The League of American Bicyclists promotes Bike-to-Work Week from May 12-16 and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday, May 16.  They have provided some suggestions for celebrating bike month.  Here are just a few:

·         Ride with your child to school                                         

·         Plan a cycling vacation

·         Commute to work on a bike

·         Take a family ride on a local trail

·         Download the Bike Month Organizers Kit from the www.bikeleague.org and plan your own event

·         Ride a different bike than usual: Try a tandem, a tricycle or a unicycle

·         Teach a child to ride a bicycle, or sign them up for a League Kids I course

www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/pdf/50_things_for_bike_month.pdf

Some fitness enthusiasts might consider doing something that seems extreme to most of us – biking a ‘century” (100 miles in a day).  If you are or aspire to be an enthusiast, you might brush-up on tips from about.com on preparing for such a feat.  http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/conditioning/a/aa052703.htm

The rest of us might just enjoy cruising the neighborhood at a leisurely pace; but Medicinenet.com says you can burn "as many as 750 to 1,000 calories per hour if the biking is hard and continuous”.  Since most people don't work that hard, “500-600 calories is more likely”.

You can read more at www.medicinenet.com/cycling_biking_or_bicycling/article.htm .

Remember safety considerations when biking: Wear a properly-fitted helmet and bright clothing, a bright vest over your clothing, or reflective material if riding at night, observe all rules of the road that apply to bikers, check your brakes before riding, avoid wearing headphones, and stay alert.  Review more biking safety information at the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action Council Web site: www.midmeac.org/bikesafety.html . 

Prepared by:

Employee Health & Wellness

Employee Benefits Division

Civil Service Commission