Bike to Work during National Bike Month and more Maui Bike Fun!

Did you know cycling is celebrated in the US in the month of May?May is National Bike Month and this year Bike to Work Day is today, May 17! To commemorate National Bike Month, we share the following fun biking facts about Bike to Work Day, Bike to Work Month and Biking in General. Being a local Maui bike store, we managed to weave in a few facts about riding a bicycle on Maui, too. After you scan through the short factoids, find out how you can get a FREE bicycle water bottle with the latest West Maui Cycles logo:

• National Bike Month has been recognized since 1956. The 3rd Friday of May is declared as the national Bike to Work Day celebrating cyclists who commute to work. The Third Week of May is designated as Bike to Work Week.
• With over 50% of US population living within five miles of their workplace, riding a bike to work is practical and saves money. The perpetual summer weather we enjoy makes getting to work by riding a bike on Maui even more practical and avoids the high cost of gas and maintenance. Do you bike to work on Maui? Share the details about your Maui bike commute in the comments section.
• In 2012, more than $4.6 billion was saved by Americans bicycling instead of driving.
• Trips of Less than 3 miles are faster by bicycle.
• Ride a bike on Maui to avoid generating the 3.6 pounds per mile of pollution short auto trips generate.
• $308. is the average cost of annual bicycle maintenance.
• $8000. is the average annual expense for an automobile.
• Save time and avoid parking fees in Lahaina by riding a bike. Ten bicycles will fit in the average auto parking space. Fortunately, you’ll find plenty of bike racks in Lahaina, Kaanapali and most other Maui locations.
• An average bike commuter travels at 10 mph.
• Use Your Work Commute to Exercise. On average, a 130 pound woman burns 300 calories on a 10 mile round trip bike ride while a 180 pound man burns 400 calories over the same 10 mile cycling route.
• All Maui County buses permit bicycles with storage for up to two bikes in front of the bus. Check your route and use the bus for if any parts of your bike commute you don’t want to ride.
• Most roads on Maui have a wide shoulder or berm suitable for riding a bike for sightseeing or commuting on Maui.
• Our Maui Bike Rentals begin as low as $15. a day for a beach cruiser bike. Performance road bike rentals are $60 a day. Most economy car rentals on Maui begin at over $50 per day plus fees and gasoline expenses.

If you used your bike to get to work on Maui on Friday, May 17, 2013, we’ve got a new West Maui Cycles bike water bottle for you! All you have to do to claim the water bottle is post a picture to our Facebook page. Make sure the picture includes yourself with your bike outside of a local workplace after you ride to work on Maui. Then, stop into the bike shop in Lahaina, identify yourself in the pic to claim your new bike water bottle. Or, if you are a Maui visitor and use a bike to commute to the beach, you may use a photo of yourself alongside one of  our West Maui Cycles rental bikes at the beach you commuted to on May 17. Either way, all images must be posted to our Facebook page before the end of May, Bike Month on Maui.

If we organized an event for next year for bike to work day or bike to work week, would you participate? Let us know in the comments section below. If we have enough interest, we’ll try to organize an event for the 2014 National Bike to Work Day. Would you ride with the mayor or attend a breakfast bike ride and rally for National Bike Month?

Thanks to the BikeLeague.org website for some of the details and info about the National Bike Month.

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