This is Bike to Work Week; Friday is Bike to Work Day

Of course you know why you're seeing more than the usual number of bicyclists on the street today.

This is the start of Bike to Work Week and everyone is out there doing their part to fight traffic congestion, reduce air pollution and improve their physical well-being.

Here in the Seattle area, they might be among the 7,867 bicycle commuters who are logging their miles on 1,307 teams in hopes of winning some prizes as part of the 2011 Group Health Commute Challenge.

It's not too late to get started, as the highlight of the week is (in most places) Bike to Work Day on Friday. Check the League of American Bicyclists for activities in your area.

Seattle area

The Cascade Bicycle Club in Seattle is preparing more than 40 commuter stations throughout the Puget Sound region for bike commuters (click on map for details).

There's also a ride with Mayor Mike McGinn starting at the Fremont Bridge at 7:15 am, a Bike to Work Day Rally at City Hall at 7:45, and a Bike to Work Day Party in near Bergen Place Park in Ballard from 4-7 pm. Details can be found on the Bike to Work Day calendar.

If you want to learn more about commuting to work in general, here's a bike commuting pamphlet distributed by the League.

For some guidance more specific to the Seattle area, see Bicycle Commuting Resources and “10 Essentials of Bike Commuting” .

Also remember the Ride of Silence at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Seattle schedule

Also, here is a list of Bike to Work Week events in the Seattle area, prepared by Cascade Bicycle Club:

Elsewhere

For other Bike Week events in Washington state, check Spokane Bikes in Spokane, Tacoma and Pierce County events, and Snohomish events. Anywhere else, you can do a search at the League of American Bicyclists events page.

By the way, Amazon launched a Bike Commuter Store this week.