Sacramento sometimes suffers from Bay Area envy. But in the month of May, when the weather is absolutely perfect for biking, it’s a good time to remember just how good we have it here.
Bay Area suburbanites spend so much of their time and money in transit. They throw tons of cash at Muni and BART. They spend huge portions of their lives immobilized in soul-crushing traffic. I live five miles from work. I bike there just about every day water isn’t falling from the sky. Takes me about 20 minutes. A bike is the cheapest, most fun (and often fastest) way to get around Sactown.
Here at Wallrich HQ, I’m not alone. You’ll find three or four bikes in the hallway on most sunny days. I can’t speak for my coworkers, but there are lots of reasons I ride.
- No fuel.
- No fuel emissions.
- No insurance bills.
- Maintenance is cheaper than with a car.
- Easier, too.
- It’s exercise and transportation at the same time.
- Parking is easy.
- Parking is free.
- You can’t drive on the American River Trail.
- It’s just good, clean fun.
Bonus Reason: Here at Wallrich, we have an incentive program where you get extra cash each month for giving up that pricy parking permit. It’s enough to buy a nice dinner now and then.
Last year, I was late to discover that May is National Bike Month—and that the Sacramento Region has its own series of events and friendly challenges to actuate the occasion. This year, I’m getting out ahead of it and inviting friends, coworkers, acquaintances and total strangers to join in.
In fact, I’m raising the stakes to the employer level. To all our clients, vendors, competitors and anyone else paying attention, I would direct you to www.mayisbikemonth.com. There you will find a registration form, and once you’re registered, you can log the miles you’ve ridden and attribute them to your company total.
By the way, tracking your miles is easy nowadays. You can use an odometer, Google maps or online forums like strava.com that helps runners and riders share stats and photos.
Oh, yes, there are some promotional prizes to win, from branded socks to bike shop gift certificates. Register before May 1 to earn your Early Bird Badge. But mostly I’m in it for the bragging rights, comradery and advocacy. Let’s get on our bikes and ride.
We Support the Sac Bike Path
This map is a conceptualization of a bigger plan to promote Sacramento as a bike-able tourist destination. We think it’s a great idea worth sharing.