Plans getting geared up for annual Kamloops Bike to Work Week from May 26 to June 1

NEWS — Plans for this year’s Kamloops Bike to Work Week are underway and the organizing committee has set a goal of 1250 participants — 300 of which they hope will be new commuters —for 2014.

This will be the seventh year Kamloops has participated in the province-wide initiative, which aims to get people to park their cars and bike to work May 26 to June 1, 2014. Last year, 918 cyclists participated in the weeklong event and 204 of them registered as first-time commuters.

“In previous years we have focused on increasing our team numbers,” co-ordinator Krystal Kehoe said today.

“This year, we want to focus on the number of participants. Teams that have been participating for years are growing, as they encourage their colleagues to join already-existing teams. Getting more people on their bikes is really what this week is all about,” she said.

“We also want to include a goal for the number of new commuters. People often already own a bike for recreational activities and have never thought of biking to work. Bike to Work Week wants to show people that biking to work is fun, healthy and easier than they think.”

Like other years, the event will include Celebration Stations around Kamloops for the morning and afternoon commutes, where cyclists can stop to refuel with free snacks and enter to win bike-related prizes. There will be a wrap-up BBQ after work on Friday, May 30.

Events leading up to and during the week include bike maintenance courses, the Commuter Challenge and Bike to School Week. Expanding these events means that more volunteers are needed, said Kehoe.

“Each year we aim to make Bike to Work Week bigger and better, which is not possible without the help from volunteers. It’s the volunteers that help ensure we hit our goals and that the week is a success,” Kehoe said.

“With the event less than two months away, we have a variety of tasks we need help with. Our volunteers always have fun and have helped build this event over the years.”

Anyone looking to register for BTWW, or interested in volunteering, can go to the recently redesigned website: http://www.biketowork.ca/kamloops.

The new registration system allows individuals to log their own rides, instead of their team leader having to log them. It also incorporates an easy-to-use mapping system, so that riders can map their routes to conveniently log repeat trips.

Bike to Work Week is supported by the City of Kamloops and the Province of B.C.. Kamloops is one of 35 B.C. communities participating through Bike to Work B.C..