Bike/Walk Week Moved-Tell us what your bike means to you!

Because of the change in habits brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic this year, the Bike/Walk Week initiative we usually host in conjunction with the national Bike to Work week, has been moved to September.

According to Bikeleague.org, Bike To Work Week 2020 will take place Sept. 21- Sept. 27, with Bike to Work Day being Tuesday, Sept. 22. Locally, last year, Way2Go Cortland hosted a Bike/Walk Week starting May 13, but we will follow the guidance from the national league and also move our initiative to September. Stay tuned for details on that!

In the meantime, as part of May being National Bike Month, in which the physical and mental benefits of biking are recognized, we would like to summon participation from readers about what your bicycle means to you!

As the Mobility Management Coordinator, I will give an example of what type of feedback we would love to get. Please email me at catherine@sevenvalleyshealth.org and send a picture of yourself with your bike, age if you'd care to share it, and a brief blurb about what your bike means to you, where you ride, how long you've enjoyed bicycling, and anything else you care to share. I will then post your account to our Way2Go Cortland site and Facebook page. Please include the hashtags #bikesunite and #way2gocortland if you prefer to post directly to your own Facebook page.

Here I am with my Trek racing bike, one of four bicycles I own.

For me, biking is both a way to stay physically fit as well as a form of therapy. I can decompress, think about the day and relax while on a bicycle. It's also a way to lessen greenhouse gases, as on nice days I can use one of my bikes to run an errand instead of the car.

This bike is the one I've had the longest, out of the four I currently own. Years ago I actually sold my motorcycle and used that money to buy the bicycle. It is a Trek road bike, which I've competed in triathlons with and used as a commuter bike in the past. The frame is actually a replacement frame to the original, as Trek carries a lifelong warranty on frames.

Over the years, Matt Belknap at Action Sports in Cortland has tuned it up for me more times than I can count, replaced the tires on it when needed and done other work on it.

This is Mark Sanchez's signature. Yes, I got my bicycle autographed when the Jets held summer training camp at SUNY Cortland!

I even got this bike autographed, by former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez, back when the Jets held summer training camp at SUNY Cortland!

I enjoy this bike because it's super light and fast so I can get a workout in on it or get around town very quickly on it to run an errand expediently. Because of how long I've had it and the memories I now have with it, this bicycle holds sentimental value to me, as I'm sure many can relate to.

So please, share your story and be part of this larger movement of #BikesUnite during National Bike Month!

To quote directly from Bikeleague.org, "Whether you’re riding for fun, fitness or with family, or taking essential trips to work or shop, you are part of our movement for safer streets, connected communities, a healthier planet, and happier people."