It's that time of the year - bike to work month. For the past few years I've helped organize teams at work to compete in the Group Health Commute Challenge, run by the folks at Cascade.
This is a cool event and gets people out on their bikes - competing against each other, other departments at work, as well as other companies. The whole gig is a ploy to get people commuting by bike - what a concept.
Being close to a full time bike commuter myself - I get a big kick out of seeing people who've never commuted by bike, pull it off and get jazzed by it. A few have stuck with it, but most drop off after the month is up. It's still a valuable experience.
My 10 person team this year is a cool mix of people. I'm looking forward to the goofy emails and reports as the month progresses. Fitting in a social ride would be great also. We'll see how it goes.
Over the last few years I've seen the numbers of bike commuters increase. You can see it on the Burke-Gilman trail as well Seattle streets. During the bike to work month - and especially on bike to work day - a big increase. A bit of a glimpse of how things could be. If gas creeps back up to $5 a gallon again, that will jump start things a bit.
Bike commuting is not for everyone, but if it clicks for you - it's all good. I'm baffled at the huge numbers of recreational riders that don't commute. It's the perfect way to fit in two rides per day, save money on gas and other car expenses, get fitter everyday - plus the green aspect and mental health benefits of it all. It also adds a bit of adventure to your day. Something lacking in our climate controlled, over structured world - true?
I can't sell it enough. If you're into it - this is our biggest selling month.