MyNorth News Service

(Press Release provided by NORTE!)

Traverse City vs The World!

Four weeks from today, celebrate year-round, two-wheeled transportation with NORTE! and help make Traverse City the Winter Biking Champion Of The World (well, of the Northern Hemisphere at least) as we compete against cities from Canada, Europe and the US.

Our second annual Winter Bike To Work And School Day is Friday, February 13, and it’s sure to be awesome. Promise. WBTW+SD aims to demystify the practice of winter cycling and create awareness that people riding bikes to work and school in the winter is safe, fun, healthy, and normal.

Here’s How It Works:

  1. Click HERE to commit to ride on winterbiketoworkday.org and help Traverse City dominate the international challenge. TC is currently in the top 10 but we’re dreaming big to dethrone last year’s champs Oulu, Finland (check out their cool real-time map!).
  2. On February, 13th, pedal your bike to work or school.
  3. On the way to work, stop in at one of several coffee and bike shops including Brew, Morsels, Suttons Bay Bikes, Oryana, Higher Grounds, McLain on 8th, Cuppa Joe, Einstein Cycles, and NMC Student Life for a free cup of coffee.
  4. Upper elementary students are encouraged to ride with one of our citywide, volunteer-led Bike Trains to Eastern, Central Grade, Glenn Loomis, Willow Hill and Traverse Heights schools. Hot chocolate and healthy snacks for the kids.
  5. Join our swingin’ all-ages after-party at The Little Fleet starting at 5. Drink and eats deals for those who arrive via bicycle. Awesome, right?
  6. Free High Fives from NORTE! kids for everyone. All. Night. Long. (at least until bedtime, anyway)

On the 4 Fridays leading up to WBTW+SD, we invite all awesome Big People to join our Bike To School (and work!) Fridays. The best way to become a better winter bike-to-work/school’er is to ride your winter bike to work/school more, silly. Like mom says, “Practice makes perfect!”

Just remember to dress warmly, take it a bit slower, make those turns wide, and smile!

If you need a beater bike (beater bikes just might make the best winter bikes!), you can reserve one from our Winter Bike Share.

Winter commuting to school or work is a great way to embrace winter, burn a few calories and have FUN!

Like Sabrina, our uber-talented and always-pedaling WBTW+SD graphic designer, told us, “Two winters ago was the first one I bike-commuted through. The roads were plowed well most of the time, making it extremely easy to ride. There have been so many bike-friendly improvements to the streets and a drastic increase in community awareness here that I think it’s going to keep getting easier to bike to work year-round.”

Stay up to date by joining our WBTW+SD Facebook event and post your winter biking photos HERE or to Twitter/Instagram using #BikeTVC #wbtwd

Vamanos!

Bike Winter. Bike Más. Bike TC.

– The NORTE! Team –

NORTE! is a new bike-centric, youth-focused 501c3 organization dedicated to building a more bike-friendly Traverse City by inspiring young people though bicycles.