Don’t leave your helmets at home! Tomorrow is the annual National Bike to Work Day – which is also a favorite in Philly.

What is Bike to Work Day?

The League of American Bicyclists started Bike to Work Day in 1956 in hopes of showing the power of the bicycle. Riding bicycles is a healthy alternative mode of transportation and can save some gas money – and you know prices at the pump aren’t getting any cheaper.

Bike to Work Day Philly 2013

Join Mayor Nutter in his 6th year and other public officials as a participant of this widely celebrated day of exercise. Here’s a preview of the morning schedule for Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 17:

• 7:30 – Participants meet at Lloyd Hall (1 Boathouse Row)
• 8:00 – Mayor Nutter and public officials arrive
• 8:15 – Participants will bike down to Love Park via the Ben Franklin Parkway
• 8:45 – Mayor Nutter will commence the event with a few words

New to cycling or nervous about riding wheels in the city? Have no fear: there will be police escorts.

Once you get to work, you want to make sure it’s secure.

Here are 4 tips to lock up your bike:

1. Purchase a mini cable to secure your bike seat to the frame – especially since some bicycle seats are expensive.
2. Do NOT use a cable lock because they can easily be cut by tools from hardware stores. Instead, the U-locks are sturdier options.
3. When locking your bike, lock the back wheel because they often are more expensive to replace than front wheels. Make sure the lock passes through a triangle and that the rim is inside of the lock.
4. Don’t forget to register your bike with the National Bike Registry. This guarantees that if your bike is stolen and found, it will be returned to you and not auctioned off.

Readers, will you participate in Bike to Work Day?

Source: Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

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