Right Now Downtown

GEARED UP

It’s time to gear up in every possible sense of the word.  Bike to Work Week starts May 4, so check your bike gears (plus brakes, bolts n’ chains) and all the other essential gear for the daily commute.

The yearly gear-check isn’t difficult.  It’s like riding a bike, once you learn how… Oh!  You’ve heard that one?

HEAD GEAR
Biking is more than physical activity; it’s social and intellectual too.  Learn the lingo (insiders call the event “B2WW”) and more information about savvy biking at considerbiking.org.

PARTY GEAR
Mayor Coleman himself is due to arrive around 8:30 am on May 11 at the big bike party on downtown’s Statehouse Lawn.  Snacks, coffee and live music await the Mayor and fellow bikers.  He’ll also share some great news about the expanding future of biking in Columbus.

COMPETITION GEAR
Capital Crossroads SID is teaming up with Consider Biking to rate downtown businesses to determine which has THE most bike-friendly workplace; keep an eye out for the results on downtowncolumbus.com.  PLUS, considerbiking.org  is hosting a competition to reward businesses that log the most bike-miles and replace the most auto-commutes.

GEAR SHIFT
Matt Warholic made the shift to biking about a year ago, and has mostly raves: “It has been the least stressful.  No traffic to deal with, no parking issues…  The bike is also handy to have during the day as it expands my options for where I can travel for lunch, and gives me a chance to experience the outdoors in a fun way on a nice day.”

The downside?  Warholic warns, “Don’t try carrying a coffee and sandwich.”

Don’t worry, we’ve got plenty to eat downtown – and it still beats grinding those car gears amidst this season’s road construction projects.