The fall edition of HUB Bike to Work Week is coming back to Metro Vancouver this month and HUB Cycling is ready to break more records this season as commuters see that it’s often faster and more practical to choose two wheels for transportation, even in the fall and winter months.
The free event spans the week of October 29 to November 4 and features over 45 celebration stations with complimentary coffee, snacks, and bike maintenance. HUB Cycling expects over 6,500 people to register online for the fall event, with thousands more visiting celebration stations over the course of the week.
More and more people are choosing their bike for transportation, especially during the rush hour commute when it’s often faster and more convenient than driving or taking transit. During the spring version of Bike to Work Week, nearly 12,000 people participated and HUB Cycling hopes to continue this momentum into the fall event, encouraging commuters to cycle year-round.
“Riding your bike in Vancouver’s wet weather doesn’t require too much in the way of extra gear,” says Tom Skinner, HUB Cycling’s Bike to Work Week Manager. “While there is a lot of fantastic cycling-specific rain gear out there, your run-of-the-mill raincoat and a pair of boots is generally all you need to start riding your commute in the fall and winter months. Whatever you would typically wear on a rainy day in town, that will probably get you comfortably from point A to point B on your bike. Fenders, while not a requirement, are also an excellent addition to your bike in the fall. All in all though, any new wet-weather gear is generally going to cost much less than a winter’s worth of gas and parking costs.”
Participants can register for free online at btww.ca to log their bike trips during the event. By logging trips, participants are entered to win great prizes, including new bikes and a cycling trip for two in Sicily with Exodus Travels. Anyone can create a team at their organization to track their results against other workplaces in a friendly competition to see which organizations can cycle the most trips. Participants can also register as individual riders if they aren’t on a workplace team. “While the event is called Bike to Work Week, we want everyone to try getting around by bike this week, no matter where you’re off to,” says Skinner. “We want to remind people that all bike trips for transportation count and you’re welcome to partake if you’re a student going to school, working from home, or retired – every kilometre on your bike makes a difference.”
HUB Cycling would like to remind drivers to be patient and watch for people on bikes – especially when turning right or opening doors. People on bikes are also reminded to put lights on their bikes during these darker winter months.
In addition to the prizes and events, HUB Cycling is encouraging people to commute by bike for the health benefits. “As days get shorter, adding a bike trip into your daily routine can help ensure you get some exercise too – the health benefits of active transportation are extraordinary,” says Skinner.
The Bike to Work Week Wrap-up Party will take place on Friday, November 2, at the intersection of the Seawall and Ontario bike path in Vancouver – everyone is welcome to join HUB staff, volunteers, and sponsors for free treats, hot chocolate, draw prizes, and bike maintenance.
Participants can sign up for Bike to Work Week at www.btww.ca to find celebration stations, enter for draw prizes, calculate calories burned, and track reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Upcoming Bike to Work Week Events:
- Monday, October 29 to Sunday, November 4 – Bike to Work Week
- Friday, November 2 – Bike to Work Week Wrap-up Party at Olympic Village
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HUB Cycling makes cycling better through education, action and events. More people cycling means healthier, happier, more connected communities. HUB Cycling is leading the way in making cycling an attractive transportation choice for everyone. HUB Cycling is a charitable not-for-profit organization that has spent more than 20 years in removing barriers to transportation cycling in Metro Vancouver, while cultivating the health, environmental, and economic benefits that active transportation can bring. For more information, visit bikehub.ca.
