Healthy Savannah is teaming up with your Savannah Bicycle Campaign to promote our monthly Two Wheels To Work commuter ride on Friday, November 5^th.

The convoy will depart at 7:30am from Habersham Village for a gently-paced 20-25 minute social ride into downtown, ending at Ellis Square.  The ride will end with a nice cup of Jittery Joe’s Coffee, along with an assortment of healthy breakfast treats provided by Healthy Savannah.

The 2W2W event highlights how enjoyable bicycling to work can be, particularly during our fine Fall weather. Bicycling to work is one of the healthiest choices you can make at a variety of levels.  Exercising first thing in the morning does wonders for boosting your metabolism and will give you that extra pep in your step!

As you campaigners know, not only is biking to work good for your body, but it also benefits our environment. Short trips by automobiles are one of the worst sources of pollution. Automobiles run particularly foul in the first few minutes they are in operation. Because of this, a prime goal of cleaner transit advocates is to increase the awareness of cleaner alternatives like biking, walking and mass transit. At present, human powered transit accounts for only about a 1% mode share of all trips in America. If commuters would employ an alternative mode just one of the 20 or so work days of each month, that mode share would go up to 5%.

Bicycling to work also meshes beautifully with Healthy Savannah’s stated goal: “The Healthy Savannah 2012 Initiative is dedicated to making Savannah a healthier place to live. Our aim is to increase opportunities for citizens to engage in physical activity and consume a nutritious, balanced diet.”

“I started biking to work in Atlanta in 1993 on Bike to Work Day,” says Frank McIntosh, SBC Executive Director. “I’ve biked a little over 48,000 miles since then with a significant percentage of that being just short hops to work and running errands. It has been an amazingly positive influence in my life. SBC is working hard to make sure that our city is as bicycle friendly as it can be and is eager to work with anyone who wants to make cycling a part of their lives.”

Members of Healthy Savannah will address the group after the ride on the importance of the many small healthy choices we make every day in our overall well-being.  All are welcome!

Savannah is front and center for bicycling in our state as the Georgia Bike Summit brings its sessions to the Coastal Georgia Center on Saturday — you can still register and catch the keynote from League of American Bicyclists President Andy Clarke!

Even if you can’t join us for the summit proper, come out with fellow cyclists from all over the state for our social ride for your perfect score day (10-10-10) on Sunday morning at 9.  We’ll leave from Gallery Espresso with one of three options to Ride the Summit:

1. Social, slow paced cruise — any kind of bike will do.  Wheelie style through downtown.  We’ll show our visitors why downtown Savannah is such a great place to ride bikes.
2. Isle of Hope 25: Slow to moderate pace, best suited for road bikes: thanks to the fine folks of Coastal Bicycle Touring Club for organizing!  Bull Street through Forsyth Park, Washington Avenue through Ardsley Park and Daffin Park, out to Sandfly pausing at the Old Oak Alley at Wormsloe Plantation before checking out the scenic view of the intracoastal waterway at Bluff Drive on Isle of Hope. Back to town via the old grand prix course on Laroche, through Savannah State, river views and working fishing boats in Thunderbolt, finally stopping for a look at Bonaventure Cemetery before continuing through old streetcar suburbs of Gordonston and back into town.
3. Anyone who needs more speed and distance can join the usual Sunday morning Gallery ride (usually around 50 miles at 22-24mph), heading out into West Chatham for country roads, miles and more miles.

Don’t be late!  Thanks to Perry Rubber Bike Shop* for sponsoring the Georgia Bike Summit and for their help in hosting this ride.  Helmets are required on the Isle of Hope and regular Gallery ride, and highly recommended for the social cruise.  Although there is no charge for the ride, we hope you will consider making a donation to Georgia Bikes Alliance in their efforts to push bike friendly legislation including the 3 foot passing law through the Georgia legislature.  We hope to see you all there!

