Bike to Work Day is Friday! It’s the perfect day for interested people to make the leap and give biking to their jobs a try. The number of people biking downtown surge, giving a little look into the near future when bike rates are just a bit higher.

The best part of the day, in my opinion, is the annual ride with elected officials. This year’s ride starts just south of the Fremont Bridge, heading toward downtown at 7:30 a.m. The group usually gets pretty big, like a giant bike train of people cruising at a comfortable speed toward downtown.

Instead of riding all the way to City Hall, as in previous years, this year’s ride will stop at the KEXP studio on Dexter just north of Denny. Councilmembers Mike O’Brien and Tom Rasmussen will speak at a rally there before folks head off to work.

If the official ride doesn’t work for you, no worries. You are not left out. See the map below to find some fun commute stations along your route to work. Most stations are independently organized and have different themes. Some will serve coffee and light snacks, others will give encouragement or swag. Either way, give yourself some extra time so you can stop and chat on your way to work. It’s a blast. (more…)