May is National Bike Month, and Sitka cyclists will have plenty of opportunities to celebrate.
Not only is May National Bike Month, but May 14-18 is National Bike to Work Week and May 18 is National Bike to Work Day. These are great times to leave the car at home and take the bike to work.
Sitka cyclists can take part in the National Bike Challenge, which runs from May 1 to Aug. 31. This national event is trying to get 50,000 people riding 10 million miles during the four months from May through August, and you can win prizes for participating as individuals and/or teams. There also are smart phone apps that can track your distance and record it.
New this year is the inaugural National Bike to School Day on May 9, which is a chance to encourage students to develop healthy lifestyle habits such as riding a bike or walking. School districts have the opportunity to schedule special events for National Bike to School Day, and they can list them on the national site to earn pioneer status. Parents should feel free to join their children to ride to school that day.
One of the highlights of National Bike Month in Sitka is the Sitka Bike Rodeo, which this year takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the U.S. Coast Guard-Air Station Sitka hangar. This free event teaches young riders bike safety, provides the kids with bike safety checks and more. It is sponsored by the Sitka Rotary Club and U.S. Coast Guard-Air Station Sitka.
National Bike to Work Week kicks off on Monday, May 14, which is when the League of American Bicyclists will announce its next group of Bicycle Friendly Communities. Sitka submitted a renewal application in February, so this is when we should hear if Sitka maintained its bronze level status from 2008 or improved its status. Fingers crossed.
Each year, Sitka hosts a National Bike to Work Week contest where people who ride their bikes to work or school on May 14-18 can stop by Yellow Jersey Cycle Shop to enter a contest to win a $100 gift certificate from the shop. The more times you ride, the greater your chances to win.
At noon on Thursday, May 17, there will be a bike commuting lunch-and-learn at the Kettleson Memorial Library. This free event will discuss how to have a safe, fun and effective bike commute in Sitka. SEARHC Health Educator and bike commuter Doug Osborne will lead the discussion. (Click here to listen to Doug’s Morning Edition interview about National Bike Month on KCAW-Raven Radio from Monday, April 30.)
From 7:30-9 a.m. on Friday, May 18, the University of Alaska Southeast-Sitka Campus will host its annual free pancake breakfast for National Bike to Work Day. Ride your bike to the university and get free pancakes fresh off the griddle.
Finally, the 28th annual Julie Hughes Triathlon takes place at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 19, at Blatchley Middle School. This event is hosted by the Baranof Barracudas Swim Club. The triathlon features a five-mile run from Blatchley to the U.S. Coast Guard-Air Station Sitka entrance gate and back, a 12-mile bike ride from Blatchley to Starrigavan Recreation Area at the end of Halibut Point Road and back, and a 1,000-yard swim at the Blatchley Middle School swimming pool. A shorter course is available for children age 12 or younger. There is a $25 per participant entry fee for individuals and teams, and proceeds from the triathlon benefit the Sitka Cancer Survivors Society. Event registration is from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 18, at the Hames Athletic and Wellness Center, or from 7-8:30 a.m. Saturday before the race at Blatchley. For more information, contact Kevin Knox at 738-4664 or e-mail bbsc.sitka@gmail.com.