Bike to Work Day Information and FAQs

Convoy leader: Dr. Robert Lawrence, a.k.a. Biker Bob

Location: Meet at the intersection of University Parkway and Charles Street.

Time: Arrive by 7:15 a.m. Friday, May 16, for departure at 7:30 a.m.

Route: Group will leave Homewood traveling south to City Hall for the rally and then head east, returning to JHSPH around 8:30. If participants do not want to go to the rally, we can arrange for a group leader to go straight to JHSPH.

Register at http://www.baltometro.org/content/view/258/230

• Select the Baltimore City (City Hall) Rally location
• Commuting from Johns Hopkins Homewood Campus
• Commuting to Johns Hopkins East Baltimore Campus

Then email lpitkevi@jhsph.edu to confirm your participation.

Must bring your own bike and bike helmet.

Johns Hopkins East Baltimore Bike Racks

• Behind the School of Nursing
• In the semi-circle in front of the Wolfe Street entrance of the hospital
• McElderry St. Garage
• Rutland Garage
• Woods Basic Center
• Cooley Center
• School of Public Health (Washington Street entrance of JHSPH garage)

Permission has been granted for Bike to Work Day participants to utilize the showers at the Cooley Center, located at 1620 McElderry St. Unfortunately, because of the limited capacity of the fitness center located within the Wolfe Street building, participants who are not members will not be able to use that facility.

Shifting Gears: 12 Tips on Moving From the Fast Lane to the Bike Lane

by Ben Jervey

Filed under: Bicycles, Transportation

Now that the winter snow and April showers have finally subsided, it's the perfect time to tune up the old two-wheeler and pedal your way to work. It just so happens that next Monday kicks off a national Bike to Work Week, and there's no better way to burn calories while cutting pounds of carbon emissions. How many? Cycling at the mellow rate of 5 miles per hour, you'll burn about 175 calories in an hour. Compare to that to your car, which releases about 23 pounds of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide for every gallon of gas burned.

Yet, there are even more reasons to drop the keys and hop on the saddle. "On a personal level, you'll save money, get good exercise and experience your city in ways that are impossible at 30 miles per hour," says Dani Simons, deputy director for communications at of Transportation Alternatives, a New York City bike, pedestrian and mass transit advocacy group. "On a broader, societal level, it'll cut local air pollution, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help unclog the streets of congestion and traffic."

So to get you safely to the office (and back home again), here are twelve tips everyone should consider before pushing the pedals.

Before you mount up:

1) Check your local air quality. Before heading out, visit the EPA's AIRNow air quality index at www.airnow.gov. If your city's air quality index exceeds 151, consider taking public transportation or driving, since air pollution at that level can affect all individuals. To reduce harm to developing lungs, children should avoid riding bikes to school when the AQI is above 100. Regardless of air quality, avoid routes heavily trafficked by big, diesel-powered trucks and busses, which spew particulate matter that not only triggers respiratory problems like asthma and lung disease but has also been found to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. And while you're at it, check the weather to see if rain is in the forecast for your ride home.

2) Pump it up. To avoid untimely flats, make sure your tires are properly inflated to the recommended air pressure, which is typically located on the side of the tire and listed in pounds per inch, or ppi. All floor pumps have an air pressure gauge built in, but if you've only got a hand pump, use a separate handheld gauge.

3) Check the brakes. Always, always check your bike's brakes before every ride. Lift the front wheel off the ground, give it a spin and squeeze the brake lever; the wheel should halt instantly. Repeat for rear wheel (spinning the top of the tire backwards, so as not to engage the cranks and pedals and ding your shin!).

4) Don a decent helmet every time you ride, no matter how short the trip! Choose one made for cycling—Bell and Giro are both reliable brands—that fits snugly on your head without wiggling around. Adjust the straps to wrap securely under your chin, without choking you, of course. Replace any helmet that's taken a good pounding, as it may have been weakened in the crash.

5) Find the right fit. Adjust your bike's saddle, or seat, so that your knee is just slightly flexed when the pedal reaches the lowest point of its orbit. This saves your knees and maximizes efficiency.

6) Dress smart. Wear brightly colored, reflective clothing, especially if you'll be riding at dust or after dark. During cooler weather, cover up with light, breathable layers; Ibex's Echo T, made from breathable, lightweight merino wool ($69; www.rootedtonature.com, 866-766-8332) and Nau's Cleanline jackets, made from recycled polyester ($220; 877-454-5628), both come in men's and women's fits.

On the road:

7) Your bike is a vehicle. As such, you must obey all local traffic laws and rules of the road. Ride with traffic, never against it—even on one-way roads. Heed stop signs, red lights and all other traffic signals, and always use hand signals to change lanes and turn. Hand signal definitions can be found at www.grand-island.com

8) Stick to bike lanes and bike paths whenever possible; there's no safer place to ride. If there aren't any designated lanes or paths in your city, contact the local Department of Transportation or Department of City Planning and find out if there's a bike master plan, which basically outlines a city's plans for future bike infrastructure. Transportation Alternative's Simons recommends an even more hands-on approach: "Invite your local elected officials out for a bike ride and show them what the local conditions are." You might inspire improvements.

9) Show some respect. Out-of-control cyclists give us all a bad name, so be sure to yield to pedestrians and stay off the sidewalk. Nearly everywhere in the country, pedestrians always have the right of way, regardless of street signs and signals, so stay alert.

10) Illuminate. Mount lights on the front and rear of your bike. Use them even at the first hint of dusk, as low light makes you and your bike much less visible through a windshield; battery-operated Beamer 3LED headlights ($24.99) and Blinky 3 LED tail lights ($14.99; www.planetbike.com, 866-256-8510). If you're willing to spend more, CatEye makes rechargeable LED lights from $130 (www.cateye.com/store).

After the ride:

11) Secure a spot. If at all possible, bring your bike indoors to a safe spot. Ask around if there's any place convenient to store it at work. If your boss or building manager won't allow bikes indoors, try to figure out why and work with that, says Simons. She also suggests that you ask to use the freight elevator, if one exists, and to store your bike by your desk if you have room (and if your employer or building manager hasn't provided storage space). Otherwise, she says, "write to your employer or building manager to convince them to allow bikes inside. A lot of companies are trying to promote their environmental image and their commitment to these values. This is an easy way for companies to show they're really walking the walk." For more tips, check out Transportation Alternative's "Gaining Indoor Bicycle Access" blueprint.

At home, keep bikes inside your garage, house, or apartment. (Wall-mounted bike racks can help save space.) If you must keep it outside, be absolutely sure to lock your bike securely to a rack or other strong, sturdy object using a high-quality lock, like the Kryptonite NY Fahgettaboutit 3-foot chain lock ($72; www.amazon.com). Avoid locking to posts or parking meters&#151:thieves may be able to lift your bike off them. Chaining both tires and removing the seat is another good way to deter bike robbers.

12) Keep it clean. Enormously helpful but often neglected, wiping your bike down after a ride will keep it running smoothly. Dirty gears, chains and brake pads will make you work harder to go just as fast and far. Also, lube the chain after every few trips for the easiest ride. While most bike cleansers, degreasers and lubricants are petroleum-based, there are some great plant- and vegetable oil-based alternatives, which you can read about here.