National Bike to Work Day is one of our favorite times of the year, and it proved its salt again this morning. The League staff was stationed at several pit stops in and around Washington, D.C., to say hello to bicyclists on their way to work. We passed out bike pins, urged visitors to become members and listened to local politicians as they extolled the benefits of bicycling.

Scroll through some of our photos from this morning in D.C., and be sure to send us yours via Facebook, Twitter or in the comments below!

Thank you to everyone who participated in Bike to Work Day 2013!

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.

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.

Click here to download the infographic as a PDF.

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.

We were not only celebrating Bike to Work Day a day early, we were also celebrating their new Silver Bicycle Friendly Business award.

Neon yellow shirts were passed out as we convened at Thompson Boat House in Washington, D.C., to ride the last two miles together. It was an eclectic group of riders: high heels, ties, dress shoes, slacks — and some spandex. We snapped photos, gave high-fives, and talked about our routes into and around the city.

I presented the Silver BFB award to the World Bank Group this morning.

The day would be a celebratory and informative event of bicycling. Following our ride there was a Confident City Cycling class led by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association with a bike maintenance class soon after.

The World Bank Group has been part of the Bicycle Friendly Business program since 2009 when they received a Bronze designation. Now, with their recent bike facility improvements, promotion of D.C.’s Capital Bikeshare system through subsidized membership to employees, and increased education efforts, they moved up the BFB ranks last month.

Congratulations, World Bank Group, thanks for the ride!

Alison Dewey
League Program Manager, BFB & BFU

Do you remember that feeling as a kid when you got your first bike?

A close second to that feeling is giving a good kid his first great bike.

On July 4, 2008, Bikes for Goodness Sake hosted its inaugural event, giving 50 bike shop quality bikes to children of deploying soldiers in Austin, Texas. The highlight for me: The expression on the children’s faces when they approached their bike. It was heartwarming.

At that event the commanding officer, Lt. Col. Michael Dietz, said these touching words to all present: “I can walk down the street and, by virtue of my uniform, I’m acknowledged for my sacrifice to this great country. However, our soldiers’ children go unrecognized and sacrifice in silence. It’s rare and indeed humbling when someone honors the sacrifice of your families. And for that I am grateful for Bikes for Goodness Sake.”

The tears of solace and gratitude began to flow from both the volunteers and the parents of the children.

Since that event Bikes for Goodness Sake has been asked by scores of companies to facilitate bike build events for charitable purposes. We use only bike-shop-quality bikes sourced through our special relationship with Raleigh Bicycles. At the event, we have bike mechanics from the local Raleigh dealer to ensure all is safe for the kiddos.

The events range from a basic bike builds to fun team building events. Recipient children are identified from local charitable organizations that the company has a heart for. Bike-build teams not only build the bikes, they also make poster-size personalized cards for the children receiving the bikes.

The most amazing and gratifying part of these events are during the picture taking ceremony at the end. We surprise the bike builders by having the children rush into the room looking for their card and bike. A personal connection is made — and again tears begin to flow.

It’s one thing to donate your time and treasure to a good cause, but it’s a whole other matter when you have the opportunity to make a real and personal connection. It is never forgotten. When you can share the freedom and the joy that only a bike can deliver with a child, then you have impacted the world for goodness sake.

Learn more about Bikes for Goodness Sake here.

For the past 13 of 14 years, nurses have been ranked as the #1 most trusted professional in the country; so it means a lot when the American Nurses Association and the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses trust the National Bike Challenge as a way to get more people out riding!

It seems a happy coincidence that National Nurses Week is in May — National Bike Month — and we’ve been hearing a lot of buzz from the nurses about the Challenge.

The ANA featured a Bike Challenge interview in The American Nurse — their official publication — with Hollie Shaner-McRae (pictured right), a nurse from Burlington, VT. The Challenge is  ”a great opportunity to expand your usual ‘nursing practice’ beyond your regular job, and be a model of wellness in your community, church, workplace or neighborhood,” Shaner-McRae says.

Those paying attention to the Challenge may remember that Vermont finished in 2012 as the number one state, and Burlington was top in the communities category; a feat that owed a lot to Shaner-McRae’s promotion of the Challenge to other nurses.

In addition to being trusted professionals and helping to bring Bike Challenge victory to their hometowns, the nurses of the ANA see the Challenge as a way to promote their Healthy Nurse program. The goal: Not only promoting healthy behaviors (eating well, exercising regularly, and getting immunizations) through their work, but also acting as role models in their communities.

Part of the Healthy Nurse program is Healthy Weight, a more holistic approach to weight with the outlook that “ultimately, it is a balance of energy in (nutrition) and energy out (fitness).” The National Bike Challenge is a great way to add an “energy output” to your day!

So what are you weighting for? While an apple a day might keep the doctor away, a bike ride a day keeps nurses (and you) happy and healthy.

Join the National Bike Challenge at www.nationalbikechallenge.org!

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.

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.

Learn more about CicLAvia 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.

“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.

“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.

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.

With this impressive round of 17 new BFCs, there are now 259 BFCs in 47 states. The BFC program is helping transform the way communities evaluate quality of life by assessing investment in bicycling promotion, education programs, infrastructure and municipal policies.

City of Fort Follins, CO

“We’re excited to see another ‘Platinum’ city in the west,” said League president, Andy Clarke. “And with new cities climbing the ranks in the East, it’s clear that civic leaders are investing in their communities by embracing the benefits of bicycling. That investment will be returned many times over in the health, environmental, transportation, and quality of life benefits of a thriving, attractive community.”

See the full list of Bicycle Friendly Communities here. An additional 18 communities received Honorable Mentions.

A bicycle culture is evident in the top BFCs, and in Fort Collins, a new Platinum community, bicycling is, simply, a “way of life.”

“A bicycle culture is key in defining the fabric of what makes Fort Collins a great place to live, work and play,” said Fort Collins Mayor Karen Weitkunat. ”We know it is a primary means of transportation for many, a major form of recreation for most, and a significant factor in attracting new businesses and new residents. Our City works alongside many community organizations to build a seamless bikeway network and ensure a safe cycling community. Bicycling is a community value and a way of life in Fort Collins.”

In the East, Cambridge, Mass., a new Gold-level BFC, has seen its ridership grow threefold in the past decade alone. Cambridge’s Harvard University was also honored with a Silver Bicycle Friendly University award last month.

“Cambridge is proud of its reputation as one of the best cities for bicycling in the U.S.,” said Cambridge City Manager Robert W. Healy. “The City has actively invested in making cycling a priority, including establishing the Hubway bike share program and creating an expansive network of bicycle facilities. The popularity of bicycling here can be seen in the exponential growth in cycling, with numbers tripling in the past decade. The bicycling culture here is epitomized in such events as the award-winning community bike rides, which highlight the collaborative nature of our work, with citizens, local businesses and the City working together.”

And the long, snowy winters in Anchorage, Alaska, which moved up from a Bronze to Silver community, haven’t put a stop to the thriving bicycling community there.

“Anchorage bicyclists are so committed to bicycling that nothing can stop them,” said Lori Schanche, Municipality Of Anchorage Non-Motorized Transportation Coordinator. “Anchorage’s eight long winter months come with darkness, frozen roads and snow but our bicyclists have adapted by gearing up with cold weather gear, lights, fat tires and studs. When summer arrives we all enjoy almost 24 hours of daylight to be out cycling our miles of beautiful trails and bike lanes.”

Learn more about the program and view the full list of Bicycle Friendly Communities at www.bikeleague.org/bfa.

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.