Bike to Work week events

Bike to Work week in Greenville is underway. We got off to a rainy and cool start, but the weather is looking up for the rest of the week (well…better for Thursday and Friday at least). Remember, you can check the Bikeville bike month page for details on everything that is happening, but I want to quickly remind you about the events planned for the rest of this week

Tonight, Wednesday the 18^th, plan to attend the Greenville Ride of Silence. In past years, Greenville and Spartanburg have participated in a joint Ride of Silence. This year, the Greenville ride will start on Main Street at City Hall. Plan to be there at 6:30 to ride in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways.

After the Ride of Silence, ride your bike to the Peace Center Amphitheater for the Moonlight Movie (from 8 – 10). I will be there, with other Bikeville volunteers, to provide free secure bike parking while you watch the movie. Before the movie starts, you will see the Greenville premier of the four short Palmetto Cycling Coalition's Safe Streets Save Lives videos, which are intended to educate both bicyclists and motorists on the rules of the road.

Friday, May 20^th, is Bike to Work Day, and the theme this year is Bike Shop Rest Stops. Drop by any of the participating local shops on your way to work for refreshments, coupons, and prizes.

On Saturday, Upstate SORBA and Bikeville will host a Mountain Bike Skills Clinic at Cleveland Park (shelter 5) starting at 11 am. They will have the wooden ramps and see-saws to ride and will lead guided tours of Cleveland Park’s three miles of mountain bike trails. Helmets are required to participate. Find out more at Upstate SORBA.

Don’t forget the ongoing initiatives this month as well. The bike month page has details on everything.

Bikeville’s pedal power generator

I mentioned in an earlier post that Bikeville has a new pedal power generator that will be used at events throughout the month. At the Downtown Farmer’s Market this weekend, Bikeville’s Andrew Meeker took this photo of City Councilman David Sudduth generating a bit of electricity (on a bamboo bike).

Stop by any of the bike valet stations or other planned events this month to see the power generator in action. Better yet, plan to get on the special trainer mounted bike and generate a little power yourself. It certainly looks like Mr. Sudduth enjoyed his turn creating a little electricity…I bet you will too.

Update: The bamboo bike pictured is a Hilltribe by Phil Webb -www.bamboobikemaker.com. Thanks to TTR Bikes! 

Bike Month is almost here!

I have been traveling for the last three weeks, so I haven’t been able to post anything about Bike Month events in Greenville. May is almost here though, so I want to quickly mention the many scheduled events that Bikeville, the City, and other sponsors have planned.

The full list of events is below, so mark your calendars to attend (and maybe volunteer for) a few of these. You can download the official Greenville Bike Month pdf poster for times and more information about each event.

• TUESDAY, MAY 3 & 17 - ICAR Family Fun Ride
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  SATURDAY, MAY 7 - Free Bike Valet - Saturday Market
• 
  SUNDAY, MAY 15 - Drive Me to Wellness Event
• 
  SUNDAY, MAY 15 - Greenville Drive Bike Valet
• 
  MONDAY, MAY 16 - Free Bike Commuter Course
• 
  WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 - Ride of Silence
• 
  WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 - Free Bike Valet – Moonlight Movie
• 
  FRIDAY, MAY 20 - National Bike-to-Work Day
• 
  SATURDAY, MAY 21 - Mountain Bike Skills Clinic
• 
  FRIDAY, MAY 27 - Critical Cruise Community Bike Ride
• 
  SATURDAY, MAY 28 - Community Bike Ride and Free Bike Valet - USA Cycling Championships Time Trial
• 
  MONDAY, MAY 30 - Free Bike Valet - USA Cycling Professional Championships Road Race

Bikeville has a new Pedal Power Generator that will be featured at many of these events. You can drop by to take a spin and generate some electricity to “help keep us off the grid with some old fashion human power.”

A photo contest is new for this year. The winner in each of 5 categories will receive a prize, and more importantly will help to promote bicycle awareness in Greenville. Read more about the contest here on the city’s website.

Finally, I want to mention the Commuter Challenge, which is probably the most exciting new addition to Bike Month in Greenville. To participate, sign up at WorldCommute.com and join the Bikeville group. Once registered, you can log your bicycle commuting mileage and track the fuel and CO2 emissions that you (and the group as a whole) save by riding a bike in place of a few car trips. Just by participating you will feel great, do a good turn for the environment, and save a little money. The savings won’t just stop at the pump though. Anyone who joins the Bikeville World Commute group will also receive a 10% discount on parts and labor from several local bike shops. Sounds like a win/ win, so get that old bike ready and plan to participate.