Bicycle to Tuscany, Italy; Get a Healthy Commute and Win Prizes During Bike-to-Work Week May 14-18.

News Editors/City Desks

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 2001

A Bay Area resident may soon be able to bicycle all the way to Tuscany, Italy. No, it's not an inter-continental bike path, it's the grand prize for trying bicycle commuting during the seventh annual Bike-to-Work Week, May 14-18.

To increase awareness of bicycling as a healthy, fun, inexpensive and environmentally-friendly alternative to driving to work, thousands of Bay Area residents will turn to pedal power during the annual Bay Area Bike-to-Work Day, Thursday, May 17. This year's theme is "Bicycling -- A Healthy Commute."

Bicycling is healthy not just for the rider, but for others as well. Automobiles are the single largest source of air pollution in the Bay Area and riding a bicycle means less automobile exhaust polluting the air and contributing to lung disease, respiratory tract infections, asthma and lung cancer.

Bicyclists hope the event will help increase awareness of the positive impacts of bicycle commuting and the grand prize should help entice new riders. Last year, more than 8,000 Bay Area residents pledged to try bicycle commuting.

Individuals planning to bike to work at least once during Bike-to-Work Week should complete a pledge form with RIDES. They will automatically be entered into a drawing to win prizes, including the grand prize bicycle tour for two in Tuscany. Pledges can be submitted to RIDES at (800) 755-POOL or www.rides.org. Entries must be received by June 1 to be eligible. Winners will be announced June 15 at www.rides.org.

Again this year, approximately 100 "energizer stations" will be set up around the Bay Area on May 17 to provide snacks, drinks and encouragement to bicyclists as they pedal to work. A list of "energizer stations" is available at www.rides.org (click on the Bike-to-Work logo in the top left corner).

Bay Area Bike-to-Work Week is an annual event sponsored by RIDES for Bay Area Commuters, in conjunction with the California Bicycle Coalition's California Bike Commute.

Major sponsors of Bay Area Bike to Work Week 2001 include ANG Newspapers, California Bicycle Coalition, Compaq, Intel, Microsoft, Odwalla and SAP Labs.

For more Bike-to-Work information, to find the "energizer station" nearest you, or to pledge to Bike-to-Work and automatically be registered for a chance to win prizes, contact RIDES at (800) 755-POOL or www.rides.org.