Your Action for May Celebrate Bike Month and Ride With a Friend on Bike to Work Day

Enthusiastic members have played a huge part in MCBC successes improving Marin’s cycling infrastructure over the last 20 years. As with pace-lining into a headwind or clearing a technical segment of trail, small focused efforts add up to positive results. Large projects such as re-opening tunnels and bridging gaps come about through steady pressure from members and supporters.

We are often asked “what can I do?” to make things better and safer for bike riders in Marin. To help answer that, we’ve compiled a set of simple tasks which can easily be achieved within a busy schedule. Each month, we’ll focus on one of these and ask for your help. It’s an easy way to keep things rolling forward. Of course, May means Bike Month!

Your Cycling Action for May –

Ride With a Friend on Bike to Work Day

Most active bicycle riders know that May is Bike Month – a perfect time to use the longer hours of daylight and moderate weather for more rides! But, each of us likely knows someone at work who has a bike gathering a little too much dust in the garage. Or they seem to have a ready excuse when you ask them on a ride. They always comment on your ride posts or like your #weekendride photos, but you can never seem to get them out on two wheels.

This week, tell them you’d like to help them ride to work on Bike to Work Day 2018! The more the merrier!

Tips to Get Ready:

Offer to ride with them, show them an easy route, maybe even carry their clothing.

This weekend, check their bike over with them – a fresh tube (or even just pumping up their tires) and a little lube will likely be all you need.

Figure out your route – don’t be afraid to incorporate multi-modal options such as busses or ferry to cut down the distance to a manageable goal. (Getting your bike on a bus-mounted bike rack, Bikes on Golden Gate Transit Busses, Bikes on the Golden Gate Ferry, Bikes on SMART Trains). Google maps offers some excellent tools for route planning as well.

Confirm your bicycle storage at work. (You might bring an extra lock or cable if you have one). Also, check that you have a place to change into work clothes, if those are different than your riding attire.

Have a firm meeting place and time on Thursday, May 10th – then pull by one of the many MCBC Energizer Stations in Marin for swag and snacks.

Remember – if you ride on Bike to Work Day, there’s a free burrito waiting for one of you at Chipotle!

Self-employed or a freelancer?

If you really don’t have any co-workers to ride with, then we’d love to have you volunteer for a shift at one of our Energizer Stations. You can cheer on riders, help us renew MCBC memberships and pass out the swag bags!

Other To-Do’s for Bike Month

Renew Your MCBC Membership – Many of our longtime members first joined on the bike path in Mill Valley during Bike Month! That means this is a perfect time to renew your annual membership – it’s easy to set up an automatic payment through the MCBC website.

Pledge to Ride on Bike To Work Day – Join the ranks of MCBC members who have committed to riding on Thursday, May 10.  Yes – there could be a cycling trip to Italy in it for you!

Form a Team and Log Your Miles – Simply visit LoveToRide.net and register. You can create teams with coworkers and friends, challenge yourself and others, and qualify for all kinds of prizes!

In addition to MTC  and 511, Bike to Work Day 2018 receives regional support from the Bay Area Air Quality Management District , Bay Area Rapid Transit , Clear Channel Outdoor, and Clif Bar. Bike to Work Day’s media sponsor is NBC Bay Area-KNTV/Telemundo 48.

Prizes for the Bike Commuter of the Year winners were donated by the Association of Bay Area Governments, Chipotle and Mike’s Bikes.

Local MCBC Sponsors Make this Happen!

Local MCBC Sponsors who support Bike to Work Day in Marin: Backroads,  Dolan Law Firm, Endurance, Good Earth Natural Foods,   Shaana Rahman Law, Strick Schnasee Lawyers, Sunshine Bicycles, Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM)  and  Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger.

MCBC’s “Get Involved” series connects MCBC members and supporters with our work and the cities, towns, land managers, and other agencies with whom we work. Each month, we’ll highlight a new way for you to become an agent of bicycling change!

You can also get on the MCBC Volunteer Roster by letting us know your info below –