Canada Bikes to Work (or School)!

It’s time to dust off our helmets, pump up those flat tires, and dig out our bike shorts! As the weather warms, communities all across our proud nation are encouraging us to ditch the car and commute to work on two wheels.

Participating is easy—all you need to do is sign an online pledge with your community’s Bike to Work organizer (which, like most things these days, you can do online), make sure you have a working bike helmet, and get pedalling.

And the benefits are numerous. Beyond fitting in what is essentially a morning workout, meeting other bikers along the way, and saving (many) pennies at the pump, the green benefits of commuting on two wheels instead of four are astounding. HUB: Your Cycling Connection, the non-profit that organizes Bike to Work Week in Metro Vancouver, reported that the 4,100 participants who signed up in 2012 kept about 72 tonnes of greenhouse emissions out of the air.

“We want to show others that it's easier than ever to ride to work.” HUB CEO Erin O'Melinn explains. “Leaving the car at home doesn't just make sense financially, but the health benefits and connection to the community are there too.”

What going on in your community?

Want to get involved? Here are some Canadian cities that are hosting or have hosted Bike to Work events this year.

•         Victoria—Bike to Work Week (May 27 to June 2)
•         Vancouver—Bike to Work Week (May 27 to June 2)
•         Calgary—Bike to Work Day (May 3)
•         Winnipeg—Bike to Work Day (June 21)
•         Hamilton—Bike to Work Day (May 27)
•         Toronto—Bike Month starts with Bike to Work Day (May 27)
•         Montreal—Bike-to-Work Day (May 29)