Bike-To-Work Week
May 12-16, 2008

BICYCLE SAFETY CHECK-UP
The City is proud to partner with several local bicycle shops to offer a FREE Bike Safety Check on Monday May 12th, Tuesday May 13th, and Wednesday May 14th. All you need to do is bring your bike to Piazza Bergamo between 11:30 am-1:30 pm to have a professional bicycle mechanic perform an
ABC Quick Check:
A is for Air in your tires.
B is for your Brakes.
C is for your Chain.

Participants will receive a FREE Trek Water Bottle. Even if you can't bring your bike by, stop in and say hello, we'll have lots of fun toys to check out.

COMMUTER SAFETY COURSE 101
This 1-hour course will give you the knowledge and confidence to safely ride your bike with traffic. The course will be lead by 2 certified instructors and geared towards individuals who would like to use a bicycle as a form of transportation while getting exercise, having fun, and saving gas money.

We will meet from 6:30 pm-7:30 pm on Thursday, May 15, at TTR Bicycle Shop on the Swamp Rabbit Greenway Trail near Downtown Greenville. Helmets and Pre-registration is required, and space is limited, so please contact Andrew Meeker, meekera@greatergreenville.com, to sign up.

TTR Bicycles has offered several free door prizes to participants and demo bicycles and helmets available for those who do not have the equipment.

BIKE-TO-WORK DAY
Join Cyclists Nationwide on Friday, May 16th for Bike-to-Work Day The City is hosting a FREE Coffee & Bagel Breakfast at Piazza Bergamo from 7:15 am-9 am. Stop by and receive not only FREE breakfast, but a FREE Trek Water Bottle. We anticipate several local officials to participate in the event, so come out and get your fill of food and information on the progress of making Greenville a Bicycle Friendly Community.

RIDE WITH THE MAYOR
Mayor Knox White will be leading a short group bike ride from the front plaza of City Hall on Main Street to Piazza Bergamo for the Bike to Work Day celebration on Friday, May 16th. Meet at 7:15 am; the ride will start up Main Street at 7:30 am.   

COMMUTING TIPS
Live too far away or roads too busy for biking to work? Try Transit!
All of the GreenLink buses now are equipped to safely carry 2 Bicycles.
Plus, the Downtown Greenville Transit Transfer Center is only 2 Blocks from Piazza Bergamo. All week at the BICYCLE SAFETY CHECK-UP Program, we will have a GreenLink bus on-site demonstrating how the new racks operate.

FIVE REASONS TO BIKE TO WORK:

1. Good for the Environment:
   For every mile ridden on your bicycle, you keep 3.6 pounds of automobile
   pollutants from entering the atmosphere. 

2. Good for your Health:
   A bicyclist burns an average of 25 calories per mile.

3. Good for your Wallet:
   AAA reports it costs over $5,000 per year to own and maintain a car compared
   to $120 per year to own and maintain a bicycle.

4. Good for your schedule:
   Combine your commute with your workout.  Biking gets you there nearly as
   fast as driving for many local trips.
   
   
5. Good for the Community: 
   See Greenville from a new perspective.  Learn about new and interesting
   areas of your neighborhood and City.

FAST FACTS:

• Cycling is more efficient than walking, which takes three times as many calories per mile. 
• At zero pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, versus a car's one pound per mile, a bike does not alter the global climate.
• Nearly half of all trips in the United States are three miles or less; more than a quarter are less than a mile.
• Car engines running cold produce four times the carbon monoxide and twice the volatile organic compounds of engines running hot.
• A bicyclist can cover a mile in 4 minutes, while a pedestrian requires 20.

TAKE THE BIKE TO WORK SURVEY: Participate in the City Survey on bicycle commuting and help us collect important data.