bike to work day is Friday, May 18

Motorists in downtown Portsmouth have, by now, become accustomed to the cacophonous roar of roadwork taking place on Market Street. It has, no doubt, delayed their commute to work and caused more than a few curses to be uttered.  But as drivers wallow in the carbon emissions and sweaty congestion, bicyclists with a strong helmet and a bit of caution cruise through the gridlock unhindered. The image of a cyclist passing cars, instead of the other way around, is one of the most alluring aspects of commuting by bike. Faster rides, less pollution and wonders for the waistline are a few more benefits Seacoast bicycle advocates will use to draw increasing numbers of people to pedal to work. 

On Friday, May 18, these advocates urge everyone to give it a try on national Bike to Work Day. For incentive beyond the benefit to the environment and one’s own health, participants can look forward to free breakfasts, a Commuter Challenge and an after-work party at the Portsmouth Brewery as part of this event. 

“We are trying to encourage and facilitate getting to work with alternative means of transportation,” says Josh Pierce, a member of SABR (Seacoast Area Bike Routes) and an organizer of the event. “More and more people are trying to ride a bike to work—the price of gas has helped to facilitate that. It’s a great way to feel good about yourself physically and feel good about not burning gas,” Pierce says.

No one needs to sell Drew Kiefaber on the idea. He’s been commuting to work part-time for 20 years. He rides from his home in Newmarket to Goss International in Durham two days a week from March through October. “Riding to work makes me more awake and stimulated early in my work day. Riding home is also a great work stress reliever. There seems to be more of a separation between work and the rest of my life when I ride home. It’s a great way to integrate exercise into your day without costing too much time,” Kiefaber says.

The League of American Bicyclists organized the first Bike to Work Day in 1956. SABR has been organizing the local celebration for the past six years. Two years ago, they received a grant to bring Bike to Work Day statewide, and they have since brought the event to Concord, Laconia, Claremont, Manchester, Keene and Hanover/Lebanon. The Bike Walk Alliance of New Hampshire is also promoting Bike to Work Day.

Six locations on the Seacoast will be offering free breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. They are Popovers in Portsmouth, the Food Court at Pease International Tradeport in Newington, the Exeter Town Bandstand, Timberland Company in Stratham, Henry Law Park in Dover and Main Street in Durham. There will also be a post-work celebratory ride in downtown Portsmouth, starting at 5:30 pm in Market Square. Following the ride, at 7 p.m., there will be a party downstairs at the Portsmouth Brewery with free food and raffle prizes. 

Dave Weston, general manager of Popovers in Portsmouth, says he’ll offer people who ride their bikes to work muffins, scones and other pastries. “It’s a good cause,” Weston says. “We’ll be offering similar things that we do for catering.” A couple of Weston’s employees ride their bikes to work, so he expects them to take part in the event. However, he lives in Exeter, which would be a long ride.

A new feature of Bike to Work Day this year is the Commuter Challenge, which is a way for businesses to challenge themselves and other companies to see which can get the most employees to ride or walk to work for one week, starting May 18. Each business will be grouped into three different categories, according to size. The winner in each category will be awarded a trophy sculpted by Seacoast artist Jane Kaufmann.

Riding to work does present a number of challenges. For many, the primary problem is showing up sweaty and disheveled, as most businesses lack shower facilities. One of SABR’s current projects is advocating for shower facilities at Pease International Tradeport. Another challenge of cycling to work is finding a safe route. According to Pierce, most of the older roads in the area were originally built for horse carriages and therefore lack wide shoulders on which to ride a bike. However, many drivers stick to the main thoroughfares, with the result being an abundance of quiet, winding country roads for those who prefer a calmer, if longer, ride.

According to the SABR Web site, “over 22 percent of all motor vehicle trips Americans take are less than one mile long, and 50 percent of the working population commutes five miles or less to work, an easily bikeable distance. If the average person biked to work once every two weeks instead of driving, we could prevent the pollution of close to one billion gallons of gasoline from entering the atmosphere every year.”
More information can be found online at www.seacoatbikes.org.