Homegrown Happy Valley

The days I’m reminded why I love State College usually start with my son and I riding our bike to school and work. We have been commuting by bike during the warmer months for a few years now and graduated from trailer to trail-a-bike. We might start out the morning frenzied, searching for socks and running late, but by the time we get to his school, we are (usually) cool, calm, and collected. On our way, we’ve listened to the birds chirping, waved to the garbage truck, and spelled out and counted the political lawn signs.

Biking to school and work is good for those chirping birds and the rest of the environment and it starts and ends the day with fresh air and conversations about what we see traveling into and out of town. We watch neighborhoods evolve as “for sale” signs go up and down, mulch is delivered and spread into garden beds, and leaves sprout and then fall.

May is National Bike Month. As a part of the celebration, Centre Region Bicycle Coalition (CRBC) and many other local organizations are hosting several Bike to Work Week activities. Even if you don’t have a bike (yet) or if you are just curious about what biking to work is all about, be sure to check out some of the fun events that are happening around town. My family and I are headed to the bike-in movie at Tudek Park on Friday. Newbies might be interested in checking out the “ride guide” for new commuters, which allows you to ride into work with an experienced cyclist.

Whether you’re commuting by bike for the first time or continuing your journey, check out these local places for used and new bikes, as well as accessories and tune-ups:

• The Bicycle Shop (parts, sales and service since 1946)
• RBR Recumbent Bicycles (bikes that place the riders in a laid-back, reclining position)
• Freeze Thaw Cycles (recycled and new bicycles)
• Eddie’s Bicycles and Sports Equipment (hockey and skating equipment as well as bicycles)
  
• State College Bicycles (unique services such as bike storage and the “mobile mechanic”)

This entry was posted on Monday, May 4th, 2009 at 4:05 pm and is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.