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I want to ride my bicycle

Max Brown
The Commuter

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Mark Willhoit works on his bike at the cooperative.

May is the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Month, and May 15 is the official “bike-to-work day.” The league has a number of resources on their site to help individuals promote bicycling, such as presentations, safety tips, and informational packets on how to set up your own bicycling events.
Not many stores around the area have events surrounding bike-to-work week, Gregg Rouse says it’s because this is their busy season. Rouse says, “bike week is all year round” for them, so they don’t do much different during this time.

He does hope more people get into bicycling because of the month. He suggests anyone who wishes to get into cycling, whether it be for leisure or commuting, pick up a bike map for their city. Albany and Corvallis offer these maps for free, and you can find them at most bicycle shops.

The Corvallis Bicycle Cooperative offers a number of services to people hoping to get into bicycling, or improve their already existing knowledge. They offer classes to teach individuals about bicycle repair and maintenance. They also offer a build-a-bike program. This is where you build two bikes and get to keep one for yourself. The other bike goes to the bike cooperative. Greg Dinkens, who works at the bike cooperative, says this is good because it helps to teach people how to keep their bikes in working order so they can ride more.

Dan Herford of Cyclesolutions, a bike store in Corvallis, feels cycling is safe, fun, healthy, economical, comforting, and more. “I think it’s good for people to realize bikes can be an answer to multiple problems with commuting,” he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest two hours and 30 minutes each week of “moderate-intensity aerobic activity” for an average adult to get important health benefits. Important health benefits are: reduced incidents of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. It can also improve mental health and cardiovascular fitness, according to the League of American Bicyclists. Why not get that exercise while commuting to school or work each day?

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