Pump Up Those Tires!

Recently the League of American Bicyclists published its state-by-state bike-friendly rankings, and Oregon came in fourth. Not bad! (Just so you know, we were topped by Washington, Wisconsin, and Maine.) The League has also designated May as National Bike Month. And, naturally -- given the weather -- this week has been designated Bike to Work week. But that's what they make all that rain gear for, right? The Bicycle Transportation Alliance is offering free bike commuting workshops this month. You can check their site for the calendar; there's one in the Lloyd District on May 28th (RSVP on the site as well).

Jeff Mapes, author of the book Pedaling Revolution, spoke to a standing-room-only crowd at the store recently, so it's clear this is an issue that is gaining increased attention. I must admit, my bicycle is sitting sadly in my basement with two flat-ish tires. Being a fair-weather (and flat-terrained) cyclist, perhaps this weekend will be a good time to get those tires attended to. In all fairness, however, I do commute to work in a green fashion, since I only walk a handful of blocks. Roberta is much more impressive, riding to work on her bike in her colorful polka dot helmet. (Safety first - but fashion a close second!)

Besides Pedaling Revolution, we've got other books involving biking -- tangentially or otherwise. So come on down (on your bike??) and help celebrate National Bike Month with us.