September means Bike Commute Challenge month in Portland – a month in which the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and the city promote bike commuting by encouraging friendly competition between individuals at local businesses to see who can bike the most in the month. It’s a great idea, especially for larger companies that draw a lot of employees who drive into town from suburbs (or even near-town neighborhoods). All month long there are free bike commuting classes at cycling shops across town, discounts on bike products, and of course notoriety if your company wins the challenge. But for year-round long-time bike commuters, what’s the challenge?
This year, I’m making my own challenge goals. I already bike daily, so it’s about time I learned how to take care of my bike, shift gears more efficiently, and did more errands by bike. I’ll be taking free clinics at Bike Gallery on SE Woodstock, which they offer every month. You could join me, or take classes at River City Bikes. By the end of each class, I hope to know something I didn’t before, which might not be hard since I know surprisingly little about bikes for a daily commuter.
How are you going to challenge yourself this month? Start commuting by bike? Bike to work more often? Take longer rides? Brush up on your bike skills? Don’t leave it to the BTA to define your challenge, choose your own adventure Bike Commute Challenge!