is ecstatic to be partnering with Colorado Women’s Cycling Project, Stan’s NoTubes, Pivot Cycles, RideKick, Primal Wear, Girl Bike Love / Cyclofemme, Global Bikes, Safe Routes Philly, Devon Balet Photography and many local bike shops across the country. RfR is also honored to have an amazing partnership with Better World Books! which is donating thousands of books to partnering cities around the country.
In 2008, I met professional mountain biker Dejay Birtch. Since then, Dejay has supported RfR in a variety of ways, including raising funds for the organization through his 2011 Tour Divide finish. This partnership led to the launch of Team Ride for Reading in 2013! Dejay will be wearing Ride for Reading’s colors as he races nationally and internationally. The team will not only focus on winning races, but also informing the public of the need for books in the homes of children in low-income areas.
Ride for Reading believes that education is not only found within the four walls of a school building. Within the pages of a book you can go anywhere, see anything, and experience everything. Every child deserves that despite economic status. To donate or learn more about our organization please visit us at www.rideforreading.org.
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.
It’s here! National Bike Month starts today — a full 31 days packed with unique and wonderful events and rides that celebrate the many joys and benefits of bicycling in communities nationwide.
Sure, we say it every year, but 2013 promises to be bigger than ever. So here’s our list of 10 things to get your Bike Month rolling — and take full advantage of the BEST month of the year.
Find out what’s going on in your community: Search our national database for events in your area and get in touch with your local advocacy organization, favorite bike shop or bike collective to get plugged in to the happenings in your community.
Mark your calendar and get involved in special national events:
National Bike to School Day is one week from today: Wednesday, May 8. Hundreds of events are already scheduled — learn more here.
Women unite: The second annual Cyclofemme takes place on May 12. Organize a ride in your community or join one of the nearly 200 events already planned — join the movement!
The Ride of Silence, honoring bicyclists who have been injured or killed on our public roadways, marks its 10th anniversary on May 15 — find a ride in your area here.
And, of course, celebrate Bike to Work Week (May 13-17) and Bike to Work Day (May 17)
Connect your event to the national movement: Download our new National Bike Month logo for your materials. Nothing says style like our updated winged wheel!
Use our free posters to promote your events: This year, we have not one, but four Bike Month posters, highlighting the diversity of people who ride. You may recognize some of our models, too. Thanks to New York City bicyclists (and advocates) Helen Ho, Karyn Williams, Ed Hernandez, and Kyle Mosholder for sharing their passion for cycling on the national level. Plus, new this year, we have a poster in Spanish, too!
Get ideas from our updated Bike Month Guide: Need a creative new idea to get folks rolling or guidance on how to make sure your event runs smoothly? Looking for key facts and figures to convince peers and policymakers that bicycling benefits your community or quick links to helpful commuting tips? We’ve got you covered! Click here to download the rebranded and updated Bike Month Guide.
A page from our new Bike Month Guide
Build the buzz on social media: Understanding that social media has become a critical advocacy tool, we created a new resource for 2013: a social media toolkit with plenty of sample Tweets and Facebook posts to help you engage, encourage and get folks talking about bikes in your community this May. We also created an official National Bike Month Facebook timeline cover you can use, as well.
Promote National Bike Month on your Facebook page!
Get in the game with Bike Month Bingo: To inspire you to pedal somewhere new or use your bike in a different way, we created a Bike Month Bingo card. 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 and you could win a prize!
Join the National Bike Challenge: Now in its second year, the National Bike Challenge continues its mission to inspire and empower millions of Americans to ride their bikes for transportation, recreation and better health. Join the friendly online competition to track your miles, make new friends, compete for prizes — and help us show the power and popularity of bicycling in the U.S. by uniting 50,000 Americans to log 20 million miles from May 1 to September 30.
Tune in to our web series: We got great feedback on our Why I Ride web series last year — so we’re bringing the daily Bike Month blog posts back! This year, in line with our “Where will the ride take you” and the developing efforts of our new Equity Advisory Council, we’ll be spotlighting how bicycles aren’t just about recreation and transportation, but tools for personal empowerment, social justice and community development. Subscribe to the blog — the series starts tomorrow!
Have fun — and tell us all about it: Don’t forget to share pictures and stories with us on our Facebook page or Twitter feed. After all, YOU make Bike Month the best time of the year!
Where will the ride take you? Get involved in National Bike Month and find out!
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.
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.
Veronica Davis, co-founder of Black Women Bike DC, wanted to engage her local elected leaders in National Bike Month. Her goal: Get all female members of the D.C. City Council out on bikes. She didn’t write a formal letter, or send an email to their overloaded inboxes. She simply invited the policymakers to join BWBDC on Bike to Work Day — on Twitter.
Within a few hours, Council members Mary Cheh, Yvette Alexander and Muriel Bowser had all committed to get in the saddle.
Yep, there’s power in that little bird.
Understanding that social media has become a critical advocacy tool, we created a new resource for National Bike Month this year: a social media toolkit with plenty of sample Tweets and Facebook posts to help you engage, encourage and get folks talking about bikes in your community this May. We also created an official National Bike Month Facebook timeline cover you can use, as well.
Click the image to view / download
But a good social media strategy is much more than cutting and pasting 140 characters. At the 2013 National Bike Summit, we brought together a panel of social media experts to share their insight on how to use these new (OK- maybe not so new) tools to compliment and enhance bicycle advocacy efforts. Watch the videos below for ideas and guidance from Barb Chamberlain, Mathilde Piard and Mary Madden.
