National Bike to Work Day 2023: National Bike to Work Day is celebrated annually on the third Friday of May, which will be on May 19 this year. We enjoy this day because we wish our work commute would vanish into a fiery abyss somewhere. This day seeks to encourage us to switch to bicycles for our daily commute, and we are grateful for it! Emphasis on safety awareness for cyclists and other commuters is another important aspect of this celebration.
National Bike to Work Day: HISTORY
The League of American Bicyclists designated Bike to Work Day as a portion of Bike to Work Week, which itself is a portion of National Bike Month. As a means to raise awareness of the health benefits of daily cycling, the day was established.
Bicycles as we know them were not invented until the late 19th century. Prior to that, a two-wheeled, steerable contraption created by German Baron Karl von Drais de Sauerbrun was commonplace for a limited period. This machine was known as the’velocipede,’ ‘hobby-horse,’ ‘draisine,’ and ‘trotting machine,’ and it earned Von Drais the title of ‘father of the bicycle’ from many. However, the famous poet John Keats was not particularly impressed by this invention. He referred to it as the “nothing of the day”
Later inventors, including Frenchmen Pierre Lallement and Pierre and Ernest Michaux, utilised von Drais’s invention as a basis for their own innovations. They created prototypes that featured pedals attached to the front tyre. These were the initial bicycles. Later, inventors such as Eugène Meyer and James Starley enhanced this model by adding a larger-than-normal front wheel. These models fueled the bicycle craze in Europe and the United States and led to the formation of cycling organisations and competitions. A bike with a four-foot-high saddle was popular for a time, the first iteration of the’safety bike’ was introduced, etc., laying the foundation for the modern bicycle.
Each year, local, regional, and national bicycle advocacy groups encourage individuals to commute by bicycle.
HOW TO Observe National Ride Your Bike to Work Day
Make the commute to work enjoyable!
Let’s face it, the commute to work is many things, but ‘pleasure’ is not one of them. With a bicycle, you can radically transform this experience. While bicycling to work, feel free to take a scenic route or revisit childhood recollections. Bicycling to work helps wake us up on a drowsy morning and recharges us on the way home after a long day.
Encourage others to ride bicycles.
Invite others to share your passion for cycling. Share your traffic updates on social media and tell your friends and family how much you’re enjoying this activity. Drop tidbits about the ease with which you can avoid traffic and parking issues, and observe how quickly others adopt this healthy practise.
Request that your company sponsor an event on this date.
Approach your management with a creative CSR initiative. Discuss the benefits of this day with them, and plan and organise a bike-to-work activity for this day. Your business can take this a step further by organising biking challenges and activities throughout the year, resulting in healthier and happier employees. Additionally, you will be recognised for your initiative at work!
National Notebook Day 2023: Date, History, Significance and Facts
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT BIKE TO WORK DAY
Breakfast is free for cyclists.
In 2012 and 2013, eleven Boulder, Colorado businesses provided complimentary breakfasts to more than 1,000 National Bike to Work Day participants.
Do you want to receive free bicycles?
In 2012, Ziggy’s, a local cycling club in Kitchener, Ontario, donated 12 commuter bikes to individuals who participated in National cycling to Work Day and blogged about it.
Metrolink is supportive of bicycling.
On Bike to Work Day, the commuter rail network Metrolink in southern California provides free transportation to cyclists.
More gratis items
National Bike to Work Day participants in Chicago once received complimentary balaclavas and tune-ups.
Countries at the summit of the ‘biking to work’ ranking
The Dutch top the list with 30%, followed by the Japanese with 15%.
WHY WE APPRECIATE BIKE TO WORK DAY
It is beneficial for the environment
Strong evidence and data demonstrate that cycling can benefit the environment. According to the Adventure Cycling Association, this practise could save between 700 million and 1.6 billion gallons of petroleum annually. In addition, commuting by bicycle reduces the carbon emissions your automobile would otherwise produce. So take your bike, and get to work! One minor adjustment to your daily travel contributes to your and the planet’s healthy future.
Awareness of bicycle safety (and, by extension, road safety)
Bicycling to work has become increasingly popular. Consequently, this interest must be supported by a parallel interest in road safety so that motorists and cyclists can safely share the road. Bike to Work Day increases motorists’, drivers’, and cyclists’ understanding of traffic legislation. This may even encourage the development of bicycle lanes for safer transportation.
It reduces costs.
Bicycling not only keeps you healthy and active, but it also reduces your transportation costs. Calculate the amount of money you spend on fuel each month (or on public transport tickets), then add the cost of maintaining your vehicle to the amount you would spend if you owned a bicycle. Now isn’t that an excellent reason to acquire this two-wheeled money saver?
NATIONAL BIKE TO WORK DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | May 20 | Friday |
| 2023 | May 19 | Friday |
| 2024 | May 17 | Friday |
| 2025 | May 16 | Friday |
| 2026 | May 15 | Friday |
