A wheely good time
BILL BULEY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 7 months AGO
Dave Passaro rides a bike to the podium in the Library Community Room during the Coeur d'Alene City Council meeting on May 2.
Bill Buley covers the city of Coeur d'Alene for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He has worked here since January 2020, after spending seven years on Kauai as editor-in-chief of The Garden Island newspaper. He enjoys running. | May 11, 2023 1:00 AM
COEUR d’ALENE — Biking to work sounds like a pain in the butt.
Dave Passaro agrees it can be. But having done exactly that in Houston, which he said has no bike lanes, he knows what it takes.
“You have to take the approach, ‘How can I do it?’ because there’s always a way to do it if you really want to,” Passaro said.
A member of the city’s Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Committee, Passaro is encouraging people to be part of Bike to Work Week from May 15 to 19, and also to bike to school, bike to errands, bike for exercise and just bike for fun.
Coeur d'Alene is considered a bike-friendly town, with the North Idaho Centennial Trail, Cherry Hill and Canfield Mountain all popular with cyclists.
Biking to work takes preparation, but it’s good for your health, saves fuel, protects the environment and reduces traffic, all pretty good reasons to use two wheels for transportation.
According to industry expert Complete Tri, over 51 million Americans ride a bicycle each year, making it the third-most popular outdoor activity in the country, behind running and fishing.
The global cycling market is expected to reach $62 billion by 2027, Complete Tri said.
Passaro said there are simple ways employers can make it easy for staff to bike to work. They include providing bike racks and changing rooms and offering snacks or prizes for cyclists.
“It becomes pretty easy once you figure it out,” Passaro said.
There are incentives to get you out there, as May is National Bike Month. Mayor Jim Hammond signed a proclamation urging people to bike to work.
From 7 to 9 a.m. Monday, a free breakfast courtesy of The Coeur d’Alene Resort and free coffee from DOMA Coffee are being offered at Second and Sherman in the corner lot next to Hudson’s Hamburgers.
On Friday, May 19, Bike to Work Day morning ride energizer stations will provide free coffee and snacks to cyclists. They will be at Starbucks, 3500 N. Government Way; Lakeshore Realty, 1080 E. Lakeshore Drive by Tubbs Hill; University of Idaho, 1031 N. Academic Way at the Harbor Center on the North Idaho Centennial Trail; Starbucks, Riverstone, 2356 N. Old Mill Loop.
Also Friday, May 19, a post-ride celebration is scheduled 4-7 p.m. at Taphouse Unchained, 210 Sherman Ave. Cyclists are invited to stop in for a happy hour food spread, a drink ticket, music and prizes. There will also be electric bike demonstrations.
Several community rides are coming up:
- Friday, 5 to 8 p.m., Ride to Art Walk
- Saturday, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., The Firehouse Ride of Coeur d’Alene
- Sunday, 12:45 p.m., Mother’s Day Ride
- Wednesday, 5 to 7 p.m., Music Conservatory of Coeur d’Alene Ride
- Sunday, May 21, 10 a.m. to finish, TREK Store Hilly Nilly Gravel Ride
- Wednesday, May 24, 6 p.m., Vertical Earth Ride
The Coeur d’Alene Public Library has several activities, with bike-themed story times for kids, a bike-themed scavenger hunt throughout May in the Children’s Library, and bike-themed books on display.
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