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SAVE MONEY, GET HEALTHY AND LIVE A LITTLE, BIKE TO WORK DAY IS TUESDAY, MAY 15TH

May 11, 2012 1:00 AM | Christine Bourgeois (Administrator)

Whether you are a regular bike commuter or new to cycling, Tuesday, May 15 is a great day to put away your car keys and hop on your bike to work. As part of the month long CycleMAYnia festivities, Traffic Solutions is giving away a Specialized Globe Work Bicycle and bike shop gift certificates as part of the Bike to Work Day festivities. Ride your bike to work on May 15th and register at www.TrafficSolutions.info.
In addition to the prize drawing, five bike commuting celebrations will be held in Santa Barbara County, including:
City of Santa Barbara – The City of Santa Barbara is hosting its third annual Bike From Work Day celebration on Tuesday, May 15 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Cota Street and State Street at the Farmers Market. The celebration will include free bicycle tune-ups by REI, bike games, a bike expo, live music by Street Outreach, and a multidenominational Bicycle Blessing for a year of safe and enjoyable bicycling. Valet bicycle parking will be provided by the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition.
Old Town Goleta - Yardi is hosting Bike to Work Day from 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM in the back lot at the Yardi Complex at 430 S. Fairview. Bicyclists will be rewarded with breakfast treats, give-aways and a bicycle safety check by VeloPro Cyclery.
UC Santa Barbara - UCSB is hosting a Bike to Work Day breakfast at the Bluffs above Goleta Beach from 7:00 – 9:00 AM that will include music and prizes.
Vandenberg Air Force Base – Vandenberg AFB will be hosting a Bike to Work Day breakfast burrito reception at the Visitors Center from 7:00 – 9:00 AM and a lunch ride leaving from Building 11146 at noon.
City of Lompoc – Lompoc businesses that submit a photo of riders are eligible for prizes coordinated by the Healthy Lompoc Coalition. Go to www.lompocbiketowork.eventbrite.com for more information.
Not only are there fun events and prizes, bike commuting in Santa Barbara County has its own rewards. The South Coast has about 300 days of sun a year and more than 163 miles of bike routes to enjoy. In fact, the City of Santa Barbara is amongst the most bike friendly cities in the country, achieving a silver status from the League of American Bicyclists since 2003. UC Santa Barbara was also awarded the gold level Bicycle Friendly Universities in 2011. Ed France, the SB Bicycle Coalition Executive Director explains that "build it and they will come' means more then just one path here or there. It's the whole network, & education & encouragement." Mr. France suggests that the South Coast’s commitment to bicycling may be why the number of commute trips made by bike has doubled over the past ten years in Santa Barbara. "And there is potential for much growth in bicycling here on the South Coast,” explains Mr. France. Most commute trips are bikeable". According to the Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey 50 percent of the working population commutes five miles or less to work. "Why not substitute the gym some days for two leisurely 10-25 minute bike rides too and from work? There's an hour of exercise right there, and no need to find parking."
So why don’t more people bike commute? Mr. Epperson, Director of Traffic Solutions at SBCAG is pretty matter-of-fact about the experience. “Let’s face it, it takes more effort to ride to work then it does to drive.” But with most things in life, the more you put in, the more you get out. Mr. Epperson sees his bike commute as a quality of life enhancer. “Many of us have a mundane commute to work. We sit alone in our car stuck in traffic and then spend most of the workday indoors. Why not get off the treadmill, grab your life by the handlebars and breathe clean air into your commute? Every day I bike to work, I get a little more out of life. I see more of the beauty, feel more relaxed at work and feel a little more healthy and happy.”

Bike to Work Day is a great excuse to try bike commuting for the first time. Here are a few simple tips to make the experience more enjoyable:
Tip 1. Plan your route. Remember that the route you take by car is often not the best path to take by bike. The County Bike Map published by Traffic Solutions is a great resource and can be acquired at most bike shops or online at TrafficSolutions.info.
Tip 2. Prepare the day before. Pack your bag, lunch and clothes, check your bike, and estimate your travel time. Being frazzled the morning of your first bike commute may result in an aborted mission!
Tip 3. Repeat. Your bike commute will get considerably easier the second time. Don’t let your efforts go to waste by limiting your bike commuting to one day a year.

For those people that don’t feel comfortable riding in traffic, the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition offers urban street skills classes to help people understand bicycling rules and responsibilities, basic riding skills and how to ride safely and lawfully. For general bike commuting tips, visit http://www.bicicentro.org/bikecommuting and http://bicicentro.org/adultclass for adult classes.

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Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, PO Box 92047, Santa Barbara, CA 93190
Bici Centro, PO Box 91222, Santa Barbara, CA 93190
located at 506 E. Haley St, Santa Barbara, CA 93103

Phone: 805 617-3255