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But that’s not all! Interest was so high in the topic — and the confines of a single Summit workshop couldn’t possibly capture the full breadth of social media opportunities — that we partnered with the Alliance for Biking & Walking for a full webinar on Social Media as an Advocacy Tool yesterday. Check it out below!
How have you used social media to engage folks in your community? Let us know in the comments. And stay tuned for more ideas during National Bike Month.
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.
Exactly one year ago, I blogged about a new, exciting event taking place during National Bike Month. The first annual CycloFemme event sprung from the vision of Sarai Snyder, a former bike shop owner and advocate who turned her passion for women’s cycling into a popular blog: GirlBikeLove.
But she didn’t stop there.
Sarai Snyder (center, white hat)
“Despite the website’s success as an online forum for news and reviews, I often felt we were missing something bigger — a deeper, richer connection for women who ride bikes,” Snyder writes in the latest issue of the League’s magazine (online soon!). “I couldn’t help but feel we needed the camaraderie of shared experiences to bring us all together. That desire for that shared experience evolved into CycloFemme — a single day that would unify our voices and showcase the diverse power of women who ride.”
That single day was Mother’s Day — May 13, 2012 — and the call to action was simple: Organize a women’s ride or event in your community. “It doesn’t matter if you ride a mountain bike or a road bike, if you commute to work or ride to the store,” Snyder says, “it’s about starting that conversation that we need to be working together.” The response was tremendous: Women across the globe planned 164 rides in 14 countries.
The day of CycloFemme 2012 Snyder’s phone was buzzing at the break of dawn, the start of a tidal wave of social media updates and connections. “It started in Australia with seven rides spread across the continent,” she recalls. “Next was Afghanistan, where a woman named Jerusa would ride with friends, later joined by her sister-in-law, riding in Pennsylvania. Soon, ladies in the UK bundled for the chill and threat of rain. For 24 hours, the rides and stories and pictures poured in, across international border, across all time zones — all in the name of CycloFemme, celebrating women in cycling.”
“The beauty of the day was the diversity of riders who joined us. We became a tribe of friends old and new,” she continues. “We rode as casual riders, road racers, coffee sippers, beer drinkers, cake eaters, gritty mountain bikers, mothers, daughters, fathers, sons and professional athletes. We saw beautiful images of women on bikes stream onto social media, with Instagram and twitter feeds populating the CycloFemme site — and immediately felt an amazing camaraderie with strangers. With images of women showing off their CycloFemme tattoos on biceps and calves, we saw women willing to commit, at least for a day, to be part of something bigger.”
And you better believe this year is going to be even bigger than last. When I caught up with Snyder on April 24, 2012, approximately 80 rides had been organized and registered on the site. This year on the same day? Nearly double that many have been organized…
There’s still plenty of time of get involved — and Snyder has mapped out the five steps to planning a ride and provided all the resources you need to bring CycloFemme to your community, including this great poster:
So why does this one day, this one ride, hold so much power? Why is it important that “We Ride Together”?
“For me, watching the movement grow has been both inspirational and empowering,” Snyder says. “I’m continually humbled by the courageous stories of women riding bikes in Afghanistan, Ghana, and Ethiopia. I’m constantly energized by women who are not just riding bikes themselves but actively working to enable others to ride with them. As we approach the second annual celebration of women in cycling, CycloFemme has become more than a ride; it’s a movement, a feeling, a spirit, a tie that binds and reminds, that whenever we ride, we ride together.”
Find a ride in your area or register an event in our community here. And tell us where you’ll be riding in the comments!
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.
In May, we officially launched the National Bike Challenge — a new, nationwide initiative to inspire and empower millions of Americans to ride their bikes for transportation, recreation and better health. The friendly, online competition far exceeded its 10 million mile goal and transformed the lives of countless Americans.
In line with the 2012 theme of One Ride, Many Reasons, we curated the personal reflections and inspirations of a diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast for our daily 31 Days, 31 Reasons blog feature. We also partnered with Sierra Club and the National Council of La Raza to release a new fact sheet on Bike to Work Day that showed U.S. bicyclists save a staggering $4.6 billion by biking instead of driving.
Elizabeth Williams of Cali Bike Tours shared her story in the 31 Days, 31 Reasons series
This year was also a first for two other major events. On Mother’s Day, thousands of women (and men) united for Cyclofemme — a global initiative to empower more women to ride and build the community of female bicyclists. And the inaugural Bike to School Day was a tremendous success, too, with more than 700 events across the nation.
Bike to School Day in Savannah, Ga.
We’re already getting excited for Bike Month 2013. Click here for the dates and our Bike Month Guide!
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.
In 2007, Leonard Wright weighed more than 250 pounds and could barely bicycle a quarter-mile before lying in the grass, gasping for air. Now, the 66-year-old Florida resident is slim, fit and every morning he gets up and rides more miles than his age. What’s Wright’s motivation? The Get Up & Ride National Bike Challenge.
Leonard Wright
The National Bike Challenge is a new, nationwide initiative to inspire and empower millions of Americans to ride their bikes for transportation, recreation and better health. The friendly, online competition — sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, Bikes Belong, Endomondo and the Kimberly-Clark Corporation — kicks off tomorrow, May 1, and runs until August 31, 2012.
The goal: To unite 50,000 bicyclists to ride 10 million miles in communities across America.
