Take pressure off your wallet by participating in Bike to Work Week

As gas prices edge toward $4 a gallon, commuting costs are taking a bigger and bigger chunk out of the family budget. But it’s not just gas; you need to add in the costs to buy, insure and maintain a car and then park it on campus.

Here’s the math according to an online cost-of-commuting calculator: A person working 20 days a month who drives 20 miles a day (roundtrip), averaging 25 miles per gallon, buying gas at $3.50/gallon, and paying for a permit in a level 2 base lot ($705/year) spends $324 a month in commuting costs — that’s nearly $4,000 a year. Ouch.

Perhaps this is the year to pump up the tires on that dusty bike in the garage and give Bike to Work Week a spin. The week of events runs May 9–16. Sponsors hope participants will try biking to work during the week and then make biking a permanent transportation choice.

By making the decision to burn calories instead of gasoline, you’ll join one of the fastest-growing movements in the country, according to the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, organizer of BTWW. About 14 percent of people on campus are already commuting by bicycle; that’s some 9,100 people.

“Bike to Work Week is a great way to try something new, save money, get exercise, help the environment and relieve stress,” says Aaron Crandall, a federation board member and staffer with Research and Sponsored Programs. He suggests making the ride more fun by partnering up and sharing the ride with a neighbor.

Register for BTWW at The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. The federation will be able to track participation and you must register for admission to the BTWW party on Friday, May 16. Other BTWW events to get you started include:

Monday, May 12–Friday, May 16, 6:30–9 a.m.: Technical assistance and coffee on the East Isthmus Bike Path, behind the 2300 block of Atwood Avenue.
Monday, May 12, 6:30–9 a.m: Technical assistance at Williamson Bikes and Fitness, 640 W. Washington Ave.
Tuesday, May 13, 7 a.m.: Breakfast and tune-ups at the office of the Isthmus newspaper, 101 King St.
Wednesday, May 14: Commuter breakfast, 7–9 a.m., John Nolen Drive bike path at Broom Street.
Thursday, May 15, all day: Technical assistance, Yellow Jersey, 419 State St.
Friday, May 16, 4–7 p.m.: Party, Vilas Park Shelter.

Getting started

The first few times riding to work require a little planning ahead:

Make sure your bicycle is in proper working order and adjusted to fit you. If you’re uncomfortable, you won’t enjoy the ride. If you do not have a helmet, borrow or buy one. If you will be riding at night, you’ll need a light, and don’t forget a lock.
Determine your route. The route you drive may not be the best choice for biking as traffic and road conditions feel much different on a bike. Bicycle the route on a weekend to find any problem spots and to approximate the time it will take. You may be surprised to find that your door-to-door commute is faster on a bike.
Wear a helmet and comfortable clothes. Pack a bag with your work clothes, or bring them on days you don’t ride so they won’t get wrinkled. Keep a “kit” of toilet articles and a towel at work for freshening up.
Not ready to ride all the way? All Madison Metro buses have easy-to-use bike racks. You can take the bus one way and bicycle the other, ride the bus for the traffic-intense part of your commute or hop aboard if the weather turns bad.
Obey all traffic laws.