More than 100,000 new and seasoned bicycle commuters are expected to pedal to work on the 24th annual Bay Area Bike to Work Day, which is being held on Thursday, May 10. Hacienda, a Gold Sponsor of Bike to Work Day in the East Bay, is again hosting an Energizer Station at the East Dublin/Pleasanton BART station in conjunction with the City of Pleasanton, the City of Dublin, Veeva Systems, Dublin Cyclery, and BART.

Cyclists who stop by the East Dublin/Pleasanton Energizer Station will receive free t-shirts while supplies last, a free canvas tote bag filled with gear and snacks, and much more. Participating cyclists can also receive a free bike safety check courtesy of Dublin Cyclery. The Energizer Station will be open between 6:30 and 9:00 am in the plaza area just outside the turnstiles.

Bay Area Bike to Work Day is only one of the many events created to celebrate and encourage cycling during May, which is national Bike Month. Local events include the 2018 Dublin/Pleasanton Community Bike Ride on Saturday, May 19, and the Bay Area Bike Challenge competition that runs during the entire month of May. Tri-Valley residents new to bike commuting might consider registering for a free, one-hour Bicycle Commuting Basics workshop taught by Bike East Bay. The nonprofit will be holding one workshop in Pleasanton on April 26 between 1 and 2 pm and another in Dublin on May 1 between noon and 1pm.

Cycling Has Many Benefits

Many bike commuters ride to work simply for enjoyment. Many more people might ride to work if they understood the powerful benefits it offers. According to a study published in the British Medical Journal in 2017, "cycling to work was associated with a 41% lower risk of dying overall compared to commuting by car or public transport. Cycle commuters had a 52% lower risk of dying from heart disease and a 40% lower risk of dying from cancer. They also had 46% lower risk of developing heart disease and a 45% lower risk of developing cancer at all."

Five facts explain the physical benefits of cycling, according to the Harvard Health Letter. Cycling is easy on the joints, which "makes it good for anyone with joint pain or age-related stiffness," says Dr. Clare Safran-Norton, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Cycling is also a form of aerobic exercise. It turns out that peddling is good for one's heart, brain, blood vessels, and mood. Riding a bicycle works a variety of muscles and builds muscle in the process. As a result, cycling helps make everyday activities easier, which can be especially beneficial to older riders.

"The benefits carry over to balance, walking, standing, endurance, and stair climbing," says Dr. Safran-Norton. Finally, pedaling a bike is a resistance activity that pulls on muscles, which pull on bones. That physical interplay between muscles and bones increases bone density, according to Dr. Safran-Norton. Additional benefits for bike commuters include lower stress, a boost in new brain cells, and, for many, a much less expensive commute.

Surprisingly, bicycle commuters have a lower exposure to air pollutants than those who commute by car. While drivers may feel more protected from emissions, measurements show that they have greater exposure.

When it comes to air pollution, bicycling could help cut carbon emissions from urban transportation by some 11 percent, according to a 2015 study from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. Moreover, using a bicycle rather than a car cuts noise pollution as well.

Pleasanton Welcomes Cyclists

Tri-Valley cyclists who ride for pleasure have a wealth of bicycle routes to explore. Both casual riders and bike commuters should feel especially welcome in Pleasanton. In 2014 the City of Pleasanton was recognized as a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists. This was no small accomplishment, given that Pleasanton had applied for the recognition in 2011 and spent the intervening years working to make the city more welcoming to cyclists.

As noted by the Mercury News, "The application process for being named a bike-friendly community is rigorous. Cities must prove they have bicycle-friendly laws, good bike education, safe roads and trails and a low number of accidents or deaths on bikes. Pleasanton's designation as a bronze-level bike-friendly city is the first level of recognition."

Since that time, the city has continued to work on additional improvements to the cycling experience for residents and visitors. One obvious area of improvement has been in new bicycle lane mileage. In 2014, the city added 5,640 feet of new bicycle lanes according to Mark Candland, Engineering Technician III in the Pleasanton Community Development Department. In 2015, the city added 3,796 feet of new bicycle lanes; in 2016, 5,250 feet; and in 2017, an impressive 18,240 feet.

Recently the City of Pleasanton created a new online interactive bike map. The interactive map includes information about biking events, safety, and laws and can be accessed at BikePleasanton.com, according to Candland.

Last year the City of Pleasanton also updated its Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. The 2017 plan updates the 2010 plan and made several significant changes. One was adopting an "all users and abilities" approach to design. Local cyclists will benefit as the city now moves away from the old standard of 5-foot bike lanes to a new standard of 6-foot bike lanes with a 2-foot buffer. In many locations, the city will go a step further by completely protecting bike lanes with a curb or other physical delineation, according to according to Mike Tassano, Pleasanton's Deputy Director of Community Development, Transportation.

For complete Bay Area Ride to Work Day event information, including energizer station locations, please visit youcanbikethere.com.

For more information about the 2018 Dublin/Pleasanton Community Bike Ride, please vist http://admin.cityofpleasantonca.gov/visitor/gettingaround/2015_bike_events/community_bike_ride.asp.

For more information about the Bay Area Bike Challenge, please visit https://www.lovetoride.net/bayarea.

For more information about free one-hour bicycle workshops, including Commuting Basics, please visit https://bikeeastbay.org/1Hr.