Bay State Bike Week

Remember how you spent all winter sighing as you looked outside your window at the snow piling up outside?  And then, how you made that vow to make the most of every beautiful and sunny day that may come your way when spring finally arrived, just praying that the day would one day actually arrive?  Well, it is here.  The weather is beautiful and if you are making up excuses to stay closed up inside, Bay State Bike Week is here to get your but <finally> in gear.

Starting today through May 17th, Bay State Bike Week is a collaboration of bicycling enthusiasts throughout Massachusetts excited to set out on two wheels instead of the usual four.

Registered participants in Bike Week all help work towards a 250,000 mile pledge, the equivalent of biking from here to the moon. Upon registration, each participants is asked to pledge the number of miles they can cover in the one week.  Think of all the stinky emissions 250,000 less miles driven can help to avoid.  In keeping with the bike more, drive less theme, the MassCommuter Challenge is using a healthy competition model to pit businesses against one another, hoping to encourage employees to bike instead of drive when they can.  While a bike trip into work each day may not be reasonable for some, biking around town for errands, or even to mass transit each morning are simple ways to make changes and make a difference.

A highlight of the week is Mayor Menino’s Bike Week Festival on Friday, May 15th at City Hall Plaza from 7am-10am. The event includes a free breakfast and musical entertainment – plus a gift bag and water bottle giveaway for all.  So, bring your backpack or bike basketand load up. Bike mounted police escorts will lead convo:ys to the event from locations in Boston, Cambridge, Arlington, Newton, Dorchester, West Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain. Convoys are meeting up at 6:45am on May 15th and depart at 7am sharp.  For more details on the convoys, click here.

For a statewide calendar of events surrounding bike week, visit MassBike. And, don’t forget your helmet.

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Julie Salickram is a contributing writer/blogger for DirectoryofBoston.com. Follow her at twitter.com/julesac