By JENNIFER BOYETT

SPECIAL TO THE LOG CABIN

May is National Bike Month, and while everyone is encouraged to get out for a recreational ride around their neighborhood or around town, one focus of National Bike Month is commuting to work.

On Friday, May 21, individuals from around Conway are encouraged to be a part of Bike to Work Day and give commuting to work by bicycle a try. 

Members of Conway Advocates for Bicycling have volunteered to lead groups of cyclists from various parts of the city into downtown for a morning rally at Simon Park before everyone heads off to work. Visit the Conway Advocates for Bicycling website for Bike to Work Day routes.

Often, beginner and recreational cyclists will think that commuting by bicycle is something only hardcore cyclists with lots of cycling gear can do, but that’s not the case.

Just as with any sport or hobby, there are varying levels of skill and interest when it comes to cycling. But riding to work – even just one day – is something anyone with a bicycle can do.

If your bicycle is a little worse for wear, consider taking it into the local bicycle shop for a tune up. The Ride was recently named the city’s first Bicycle Friendly Business.

You don’t have to be in great shape to commute to work by bicycle, though it is a great way to get in some daily low-impact exercise. 

Riding at a leisurely pace helps keep you cool and dry, which can be especially important for those who do not have showering facilities at their jobs. 

If you don’t want to commute in your work clothes, wear whatever you’re comfortable riding in and keep a couple of day’s or maybe even a week’s worth of clothes at work and change once you get there. A box of baby wipes can help you freshen up in a hurry during the hottest months of the year.

If you must carry a laptop, briefcase or purse to work, consider getting a backpack, messenger bag or even a simple cargo rack or basket that attaches to your bike. Racks and baskets are inexpensive and can be found at the bike shop as well as many large retail stores.

According to the bike league, commuting to work by bicycle is actually faster than driving if your job is less than three miles from home. Trips that are five to seven miles may still take less time, or at least no more time, than commuting in a car.

If you’re just unsure about how safe commuting by bicycle is on the city streets, you can take the league’s Traffic Skills 101 course in Conway, offered by Conway Advocates for Bicycling on May 14 and 16. The course will teach safe skills for riding in traffic. 

While the course is useful for beginners as well as experienced cyclists, anyone can ride safely on the streets by following a few simple rules: obey traffic signs and signals, ride with the flow of traffic, signal turns and stops, have proper lighting on your bike and wear a helmet along with bright clothing.

If you join fellow cyclists on Friday, May 21 at 8 a.m. at Simon Park, you will also see Conway Mayor Tab Townsell unveil the city’s new bicycle racks, which will make Conway even more bike friendly by providing safe, proper bicycle parking for those who choose to commute.  

For more information about Bike Month activities in Conway, routes for Bike to Work Day, the traffic skills course or how you can become involved with cycling in Conway, visit www.cycleconway.org. 

Jennifer Boyett is an avid cyclist who serves on the Bicycle Advisory Board and is a member of Conway Advocates for Bicycling.