Bike to Work Day Photo Shoot Cast & Crew (Photo by Som Sharma)
Diana Rohini LaVigne — Anyone Can Participate in Bike to Work Day on May 12, 2011
San Francisco Bay Area’s 17th Annual Bike to Work Day, which will be held on May 12, 2011, aims to motivate non-bike riders and those already cycling to get involved. With bike riding’s many advantages like healthier living, reducing one’s footprint, and an affordable transportation alternative, Bike to Work Day is headed for a significant increase in participation in 2011. Biking to work is a great way to fulfill the requirement of 30+ minutes of physical activity per day needed to stay healthy.
Bike to Work events, presented by 511.org and Kaiser Permanente, will take place throughout the month including a Team Bike Challenge and Bike Commuter of the Year Awards. Additionally, local employers are urged to help encourage bike riding as more physically active employees are more alert, healthy and more productive.
“Bike riding benefits not only Bay Area residents’ health but the environment as well,” says Diana Rohini LaVigne, regional producer for Bike to Work Day. “Unfortunately, bike riding comes with misperceptions from what you must wear to being fit before even starting. But biking is for everyone. You don’t need special clothing, you don’t need special equipment, and you don’t need to already be in shape to take up biking. All you need to do is find your motivation and jump on.”
This year’s message is to find your inner motivation and reason to ride a bike and to go for it. It could be anything from reducing stress, losing weight, helping diminish global warming, or having bragging rights at the water cooler on the most distance traveled on a bike. Bike riders come in all different shapes and sizes, and no one should feel limited by their size, attire, equipment or speed. Bike riding is an equalizer and all are accepted. There are activities in all nine counties; Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma.
