National Bike to Work Day – Here at Last!

It's Bike to Work Day! This guy is pumped!

Today is Bike to Work Day – the culmination of National Bike Month (of course, you should still keep riding next week, and the week after, and the week after that…well, you get the idea). It’s been a week of exciting events here in the Boston area – I have personally had 2 free breakfasts, and if I had time to ride down to City Hall before work this morning, I could have made it 3.

But Bike to Work Day is not really about the free food. It’s about riding to work.

With a Montague bike that folds, commuting options abound: you can take part in a bike train, or take your bike on the train.

And on my ride in this morning, I know I saw a lot more riders out than I normally do. In fact, I think I’ve seen more riders this week than I have before. Whether that’s because the weather’s warming up or because people are really getting in to Bike to Work Week – well, I suppose it doesn’t really matter, as long as they’re riding.

And for people who wanted to ride down to City Hall in Boston this morning, there were bike trains  (or convoys)departing from locations all over the city. This is a great idea for people who either don’t feel comfortable riding on their own, aren’t sure of a good bike-friendly route, or are interested in meeting other cyclists in their area.

And if enough people are taking the same route at the same time, it could even become a regular occurrence. In New York City, bike trains have been running from various locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan – by riding together in a group, new riders become familiar with city riding, and it’s a great way to encourage occasional riders to become regular commuters.

A Montague Rider Heading to City Hall in Boston

But back to Boston for a minute – throughout the summer, the city actually provides free breakfast for bike commuters once/month from May-August. On these Bike Fridays, think of it as the city saying “Thanks for riding your bike – helping to alleviate traffic congestion, smog, and gridlock. Here – have a breakfast burrito and a cup of coffee, on us.”

Did you ride your bike to work today? Did you partake in any cool bike activities throughout the week? What does your city do to encourage bike commuting?