The Challenge is simple, free and open to everyone. Sign up as an individual or as a team, log your miles, share your stories and encourage others to join you. Smartphones users can download the free, GPS-enabled Endomondo mobile app to record travel distance and automatically upload their miles. Riders will compete for prizes and awards on the local and national level, including a Grand Prize trip through California wine country from Trek Travel.
Even before the official start, the Challenge has engaged thousands of participants. During the warm-up period from February to April, more than 12,000 residents from more than 500 cities nationwide registered. Collectively, they logged more than 1 million miles and burned nearly 30 million calories. By encouraging healthy living and active transportation, the Challenge provides an innovative tool to address the nation’s obesity epidemic and save American families money as gas prices skyrocket this summer.
Leonard Wright is certainly leading the way – the retired General Motors worker won the warm-up period with the most miles logged. “I’ve been riding for years, and I was looking for something to get me motivated,” he says. “When I saw the National Bike Challenge, I thought, ‘This is something I can do.’ And anyone can do it. I’m involved with a number of other senior physical fitness groups and I always encourage people to try biking because it’s so easy.”
In addition to encouraging individual riders, the Challenge provides a free and engaging wellness tool for businesses. It’s already proven successful: During the pilot run last year, employees from the Kimberly-Clark Corporation embraced the Challenge and logged more than 182,000 miles. Recognizing the tremendous resource to boost employee health, more than 3,000 companies and nonprofits have already signed up for the 2012 Challenge, including Facebook, Verizon, Mars, Harley Davidson, IBM, Texas Instruments and National Geographic.
“Verizon Wireless is a leader in promoting a healthy culture for our employees,” says Melissa Worley, Health and Wellness Coordinator for Verizon’s Bellevue, Wash., campus. “We offer bike lockers and showers for commuting employees and also advocate bicycle education by hosting safe riding classes on campus. Participating in National Bike Month and the National Bike Challenge is part of that healthy culture and a great forum for creating community, health and friendly competition between our campuses nationwide.”
“The National Geographic Society supports biking both for recreation and as a part of our daily commute, so we’re proud to participate in the National Bike Challenge,” said National Geographic Society CEO John Fahey. ”The Society provides resources and incentives for employees who bike to work, and a number of staff, including me, enjoy a regular lunchtime ride.”
For added incentive and to promote bicycle advocacy, the Kimberly-Clark Foundation will donate 10 cents to the League of American Bicyclists for every mile logged during the competition. Sign up at www.nationalbikechallenge.org. Join us at facebook.com/nationalbikechallenge and follow us on Twitter @BikeChallenge12.
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.
So I’m sure that you’ve heard a lot about the National Bike Challenge by now, and if you haven’t, you can watch this video to learn more. We just hit 3,024 riders, who have already ridden more than a quarter-million miles and saved $66,000 in the process.
If you’ve been holding off on registering (The National Bike Challenge doesn’t start until May; why would I join in April?), boy do we have news for you. We will be awarding fancy-shmancy Commuter Kits to one dozen lucky riders who have joined the Challenge during the warm-up period, before May 1 (Oh wow, let me join right now!).
We’ve got your National Bike Summit tote bag, Bikes Belong water bottle, League socks, bike taillight, bell, bumper sticker, and of course, the bike pin.
So make sure to join the National Bike Challenge today and enter yourself to win your own Commuter Kit before the real prize-winning even begins. And if social media is your thing, make sure to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and catch all the action with #bikechallenge12.
Update: When I finished writing this post, we had 3,029 riders. Woot!
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.
To celebrate May asNational Bike Month, we asked League staff memberswhy they ride and how they made the most of Bike Month. Now that the calendar page has turned to June, we can look back on another successful Bike Month.
It is finally time to profile our fearless leader, League President Andy Clarke.
Hi, Andy. Another Bike Month is in the books. How did this year compare to Bike Months past?
I’m actually pretty excited by this year’s level of activity. Bike Month has been around for decades; it’s part of the calendar for a lot of clubs and advocacy groups and there’s always activity…yet we’ve never really capitalized on that with major national sponsors and participants. We’re still waiting for a national sponsor, but this year everyone from AAA to WalMart was doing something special for Bike Month. And here in DC the local Bike to Work Day soared to 11,000 participants, up from a record 9,000 the year before.
What’s your all-time favorite Bike Month memory?
Wow, that’s really a tough one – sad to say I’ve been through more than a few Bike Months in the USA now and even had a hand in three National Bike Week’s in the UK many moons ago. I’ll certainly never forget the sight of three [bipartisan] MPs and one Lord being bunny-hopped by a BMX rider at the kick-off event of one of those Bike Week’s! About five years ago, I remember the DC Bike to Work Day was marked by the most torrential rainstorm – I mean two inches of rain fell between 6am and 9am, it was ridiculous. I loved doing Bike New York one year…nope, it’s too hard to choose.
You traveled a lot this Bike Month. What did you see across the country? What impressed you most?
Lots of very encouraging work going on in communities and businesses to become more bike friendly – but I’d have to say the energy and enthusiasm generated by students at the University of Oregon and Arizona (in Eugene and Tucson respectively) was fantastic to see; and I think that’s why their Bicycle Friendly University awards were picked up by the University President himself in both cases. Tucson’s fledgling Living Streets Alliance is breathing new life into that region’s quest for “platinum” BFC status, and it looks as if Eugene is going get back to being a leading US bicycling community as it was in the 1980s. That’s exciting to see.
