Iowans are encouraged to try taking just two wheels to work this week instead of four.
Angela Dalton, state program director for Bike to Work Week, says using a bicycle for your daily commute can save you money, cut pollution and help nudge you into a healthier lifestyle.
Dalton say bike riders in communities statewide are taking part. Dalton says www.BikeIowa.com and the Iowa Bicycle Coalition have plenty of information about events in cities across the state, including several larger efforts in Des Moines, Ames, Cedar Falls, Iowa City, Sioux City, Davenport and Council Bluffs.
Some bicycling enthusiasts don’t want to show up at work all hot and sweaty, and Dalton has a suggestion for solving that. Dalton says try to convince fitness centers to offer a shower-only membership for bicyclists who are heading to work, perhaps for $10 a month.
Another common complaint for not biking to work is the lack of bicycle lanes on some key roadways. Dalton says cycling enthusiasts across the state are continuing to lobby their local leaders to make more thoroughfares bike-friendly. "Bike lanes and wide outside lanes are necessary because people do use their bikes for transportation, whether you’re poor or disabled or you have a need to ride your bike, versus those who like to ride and choose to ride for the environment or to save money, there’s lots of good reasons to do this," she says. For more information, visit www.iowabikes.com or www.bikeiowa.com .