National Bike-to-Work Week!

It's national Bike-to-Work Week, and this Thursday May 17th is national Bike-to-Work Day. I currently bike to work a few days a week, which is why I was really happy to see Palm participating in the Silicon Valley Leadership Group's "CEO/Celebrity Cycle-to-work Day Challenge." More than 50 CEOs, senior executives, mayors, city council members and other officials have signed up - with a challenge out to their employees to do like wise. The whole idea behind the challenge is to promote alternative energy, cut back on fossil fuels, decrease traffic on the roads and an overall healthier lifestyle.

I never really thought I would bike to work or take public transportation -- I was born and raised in LA -- and we used our car to go down the block. Two years ago I moved to Oakland from Cupertino and started commuting to my job in the South Bay -- after three months I was ready to quit - the 880 freeway could take me from one to two hours each way and after avoiding a few accidents I was ready to give up. I started looking into alternatives, and some friends told me I should check out riding the Amtrak train from Oakland to Great America and then jumping on the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) shuttle. For the first few months I was driving to and from the station, but eventually started biking so I could better control my schedule. Fast forward a year and a half later, and I am still doing it!

So for those of you who think this might be a one-day, feel good exercise, you never know, it could turn into a lot more. Think about some of the benefits:

• Environmental: Some sources estimate that if everyone cycled to work just two days a month, it would result in a 10% reduction in greenhouse gases from commuting. CO2 emissions from cars are a major contributor to global warming.
• Health/Personal: In six months, I lost 30 pounds and 4 inches in the waist my health has improved and I have a new set of friends from the train.
• Financial: In addition to saving money by not paying at the gas pump (we are all feeling the $3.40+ per gallon) there were extra savings that I had not anticipated -- I called my car insurance company and they lowered my car insurance $200 a year since I wasn't using my car to commute.

So why not put your car keys aside, grab your helmet, and join others by riding your bike to work. Some people may ride the whole way to work and others might cycle from their home to nearby mass transit, take the train/bus, and then cycle the rest of the way to their office. Whatever you decide, here are a few of sites to check out:

-Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition

-Bike to Work Day Energizer Stations

-Santa Clara Valley Transportation Agency (VTA) Maps (including an Interactive Bikeways Map which is pretty cool)

-511.org bicycling safety site

-Bicyclesafe.com

For more details check out: http://socialnews.palm.com/release.aspx?hid=7

Josh Mailman - Product Marketing and member of the Palm Cycling Club

Update - Photos from Bike-to-Work day

(Some of the Palm employees who gathering around to show off their bikes)

(Bikes of Palm employees and others who participated in Bike-to-Work day getting a much deserved rest)

Comments

[Scotty]

Ever worked at the USPS? (I'm sure you've never heard that before) :)

[Abe]

Please give us a list of bike software for Palm OS. I´m biker too.

[tracerrx]

Not even a Treo related post... I was hoping for some info on the 700P MR when I saw the RSS feed had been updated...

[a guy named Joe]

Treo is king of the bike commute. Slip it into your jersey pocket, slide the headphones wire under your shirt, and you can take your "Briefcase" and your music/audio book/internet radio on the ride to and from work. Treo let's you go lite and save the planet.

a guy named Joe
Treo bigot, biker, human

[Josh Mailman]

No :-) the name is an Ellis Island name and had nothing to do with mail -- although giving that I have been in messaging and email for 15 years -- I do get asked if I changed my name for the job :-)

Josh

[Josh Mailman]

This is not exactly a Treo application -- but I use http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/ to map my routes

Josh

[Dave]

Great. Now please tell us if our long awaited update is still on schedule for "about" the week of May 28th. That's two weeks away so you should have an idea if you will break yet another promise...

I hope not.

[Leathernuts]

I agreee with Dave. Please don't beat around the bush with other topics. Palm knows whats in the hot seat right now. Id be scared to take my 700p on a bike ride right now- it my cause my bike to constanly reset its route or cause my legs to have a horrible lag, and Id never reach my destination!!

[Hengeem]

Wal Mart has some really good bikes for 79.00 and they have amuminum frames and shock absorbers. Really, take a look next time you go there. The brand name is NEXT. I doubt this will make it on blog as I have heard people in the SF bay area (Nancy Pelosis district) hate Walmart.

[PC]

And this has what to do with Palm devices? What about the 700P MR? You release a new phone with Palm OS and you still have not released the MR for the 700P??? Instead of biking, maybe spend that energy getting devices to work properly during release, not devices that have performance problems, and an email app that causes lag time!

[a guy named Joe]

Re: Please give us a list of bike software for Palm OS. I´m biker too.

Bike Software -

I don't have a specific stuff taht has ever lit me up, but I get the mobile edition of Velonews on the browser, use the camera to take pictures at stop lights of the license plates of motorists who have given me grief (get's 'em spooked), use Google maps, the MP3 player, and every now and then stop to make a call (two flat tires usually warrants a call).

At this point it might be a better use of the 700p to use them as bicycle pedals.

I can't believe this is on the blog

[Carl W. Brooks - Palmloyal.com]

Yes, you must include Treo or Palm tips in the Blog. Never miss an opportunity to sell yourself. Maybe recommend some earbuds for listening to music on the go. Maybe you want to wear just one ear so that you hear the world around you. Maybe you peek at a weather app like Weather app from Gx-5.com to see what the forecast is before the ride. Google mobile is used to map the car based path and you slip the map to deterine how you get your bike there; with a half way point (break) determined and GMM is used to determine where the nearest store or fast food venue is identified so that you can get a drink of water. Even if you don't actually do these things, use the opt to inspire someone to do so.

If you want to do a post on a "Spiderman 3 review" then show how to get movie info/reviews/tickets via the Treo; see the connection.

[Carl W. Brooks - Palmloyal.com]

If your city has mobile access to mass transit systems like the bus route, via the Treo; these routes would most likey make better routes for the bike than what Google Maps would create.

[Leathernuts]

BIKE PEDALS!!!!! LMAO!!!!!! That was hilarious and the best blog yet. I love the advertisement for Walmart specials too. This is way too funny. Keep it up and Palm will need a MR for their blog site too.

[Kyle]

Hey, I just read on PalmAddicts the section on National Bike Week. They had pictures of Palm employees biking to work in PALM jerseys. I WANT ONE OF THOSE JERSERY's! I do not see them in the company store. Anyone know how I can get one. Size "Medium"

Thanks and Great to see PALM active with the community!

Kyle

[Corinne Winter]

Hi Palm folks,

Just a big thank you here from the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition for your participation in Bike to Work Day! We had 25,000 bicyclists riding in Santa Clara County last Thursday... how many of them were Palm people?

And your jersey's are just too cool! Maybe you'll give some to the bicycle coalition?! ;)

[Jack]

Very useful info

[James Ghofulpo]

If you're going to be doing a bike to work event for 2008, please have it added to http://biketoworkweek.org. This site contains a map and list of events for 2008.

[Daniel]

Awesome people, this is just like in Switzerland where everybody rides bike! If you think about it, society would be far better off if everyone walked and ride their bike to work!