Now that May is over, what can people do to continue the spirit of Bike Month all year long?
Simply keep riding; that’s the best advocacy of all.
As League President, what are you most proud of that the League has accomplished in the last several years?
This is more difficult than any of the interviews I’ve done for Bike Month. I’m really proud that the League is playing its part in the broader bicycling movement – the ever-expanding National Bike Summit, the blueprint provided by the Bicycle Friendly America programs, our education program are all contributing a lot and doing really well. Overall, the effectiveness and impact of the bike industry and advocacy groups has increased ten-fold in recent years, which is good because we have a lot still to do.
What are the biggest challenges facing bicycling advocates right now? What do we have going for us?
Well, we still struggle for relevance and are too easily overlooked, dismissed or short-changed in critical policy, funding and planning decisions in communities across the country – I’d have to say that’s especially true at the state level. What makes this so frustrating is the incredible value-for-money and cost-effectiveness that cycling offers in helping to solve so many of today’s challenges at the individual, local, state, regional and national level. But I remain optimistic we can effectively make the case for bicycling and that we’ll look back on 2011 as the year the bicycling light bulb went off in enough heads to really make a difference.
When and why do you ride your bike?
Mostly to and from work – it’s about 12 or 13 miles each way, so that hopefully keeps me in good enough shape that I don’t embarrass myself riding with our clubs or touring Bicycle Friendly Communities. I rode around 25 miles in Tucson a couple of weeks ago looking at their urban trail loop and was able to keep up! Beyond that, I like everything from riding with my daughter to school to tackling stages of the Tour de France (thanks, Trek Travel).
What’s the longest ride you’ve ever done?
Longest ride is probably cross country…although that was when I was living in England, so Lands End to John O Groats isn’t quite the same as Oregon to Virginia. I’ve done similar rides of about 1,000 miles – Tuscany back to the UK; Washington DC to Chattanooga with tent and the whole works.
What tips do you have for new bike commuters?
One word. Panniers. Forget the backpack and stylish messenger bag for anything other than a really short commute. Invest in a decent rack and bag to carry your stuff.
What do you typically wear to ride?
My daily commute is just a little too long for street clothes, so I’ll typically wear a t-shirt and bike shorts. For longer rides, the magical properties of lycra and chamois work for me, and I have no problem riding around town or to the stores in street clothes. Not something that’s a big deal or issue for me.
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.
Next up is State and Local Advocacy Coordinator,Jeff Peel.
Hi Jeff, What’s your favorite Bike Month memory?
When I worked at WABA as Program Manager, Bike to Work Day was the only day I would drive to work in a rented truck full of folding tables, pop-up tents and other event supplies. After a few years of cold and rainy Bike to Work Days, the last few years of pleasant, sunny mornings with thousands of bike commuters at Freedom Plaza have shown firsthand how much bicycling has grown in DC. It’s a similar story across the country.
How did you celebrate Bike Month this year?
I celebrated by helping encourage others to get out and ride! I’ve been to PA Walks & Bikes Summit, Memphis Club Leadership Training and Dayton at the Miami Valley Cycling Summit representing the League.
If I am an advocate working at the state level, what are the three most important things I can do to improve bicycling in my state?
1)Understand the funding process: Knowing how transportation money flows and influencing your Long Range Plan and state and regional Transportation Improvement Program project lists is critical. This is how bike lanes, highway shoulders, trails and the like actually get built.
2)Pass Complete Streets: A Complete Streets policy, resolution, legislation, etc. doesn’t magically transform your state’s roadways instantly, but it gives you one heck of a tool to ensure that they will end up that way.
3) Ride your bike: Encouraging more people to ride for transportation and recreation is one of the easiest and best things an advocate can do. Plan rides large and small- it’s what Bike Month is all about! The numbers show that the more people riding, the safer we all are. More people riding creates more demand for better facilities and improved traffic enforcement. In places where there isn’t a lot of political support for bicycling, it can give you the groundswell needed to push for changes.
Why do you ride your bike?
I hate waiting for the bus. I hate being stuck in traffic. Bicycling gives me the freedom to go when and where I want, under my own power and on my own schedule.
What tips do you have for new bike commuters?
I think the biggest mental hurdle for new bike commuters is realizing that your safest, most enjoyable bike route likely isn’t the same way you’d drive to your destination. Every community has great neighborhood streets with low traffic volumes and slow speeds that are good for bicycling. I have the opposite problem. I drive so infrequently now that rather than take fast arterial roads, I tend to drive my bike routes, making my car trips longer than they need to be.
What do you typically wear to ride?
On road rides, my Arrow Bicycle kit. Otherwise, it’s just normal clothes that my good friend Mikael would hopefully approve of.
What your favorite bike you’ve ever owned?
Is this a trick question? There’s been so many. I’ve loved them all…most of them anyways. My Ahearne single speed 29’er was probably the most fun. The Rivendell Romulus probably saw the most miles. Bikes are great, but they’re just tools. My favorite bike is the one that gets me home today.
Thanks, Jeff!
Darren Flusche League Policy Director
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.
I like the energy and excitement of the Bike Month. I especially like to see people come together with one common goal in mind – to bike more often. I also enjoy calls coming into the League office about how to put on an event, post an event. It is great to see all of the interest in Bike Month on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.
What inspires you to ride your bike?
My health inspires me to ride while enjoying the outdoors.
When and why do you ride?
