Bike to Work Day is an annual event that promotes the

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered transport, human-powered or motorized bicycle, motor-assisted, bicycle pedal, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two bicycle wheel, wheels attached to a ...

as an option for

commuting Commuting is periodically recurring travel between a place of residence and place of work or study, where the traveler, referred to as a commuter, leaves the boundary of their home community. By extension, it can sometimes be any regular o ...

to work (

bicycle commuting Bicycle commuting is the use of a bicycle to travel from home to a place of work or study — in contrast to the use of a bicycle for sport, recreation or touring. Commuting especially lends itself to areas with relatively flat terrain and a ...

). It is held in the Spring in a variety of locations including the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, Europe and Asia. Bike Week is the week that includes the Bike-to-Work Day, in May, and the World Bicycle Day, on June 3.

Origins

Bike to Work Day was originated by the

League of American Bicyclists League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football * ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...

in 1956 and is a part of Bike-to-Work Week, which is in turn part of National Bike Month.

Activities

Providence mayor Jorge Elorza with bicycle

Leading up to Bike to Work Day, national, regional, and local bicycle advocacy groups encourage people to try

as a healthy and safe alternative to driving by providing route information and tips for new bicycle commuters. Further, the American Medical Association has endorsed Bike to Work Day as part of its push to encourage active transportation. The event is supported by many organizations, from local bike shops and restaurants to municipalities and transit authorities. The southern California commuter rail network Metrolink offers free rides to cyclists on Bike to Work day. On Bike to Work Day, a wide variety of bicycle-related events are organized. The day is a major event in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

, where thousands of residents participate annually, supported by corporate sponsors. Organized "Commuter Convoys," and "Energizer Stations" set up in various locations around the Bay Area providing free

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for Nutrient, nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or Fungus, fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, protein (nutrient), proteins, vitamins, ...

and

coffee Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...

to bike commuters by organizations such as the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, East Bay Bicycle Coalition, and Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition. Members of the

San Francisco Board of Supervisors The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is the board of supervisors, legislative body within the government of San Francisco, government of the San Francisco, City and County of San Francisco in the U.S. state of California. Government and polit ...

and the

Mayor of San Francisco The mayor of the City and County of San Francisco is the head of the executive branch of the Government of San Francisco, San Francisco city and county government. The officeholder has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either appro ...

regularly participate, commuting by bicycle to

City Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...

. Bike to Work Day also enjoys broad participation throughout the country. Eleven businesses in

Boulder, Colorado Boulder is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule city in Boulder County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the most ...

gave free breakfast to 1,200 participants in 2012 and 1,600 participants in 2013.

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. Located just northwest of Washington, D.C., it is a major business and government center of the Washington metropolitan region ...

used the event to unveil new bike racks (increasing from 200 to 300) and had speeches on transportation. In

Kitchener, Ontario Kitchener is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario, about west of Toronto. It is one of three cities that make up the Regional Municipality of Waterloo and is the regional Administrative centre, seat. Kitchener was known as Berlin until a ...

, a local bike club, Ziggy's, donated twelve commuter bikes to people who participated and blogged about the event in 2012.

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

gave free tune-ups and balaclavas to participants. Bike to Work Day is celebrated in

Austin, TX Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...

by a city-wide offering of free morning fueling stations organized b
Ghisallo Cycling Initiative
for all commuting cyclists. In 2025, over 40 businesses, organizations and individuals will sponsor fueling stops that range from free coffee and pastries to free bike tune-ups. There are several organized bike rides that are planned by Ghisallo that merge together at City Hall where a proclamation is made before cyclists head to work. An after-party is also held that evening to recognize cyclists who participated in riding to work.

References

External links

UK Cycle to Work Day
Bike to Work Czech campaign

b2w-indonesia.or.id
Indonesian bike to work community
Bike to Work Day (Rome)Bike to Work Day (Washington DC)League of American Bicyclists: Bike MonthPSA Bike to Work Video
{{Cycling , state=expanded May observances Utility cycling Cycling events in the United States Cycling events in Canada 1956 establishments in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 1956

Origins

Activities

See also

References

External links