A handful of Guthrie residents celebrated National Bike to Work Day by riding their bikes down Oklahoma Avenue last Friday. This is an annual event where riders begin at the Masonic Temple and end at the Apothecary Garden where they share refreshments and fellowship.
“It’s not just about riding one’s bicycle to work. It’s about taking the opportunity to ride whenever you can, whether that be to the grocery, the post office, to the bar or restaurant,” said Bike to Work Day participant Justin Fortney.
According to 1world2wheels.org, the U.S. could save 462 million gallons of gasoline a year by increasing cycling from 1% to 1.5% of all trips.
· 60% of all trips are made within a mile of the home.
· 40% of all trips are within two miles of the home.
· 50% of the working population commutes five miles or less to work.
“It’s not just about saving gas,” says Fortney. “It’s hard to really measure all the benefits of riding a bike – mentally, physically, even socially – the more people ride bicycles, the overall quality of life increases for an entire community.”
For those wanting to learn more about bicycling around Guthrie, there will be a Bicycling 101 class on Tuesday, June 5 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in front of the Guthrie Post Office. The class will go over some of the basics of bicycle safety and maintenance, and will include a short, easy ride around downtown Guthrie. Children are welcome, as long as they’re accompanied by an adult. For more information about the class, contact Justin Fortney at 282-3485 or justinf@health.ok.gov.
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