I ride most often during League events or on weekends, having fun with that special someone. I also take spin classes. Does that count?
What’s your favorite story about you on a bike?
My favorite story is going on a ride with the League staff to the newly opened Woodrow Wilson Bridge. It was my first time riding a bike in a while. Although it rained within in five minutes of starting, there were some unexpected highlights like riding in traffic, going through the trails in Virginia, crossing over the bridge into Maryland.
I had a bumpy ride. I actually crashed three crashes times – due to my negligence. I learned the hard way never to ride while distracted. I fell while calling the League’s vice president on my cell phone while riding after I split off from the group. Now I know that’s a big No-No. Then I had some trouble trying to cross over some train tracks. Finally, I was looking at a rider on the opposite side and lost my balance. I was so happy to get back to our office. From all of those experiences, I definitely learned how to ride more safely.
You don’t yet ride every day. What changes would make you ride your bike more?
I live in the Prince Georges’ County area of Maryland. If we could get bike lanes coming from Maryland to the city or better trails that would put me closer to the city, I would commuter every day. I would love to bike every day. I can image how much weight I would lose.
What tips do you have for new bike commuters?
Get with an experience rider or join a bike club where you can build up yourself confidence.
What do you know now that you wish you knew before your first rode a bike?
I realize how much money I could save by commuting on a bike and the benefits of keep a good figure.
What do you typically wear to ride?
Nothing fancy. I wear workout clothes, running pants, sweat pants, t-shirt, but one day I will have one of those cute biking outfits.
Thanks, Sharon!
Darren Flusche League Policy Director
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.
Hi Scott, how are you celebrating Bike Month this year? What’s your favorite Bike Month experience?
I get to celebrate cycling all year long by working at the League! I’ve got WABA Bike to Work Day t-shirts going back years, and have always enjoyed being part of the big downtown rally, but last year was the best. Working with Team League, I got down to Freedom Plaza at dawn to help WABA set up, then watched as the commuters rolled in and filled the plaza. It was awesome.
As the League’s membership director, what have you heard from League members about why is Bike Month good for members or bicycling in general?
I think that it can be easy to take cycling for granted – you can become accustomed to how good you have it. Whether that’s the bike lane you’re using, your favorite bike, or your favorite bike shop. It’s nice to have an occasion to celebrate cycling, and share your excitement with others. That’s what I hear from members – they’re excited about teaching kids, leading adults on their first bike commute, or just being with other cyclists at a Bike Month event.
When and why do you ride your bike?
I mostly use my bike for commuting, 9 or 10 months a year. It’s gotten easier since I bought a ride-behind bike for my 5 year old daughter – I drop her and the ride-behind at her school, then cycle on into work. It’s a touch over 7 miles each way, and takes about as much time as a Metro/Bus commute.
What’s the longest ride you’ve ever done?
I got back into biking in the mid-1990s when I rode 52 miles with friends, from Bethany Beach in Delaware to Cape May, New Jersey and back again. I hadn’t really done any cycling in years, and didn’t even have my own bike. It was lucky there were a couple of long ferry rides in the middle to break up the trip. More recently I rode 40 miles from Albuquerque to Belen, NM, at the National Bike Rally in 2010.
What tips do you have for new bike commuters?
One key thing is that your driving route is probably not your best biking route. There’s probably a more relaxing, more flat, route somewhere nearby. Find another commuter with a similar commute and ask her how she gets to work. Or contact your local bike club or advocacy organization and ask them to suggest a route.
What do you know now that you wish you knew before you started to ride frequently?
I was quite afraid of cold and dark when I started, and I would give up biking when daylight savings time ended until the days got long again. Once I tried biking at night, I realized it was not a big deal and in some ways easier than daytime biking. It’s easier to tell which cars are in operation! Similarly, with an investment in gear, I realized that I can bike pretty comfortably down to about 30 degrees. Below that, and I tend opt for the bus and Metro.
What do you typically wear to ride?
Usually, one of my collection of brightly colored soccer jerseys, though I do avoid wearing any of the ones that might agitate anyone. I think that I bike like a soccer player, too – most of my ride is at a moderate pace, punctuated by sprints when I see a light I want to make, or a hole in traffic I want to hit.
Thanks, Scott!
Darren Flusche League Policy Director
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.
I got my first post-college bike in 2000, and loved riding around Arlington, Va. In 2004, however, a guy at my then-job suggested I could actually ride to work. I had moved to Washington, D.C. and worked out near Tysons Corner, Va. My commute was a clogged-highway-66 or a packed Metro — I thought his suggestion was crazy. Then, in Bike Month, he offered me meet me on the trail and show me how easy it was. I was hooked immediately — it turns out the trail ran almost directly from my house to my office, making my commute fun, healthy and so much happier than my other options.
In addition to BTWW, how did you celebrate Bike Month this year?
I actually traveled to Dallas and Colorado (sadly, didn’t there by bike) to ride with advocates and League members there, and helped the Washington Area Bicyclist Association out on Bike to Work Day (so many bagels that must be cut in half, so many bananas …). I just love the energy and enthusiasm of cyclists in May — it is the best time to ride, here in D.C. Those of us who ride all year round see many new faces on the streets, and it’s just fun to be in such great company.
As the League’s Vice President, what are you seeing right now in this country that inspires or encourages you about the state of bicycling? Any big challenges?
