INDY'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER HIGHLIGHTING ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Get out your bike

As part of Bicycle Month and Bicycle-to-Work Week, the locally based Indiana Bicycle Coalition is encouraging Indianapolis area residents to ride their bikes to work on National Bike-to-Work Day, Friday, May 20.

Bike-to-Work Day highlights include free bicycle parking provided by Pedal and Park from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Government Place at the Indiana Government Center in downtown Indianapolis and across from the City-County Building in the City Market Plaza. Bikers can now ride to work downtown and have a safe, free place to park.

Also, eight group-commuting rides will leave from various locations in Indianapolis. These rides will end downtown, and they will pass through both of the Pedal and Park stations. Details on the rides including start locations, times, planned routes, detailed maps and approximate mileage will be listed on the Indiana Bicycle Coalition Web site at www.bicycleindiana.org.

By riding your bike to work and signing in at one of the Pedal and Park stations, you will be eligible to win lots of great bicycle commuting prizes and free giveaways. Prizes will be given away at noon at the Pedal and Park station at the Indiana Government Center (riders need not be present to win). There will be an informal, friendly competition among downtown businesses and employers to see who has the most employees participate.

An IndyGo bus equipped with a bicycle rack will be present at both Pedal and Park stations. Learn how to properly use the IndyGo bike racks to combine trips using your bike and the bus. Bikers can also test ride and see commuting and transportation-specific bikes from Burley, Kona and Cannondale.

According to the Indiana Bicycle Coalition, biking to work makes sense for a variety of reasons. Some include: “Getting in shape. Biking to work is a great way to become more physically fit or to lose weight. Ride your bike to work and you will no longer need to make time to exercise. Saving money. The average annual cost of keeping an automobile running is $3,000. The average annual cost of keeping a bicycle running is $300. With gas at almost $2.50 per gallon and rising, the cost savings can be huge. Helping the environment. Motor vehicles are responsible for a huge amount of air pollution. Riding a bike to work is a simple way to improve the environment. Lowering your stress level. Instead of being stuck in traffic and stuck in a car, feel the wind in your face and remember what it’s like to be a kid again.”

In other bicycling news, registration is now open for the 2005 Nite Ride happening July 23. Organized by the Central Indiana Bicycling Association, this annual event captivates Indianapolis with a utopian vision of a city of bicycles. Register now to make sure you get your T-shirt and have a post-ride dinner at the Major Taylor Velodrome at the end of your 20 mile journey. For info go to www.cibaride.org or call 767-7765, ext. 3; to register online, go to www.active.com.