You could say that the month of May is the beginning of the prime bicycling season. It's marked by two nationwide bicycling events:
The Ride for Silence on May 16 commemorates bicycle riders who have died or been injured while using public roads; and,
The Bike to Work Day on May 18 (May 16 or 17 in some locations) celebrates bicycle commuting and encourages all sizes and stripes of workers to ride their bike to work that day.
Started in Dallas in 2003 to remember a cyclist — Larry Schwartz — who was struck and killed by the mirror of a passing vehicle, it has come to memorialize all cyclists injured in killed in hundreds of cities across the US and around the globe.
Simply, the rides are free; participants are asked to remain silent and ride no faster than 12 mph.
“The ride … aims to raise the awareness of motorists, police and city officials that cyclists have a legal right to the public roadways. The ride is also a chance to show respect for those who have been killed or injured.”
The rides generally start the evening of Wednesday, May 16, and last for about 6 to 12 miles. Check the Ride for Silence website for US rides and international rides.
Bike to Work Month, Week and Day
Just to keep your schedule straight, May is Bike to Work Month, May 14-18 is Bike to Work Week and Bike to Work Day is May 17 or 18, depending on where you live.
The League of American Bicyclists maintains a continually updated list of cities — numbering nearly 60 on Tuesday — with local Bike to Work activities. They range from a week's worth of events in Pasadena to month-long activities in Pocatello, Idaho.
If you're thinking taking up bicycle commuting for the month, check out the League's free online publication “Bike to Work; the How's, Why's and Simple Pleasures of the Two-Wheeled Commute.”
Pacific Northwest Events
As of May 1, Ride for Silence events are planned for Everett, Olympia, Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma and Walla Walla in Washington state and Beaverton, Corvallis, Eugene, Newport, Pendleton, Phoenix, Portland, and Salem in Oregon. Check back for more rides.
According to the League of American Bicyclists website, state of Washington Bike Month events are scheduled in Snohomish County and Tacoma, as well as Seattle.
In Seattle, the Group Health Commute Challenge enables bicycling commuters to set up teams that can qualify for prizes after members commute just five times during the month.
On May 18, Bike to Work Day in the Puget Sound region, bike commuters can stop at any of 37 bike commute stations located throughout the area for snacks, water, and other free stuff. The events are organized by the Cascade Bicycle Club.
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