There are a ton of challenges for cyclists (actually, for all Americans) as we continue to come out of this recession and talk of cutting the budget continues to make headlines. The reasons for hope are even more numerous, though, and more inspiring. From the (small but strong) headway we are making in my hometown, Houston, Texas, to the amazing leaps forward in D.C., Boston and New York City—bicycling is really making an impact. A personal inspiration is the continued ability to change how people get around– I convinced a neighbor to bike to work this week, passing on the favor that my colleague did for me seven years ago. She’s already asked if we can ride together again next week. That’s how we’re changing America — with landmark legislation, with statewide advocacy organizations, with local advocates working on making streets more bicycle friendly, and … person by person.
When and why do you ride your bike?
I ride my bike anytime I can. My family and I ride to church, I am an all-year-round bicycle commuter, and I live on a rail-trail, so we spend most weekends biking around for exercise and fun.
What tips do you have for new bike commuters?
Remember that you don’t have to ride the way you drive to work— that’s what intimidated me. There are lots of other ways to get from point A to point B, and most are much more pleasant than the huge arterials and freeways that we spend so much time on, usually stuck in traffic.
What do you know now that you wish you knew before you started to ride frequently?
How easy it is! That I don’t have to wear special clothes, or be particularly fast. That it’s a great way to lose weight.
What do you typically wear to ride?
Whatever I am wearing for my day. I rode across the U.S. in 2006, so I have my fair share of lycra, but I’ve found jeans and a t-shirt, or a dress and heels, work just as well for my 6-mile commute.
Anything else you’d like to share?
My husband became an avid bicycle commuter after I bought him a bike while we were dating. He now stays home with our children (3 and 1 ½), and they bike to as many playgroups and art classes as they can. My son loves to coast on his balance bike, and is asking for training wheels soon. It thrills me to come to work every day, knowing that my kids will be able to bike anywhere they want in the U.S., thanks to the work the League and our members are doing now.
Thanks, Elizabeth!
Darren Flusche League Policy Director
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.
In celebration of Bike to Work Week, we are launching a new bike commuting data tool to help you find out how many bicycle commuters are in your city.
Just go to the page and find your community from the drop-down menu. You can see the number of bicycle commuters, the percentage of bicycle commuters, the share who are female, and the percent of the population in college. There are 244 cities on the list. Only the cities with populations greater than 65,000 are available. Communities without American Community Survey commuter estimates were removed. For the 90 largest US cities, you can also find the number of miles of bike lanes and paths.
If you’d like to work with the numbers in spreadsheet form, you can download them.
The Census Bureau collects American Community Survey (ACS) data from a sample of the population in the United States, not from the whole population. All American Community Survey (ACS) data are estimates. For margins of error for the estimates above, download the full table labeled “RAW data.”
2009 ACS data were collected between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009 from cities with population of 65,000 and greater. In the tables above, cities for which the ACS did not have journey to work estimates were removed. This is generally due to small samples and privacy concerns.
The population estimates come from the ACS and not the decennial census or the Census Bureau’s Population Estimates Program.
Bicycling data
The bicycling data in the tables above record only journeys to work. They do not account for all bicycling in the community.
Further, the data record only the primary mode used during the week surveyed. Commuters are not counted as bicyclists if they rode two out of five days in the week, or if they rode to transit and the transit trip was longer than the bike portion.
Commuters who bicycle every day in the summer but were surveyed in the winter were not counted as cyclists. (The ACS surveys an equal number of respondents each month, so seasonal differences are accounted for overall.) The survey question can be said to capture the number of regular, primary bicycle commuters, but it is not an estimate of how many people ride to work on a given day.
Lane and path mileage
Staff of the League of American Bicyclists collected the number of bicycle lane and paths miles from 90 of the 100 largest US cities in January 2010. Bike lanes were counted as “center-line miles,” meaning that a mile of bike lane on a one-way street was counted as one mile and a mile of road with bike lanes in both directions was also counted as one mile. Path mileage was collected based on the number of miles of dedicated bike path or multi-use path, based on AASHTO definitions.
Darren Flusche League Policy Director
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.
Next up is Bicycle Friendly Communities Program Specialist, Alison Dewey.
Hi Alison, how are you celebrating Bike Month this year?
I’m celebrating 2011 Bike Month with a big dose of bike education. Along with friends from the League, I am volunteering my time to instruct multiple Girl Scout troops on bike safety. We are emphasizing how to safely follow the rules of the road while on a bike and stressing the importance of sharing the road with bicycles when driving a car. The girls are near driving age so even if they are not using a bike for recreation, transportation, or fitness, it is important they know that bikes are also vehicles on the road and that sharing the road is a responsibility of cyclists and drivers.
What’s your favorite Bike Month memory or experience?
Oh so many! But one of my favorites was a day that the League staff rode to the newly opened Woodrow Wilson Bridge Bike Way. We started out with a very ominous sky above us and of course it wasn’t but five minutes after we had left that the clouds opened up and it poured down. It should have been miserable. Had we been walking or driving certainly I would have looked around and thought “what a crummy day.” But because we were all on our bikes and because even the most novice bike riders in the group were still smiling, it was loads of fun. Really, being on a bike gives a totally different perspective; it can turn even the ugliest weather into an enjoyable experience.
Let’s get down to business, Bicycle Friendly Business, that is. As the Bicycle Friendly Business specialist, what are some BFBs that stand out for having great Bike Month events?