*Thanks also to Bicycle Link and Quality Bike Shop, the City of Savannah and Chatham Environmental Forum for supporting this first Georgia Bike Summit!

Update: We won! Our valet and pedal powered smoothie making garnered the greenest picnic award! Thanks to Rides Chair David Acuff for organizing, Frank McIntosh for his mad smoothie blending and a host of volunteers for keeping the valet safe and secure.

SBC will again host a bike valet at Picnic in the Park on Sunday, Oct 3.  Racks will be ready to accept your two wheels starting at 3pm — getting there will be half of the fun.  Our volunteer attendants will watch your bike (donations are greatly appreciated) while you enjoy your picnic and listen to the beautiful sounds of Savannah Strings bikes will be held until 15 minutes after the end of the show.  Remember, too, that if you bike there, use lights so you can be seen for the ride home!

We’ll also roll Savannah’s finest free family friendly community ride — Savannah Wheelie — through downtown Savannah (no police escort this time, just courteous bicyclists obeying the laws of the road).  The Wheelie will begin at 4pm and return before 5pm.  Wear pink and support the theme of this year’s Pink-nic in the Park in support of breast cancer awareness month.

Help us make it happen!  If you’re interested in volunteering, please use this link to provide your preferences. If you don’t already have one, we’ll give you a new organic cotton SBC shirt for your effort, and you’ll get a nice place to sit and watch the concert.

Clarification: Bike to Beer social for September is tonight, Tuesday Sept 21. Sorry for the error, as it previously said both Tuesday and tomorrow.

The Third Tuesday has arrived, as late as it possibly could. If ever you have had an urge to mix with your fellow bike people, drink fine locally brewed craft beer, ride your bike to and park it inside Moon River Brewing Company, tonight (yes, this incorrectly said tomorrow last time) at 6:30, an opportunity awaits.

We’ll share some info on Picnic in the Park (more below) and the Georgia Bike Summit, so c’mon. We may even give away some stuff to some lucky members. It’ll be great.

For those of you who follow us on Facebook and Twitter, you’ll know that we have been very excited about the upcoming Georgia Bike Summit, a first time event that will be held here in Georgia’s first city on Saturday, Oct 9.

Here’s the deal: through next Tuesday September 14 at noon, you can register for only $30 using this link (and you must use this link). It will be a great day of networking and learning to advance bicycling in Georgia, and it may not be in Savannah the next time around. Take advantage and save yourself $10 off the usual early bird registration cost of $40 (or $30 off the $60 late registration!)

More details of the Summit from their press release:

Safety, Improved Conditions Focus of Statewide Bike Summit

Savannah, Ga. – Sept. 4, 2010 – Georgia Bikes, a statewide advocacy organization for improved bicycling conditions is holding its first statewide bike summit on Oct. 9, 2010 in Savannah, Ga.

Guests include state and local agencies, off-road enthusiasts, commuters and non-profit organizations exploring a wide-range of bicycling related issues including safety, infrastructure, advocacy and transportation.

Demand for bicycle facilities continues to grow as the number of bicyclists using Georgia’s roads for transportation and recreation increases. Proponents of bicycling want to address Georgia’s approach and funding for bicycle projects across the state.

In 2008, Georgia ranked 49 out of 50 on the League of American Bicyclists list of bicycle-friendly states. Georgia has steadily increased its ranking to a current 35 out of 50, but advocates want to see that ranking continue moving upward.

A well-organized day long ride from Augusta to Savannah is now in its 10th year. The Harvest of Hope Ride is on Saturday, Oct 16, and riders will travel to Augusta on Friday evening together by bus. To be guaranteed a ride jersey, you must register by THIS SUNDAY Sept 12.

Join beloved member of the Savannah cycling community Patrick Booton, two time cancer survivor who also just this year recovered from a stroke. This ride brings together so many in our community to raise money for the Harvest of Hope, a cancer survivor support program for families in Savannah.