Event Origins
Bike to Work Day is not just a local thing. According to the League of American Bicyclists, established in 1956, the National Bike Month of May is a time to showcase the benefits of bicycling while encouraging folks to give it a go.
Local Event Info
Created about seven years ago with a break in 2020 due to the pandemic, organizers encourage community members to bike to work on a specific day.
There is a network of pop-up commuter stations hosted by local businesses and organizations to support you along the way with free food, drinks, games, and more. Stations include:
- D & D Bicycles
- City of Ann Arbor at Veterans Memorial Park
- Human Electric Hybrids
- People’s Food Co-op
- Spin, PEAC, & Treeline at Fuller Park
- Ann Arbor YMCA
- Argus Farm Stop (Liberty)
- Downtown Development Authority
- Blom Meadworks & Cahoots
- Ann Arbor Spark
- Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative @ Liberty Plaza
- Common Cycle @ Hanover Square Park
- Argus Farm Stop (Packard)
- York Food and Drink
- Roos Roast
- Oxford Companies
If you have a bike but it needs a spring tune-up or quick repair, head over to Common Cycle, Ann Arbor’s Bike Co-Op. They host a community workspace every Sunday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Bike or other commute options
If you don’t have a bike, that’s okay too! Here are some options to get one, even if just for the day:
- Try one of Ann Arbor’s new SPIN electric-assisted bikes.
- Maybe it’s time to make a purchase from one of the event partners D&D Bicycles or Human Electric Hybrids.
- Rent one from a local bike rental company.
- Borrow a neighbor or relative’s bike!
And, if none of those options work either, consider any transportation other than your vehicle.
Walk Bike Washtenaw Board of Director Jaime Magiera said, “More than anything, WBW would like to encourage folks to avoid single-occupant car use and consider ways in which you can integrate bicycling, micro-mobility (e.g. scooters), and the bus system into your daily commutes. Bike to Work Day is about raising awareness of that potential.”
Benefits
Need more incentive than good old fashioned fun?
Magiera said, “Bicycling provides a lot of benefits to personal and planetary health. At the personal level, physical exercise is of course very important…In terms of planetary health, bicycling has a much lower carbon footprint than car trips.”
Come on…there’s no reason to not participate in this community-wide event. Get those feet pedaling (or walking, scootering, bus riding, or ride sharing) on May 19th, 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. And don’t forget to post images of your journey to Twitter with the hashtag #MyA2Commute.
You just might discover a newfound passion in bicycling. Magiera encourages “readers to reach out to Walk Bike Washtenaw if they would like to be connected to resources for integrating walking and bicycling into their daily routines.