I’d love to spend a Bike Month in Anchorage, Alaska with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium! Bike to Work Day is celebrated with morning coffee, treats, prizes and a live two-hour radio broadcast. At lunch they do a blessing of the bikes, then in the evening riders from the community and hospital gather for pizza and a live blue grass music party.
Another standout is National Geographic. The business provides an elaborate breakfast spread for employees that ride in on Bike to Work Day. Throughout the month they have bike safety seminars and repair classes to get employees ready to ride. Ameriprise Financial in Minnesota features commuter profiles on their intranet. Last year rider experiences ranged from the racer whose daily ride to work is 40 miles round trip to the mother who transports her son in a Burley trailer and drops him off/picks him up at daycare midway through her daily commute of less than five miles.
When and why do you ride your bike?
I ride my bike every chance I get and with three small kids, the youngest being three months, the chances don’t come as often as they used to. It’s very hard to find the time to go out to just ride for fitness so these days I have to work it into my daily or weekly errands. I just found a great bike route to our church where we celebrated Bike Month with a Bike to Church Day, the turn-out was amazing and no one looked the wearier because of it! I also regularly bike my oldest daughter to pre-school and ride to the occasional neighborhood meeting at night.
What’s the longest ride you’ve ever done?
My longest ride was not an organized ride but rather a training ride for an event. I pedaled 120 miles throughout the North Shore of Boston, one of my favorite places to ride, in preparation for competing in Ironman Lake Placid. That was before the three kids!
What tips do you have for new bike commuters?
Bike commuting can be for everyone. It is not limited to avid riders, athletes, or cycling kamakazis. It’s really for anyone who likes a healthy lifestyle. Even if you live farther than you think is feasible to bike, consider using a bike/bus combination. There are a growing number of cities putting bike racks on buses to accommodate the increased demand in using bikes during a commute. Bike commuting may seem intimidating but if you seek out a co-worker who is already doing it, I bet they will tell you different. Odds are they will even help you on your first few commutes.
What do you know now that you wish you knew before you started to ride frequently?
It’s worth it to pay a little bit more for a good bike. And using your gears makes the ride a lot easier.
What do you typically wear to ride?
It really depends where I am going, how far my destination is, and what my destination is. My ride to work is a good 17 miles so I typically wear a bike jersey and bike shorts and change when I get to work. You’ll often see me in an awesome pair of bike capris that, I think, look quite fashionable and have a chamois for riding comfort – though looking at them you’d never know it. If I am going to a neighborhood meeting or on a local errand, I wear whatever I am wearing that day.
Darren Flusche League Policy Director
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.
I will take the opportunity to participate in Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 20 and do my 52 mile round trip commute.
What’s your favorite Bike Month memory?
This year is my 6th Bike Month at the League and each year I have been impressed with the participation from folks in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan region, which includes Maryland and Virginia, even in inclement weather as we have had a few of those.
Probably my favorite bike to work day memory was two yearsago when I had the opportunity to join a group of Capitol Hill staffers, several Congressional Members and the Mayor for a ride up Pennsylvania Avenue on the then yet-to-open bike lanes. It was quite exhilarating to take in the view as we rode up one of the world’s most recognized streets.
OK, give us the inside scoop. What’s really happening with the transportation bill?
Well now, that is the sixty-four thousand dollar question, isn’t it? It seems the answer changes on a daily basis depending on whom you speak with on the Hill. On the House side, the latest we are hearing is that Representative Mica (R-FL), who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I) wants to complete the Federal Aviation Authorization first before taking up the surface transportation bill. The goal is to complete FAA by the end of May, which would delay surface transportation until later in June. Completing FAA by the end of May is certainly a huge hurdle and we expect that deadline to slip into June.
On the Senate side, we understand the Committee with jurisdiction, the Environment and Public Works Committee is meeting to hash out the “principles” and major decisions for the surface transportation bill. We have not heard of a timeframe for introduction on the Senate side, but typically, the House introduces first so we would expect that to be the case this time.
I think the reality is that the further we get into the year the less likely we are to see a long- term reauthorization. We do have to remain vigilant however to ensure that any short-term extensions or variations do not include negatively impact bicycling and walking programs such as Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to Schools and the Recreational Trails Program.
Can you share with us an experience you had on Capitol Hill this year that encouraged you? Talk a little about the challenges you’re seeing, as well.
I think this year, as in the past years, the Thursday Congressional Reception get-together after the National Bike Summit is always the most encouraging day on the Hill. Year after year, the energy level grows, not just from the Summit attendees, but also from Congressional Members and staffers that are visited by the Summit attendees.
The major challenge we continue to face is that bicycling in still not viewed as a mainstream viable transportation option that should be part of our nation’s transportation policy. The fact that some Members of Congress rise on the floor of the House or Senate to say that funding for bicycle projects is a waste of money is quite frustrating.
When and why do you ride your bike?
My goal is to ride a few nights a week and on weekends primarily to workout. When time allows I also ride with my wife and son on weekends. We will bring our bikes into D.C. to ride around the city or we will hop on the Baltimore and Annapolis trail at some point, ride into Annapolis and spend the day.
During the workday, I sometimes use the Capital Bike Share system to go to meetings. Great system.
What tips do you have for new bike commuters?
As they say at Nike “Just do it”. Enjoy the fact that you have the option to commute by bike. If you are just thinking about starting to commute by bike, take the opportunity this month, during bike month to participate in bike to work days to explore the various routes you might be able to take to work and meet others that are commuting to work. The League has many great resources online as well, that can provide tips and suggestions on how to get started.
