Bike-to-Work Day

Kicking off with a long series of speeches by Urbana Mayor Laurel Lunt Prussing, Champaign Mayor Don Gerard, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Chancellor Phyllis Wise, the fourth annual Champaign-Urbana Bike to Work Day so far seems to be a resounding success.

Inaugurated four years ago to show support for the ever-increasing number of bikers around the Champaign-Urbana area, the Champaign-Urbana Bike to Work Day is so exciting that it has now grown to become Champaign-Urbana Bike to Work Month.

With 12 bike stations all over town, around which bikers can share stories of their wonderful commutes and fix flat tires, Champaign-Urbana Bike to Work Day has been highly successful.

In fact, if you are among the first to show up every day, you are eligible to win a FREE Champaign-Urbana Bike to Work Month T-shirt. You should really get there early, as competition is becoming increasingly fierce. I, for one, am going to be waiting around the block for the minute the station closest to my house opens up.

The shirt is very stylish, and quite a few want it – bad.

Many, such as Urbana High School librarian Matthew Murray, really enjoyed the events and are looking forward to a whole month of such days.

“I’ve been waiting for this day for awhile,” said Murray. “I got my sticker and everything. I really am for more people biking for a whole host of reasons, and today is just such a nice way to give us bikers some recognition. I, for one, always bike to work.”

Others, such as UHS English teacher Cortney Thomas, are more into the T-shirt than the day itself.

“I am dying to get my hands on one of the T-shirts,” said Thomas. “I’m going to wear it every day. It just looks so stylish.”

The whole month of May, as designated Bike to Work Month, will be a whole lot of fun, so helmet up and hit the road!