Bay Area Bike To Work Day Is Coming — May 11, 2017

As a new-ish resident of the City by the Bay, I’m so excited to take part in the 2017 Bay Area Bike to Work Day!

To be fair, nearly every day is “bike to work” day for me (although, this super rainy winter/spring means I’m working from home a bit more often than I’d like). But that doesn’t mean I’m not excited about celebrating all the good things about bike commuting with the San Francisco Bike Coalition.

I love living in the flat neighborhoods of this city, where there are literally bike lanes in every direction, and where drivers are mostly kind and considerate of bike commuters. One of my favorite things is riding in a “pack” of 10–20 bikers on my morning and afternoon commutes along some of the main bike routes within the city. Not only is this just FUN, it leads to an even better sense of safety as we cruise alongside (and often faster than) city traffic.

The following information comes from the SFBC press release that announced the event. Where will YOU be biking to work on Bike to Work Day and hopefully on more days during National Bike Month…?

Over 100,000 new and seasoned bike commuters are expected to pedal to work on Thursday, May 11, as part of the 23rd annual Bay Area Bike to Work Day.

With hundreds of Energizer Stations scattered throughout the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties, riders can fuel themselves with refreshments, respite and encouragement from thousands of volunteers. Local bike groups and employers are planning a range of activities throughout the day and into the evening, including onsite events and after-work happy hours. Local elected officials — including several commissioners from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the presenting sponsor of the event — will do their part by cycling to their offices on May 11. Complete event information, including Energizer Station locations, is available at YouCanBikeThere.com.

“As an avid cyclist, I can attest to the benefits of commuting by bike,” said MTC Chair and Rohnert Park Councilmember Jake Mackenzie. “My brisk, 30-minute ride to city hall is great exercise.”

To encourage increased bike commuting, the Team Bike Challenge competition will debut a new mobile app this year. Team Bike Challenge is a competition in which coworkers, friends, and companies form teams that compete to log the most cycling miles during National Bike Month in May. The app was designed to make recording miles and tracking the competition easier and is available for Android and Apple devices. For more information on Team Bike Challenge and to download the app, visit teambikechallenge.com.

Additionally, Chipotle will be sponsoring a 2-for-1 promotion at all its Bay Area restaurants on Bike to Work Day. Participants just need to show their bike helmet or Bike to Work Day canvas bag at any Chipotle on May 11 from 10:45 a.m.-9:00 p.m. to qualify for the 2-for-1 deal. San Mateo County residents and workers also will want to take advantage of Commute.org’s 2017 commuter challenge in which users who log bicycle trips during Bike Week (May 8-12) will be entered to win a special Bike Commuter Prize Pack (valued at $250), which includes a commuter bag, bicycle lock and more! Participants can sign up at my.commute.org.

While much of the focus during Bike to Work Week in the Bay Area is on Bike to Work Day, many activities will take place throughout the region all month long, including free bike repair workshops, bike safety classes and group rides.

The major Bike to Work events include:

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