What do you know now that you wish you knew before you started to ride frequently?
That there are so many resources for bicyclists from learning the safe and proper way to ride, to tips on how to pick the bike that fits you best, to finding where to ride.
What do you typically wear to ride?
I typically ride to work out so I usually just wear shorts, t-shirt, sunglasses, and helmet. For the bike share trips, I wear business attire.
Thanks, Walt!
Darren Flusche League Policy Director
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.
Hi Lorna, how are you celebrating Bike Month this year?
I celebrate just being able to ride my bike.
What’s your favorite Bike Month experience?
I have found WABA’s Bike to Work Day activities both fun and enjoyable. Just seeing how many people ride to work each day validates the work we do.
What are the best things about bicycling?
The best thing about cycling is the freedom — to be able to go anywhere on your schedule and under your own power. Not waiting for the bus or train. Not hoping you have enough gas in the car or waiting in traffic.
You live in Prince George’s County, an inner-ring suburb of DC. How is the bicycling experience different in PG County than it is in DC?
I live in an urban part of Prince George’s County. Most cyclists in my area cycle out of the need for cheap transportation, not for recreation. Most parents are too afraid to let their children cycle on a regular basis, so it is rare to see kids out on their bikes. Even quality shopping is prohibitive since it is not reachable by foot or bike.
I see far too many near misses in my neighborhood. A teenager died a few months ago just crossing the street. We need more driver awareness and Complete Streets NOW!
When and why do you and your family ride your bikes?
There are some very nice parks several miles from where I live. We like to go together and ride a few times a year.
What do you know now that you wish you knew before you started to ride frequently?
Through the League’s education program, I have found that there is a right way to cycle safely with traffic.
What do you typically wear to ride?
Regular clothes or a big shirt and sweat pants on the weekends.
Thanks, Lorna!
Darren Flusche League Policy Director
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.
Next up is Bill Nesper,Director of the Bicycle Friendly America Program.
Hi Bill, this is your ninth Bike Month with the League. How have you seen the event change over the years?
I think the biggest thing has been the growth in the number of communities and businesses that are promoting National Bike Month. There are a lot of creative ways to do it, too. Bike Month offers all sorts of opportunities for communities, states, businesses and universities to promote bicycling, from simply proclaiming May as Bike Month to community rides and offering incentives to cyclists. Everybody can find a way to celebrate.
What are you enjoying about this year’s Bike Month?
I am enjoying seeing social networking become such big tool for organizing and promoting events. Already this month we have seen tons of events popup on our event calendar.
You can follow Bike Month on Twitter with #BikeMonth.
As the director of the Bicycle Friendly America Program, can you give a few examples of cities that really impress you with their Bike Month festivities?
Lots of public officials participate in Bike Month events. Any notable examples?
A big Bike Month highlight for me so far was kicking off Bike Month in Minneapolis at the Active Living Bike Expo where I presented Minneapolis Mayor RT Rybak with the Gold Bicycle Friendly Community designation. Mayor Rybak is a real champion for bicycling and has made the city a model – in a all-weather environment. One cool thing he has done is compete as a bike commuter in the city’s Commuter Challenge – see the video (warning: It’s long and shaky).
When and why do you ride your bike?
Biking for me has always been primarily about transportation, first as a teen getting the freedom to get out by myself to now getting to work, going to the store and transporting my two year-old to the better playgrounds in other neighborhoods. I have to add that there was a period of childhood recreational riding which was based on making ramps to jump on the street in front of my house.
What’s the longest ride you’ve ever done?
I don’t want to point any fingers but my longest rides are those done in places where bicyclists are not accommodated or worse, driven out of the transportation system by angry drivers, poor planning/engineering, etc. We all know these places.
Happier answer: A century…ehem, metric century that is. Sixty-something miles at El Tour de Tucson a few years back.
What tips do you have for new bike commuters?
If you want to be a bike commuter, make a commuting buddy who is already doing it in your neighborhood or workplace give you the lowdown. Bikeleague.org is great for learning important riding tips and finding a cycling class near you. Also, it is important to be visible but do not worry so much about what you wear. If you like Lycra go for it, if you like riding in a sport coat or dress, or whatever, go for it. Lastly, if you want to commute and your town is really not giving you what you need, show up at council meetings, write letters, find an advocacy group near you to join and use the Bicycle Friendly Community program as a roadmap for improvement.
What do you know now that you wish you knew before you started to ride frequently?
Most trips that we make are pretty short and easy to do on a bike. Honestly, my nine-mile commutes, which are the biggest trips of my week, take about 35 minutes and I feel great when I get there.
What do you typically wear to ride?
For my work commute, I usually wear shorts and a tee shirt (add a couple layers and wind pants/jacket in the colder months) and change when I get there.
For most other trips I wear what I am going to want to be in when I get there.
Thanks, Bill!
Darren Flusche League Policy Director
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.
Blog
Waking up on April 21, reminded me of waking up on the morning of a big field trip in grade school — except today I was going right down the street from my house. Frankly, I couldn’t even sleep. This was the biggest CicLAvia ever and no one knew exactly what was going to happen.
“Where are you headed?”
An excerpt from Congresswoman Duckworth’s remarks at the 
I started riding a bike in the suburbs of Denver when I was seven years old, but, as I grew up and my world expanded, distances made riding an impossible means of transportation (even my school was 20 miles away). That same mentality persisted throughout high school, especially after I turned 16 and got a car.
It’s here! 
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