Bike It Up

Need a bike? This Royal Blue beauty could be yours and plenty of other fun ones just by checking out Craigslist. You still have a day to get yourself ready for the event.

"It’s time to ride! April is Valley Bike Month and the perfect time to be outside. Save money on gas, reduce air pollution and stay healthy by riding your bike to work, school, on errands or just for fun. In celebration of Valley Bike Month, the City of Mesa is having two events for bike riders. Our first Bike4Life free family bike ride is on Saturday, April 18th. It starts at O'Connor Elementary School and is a seven mile out-and-back ride to Mesa Multigenerational Center. Registration begins at 8:00 AM and the ride starts at 9:00 AM. There will be free t-shirts and backpacks for riders, while supplies last, along with a raffle for prizes donated by local bike shops. Raffle tickets are$1 and the grand prize is a TREK Cruiser Classic beach cruiser donated by Pat’s Cyclery. All of the raffle proceeds will benefit the Not One More foundation, whose goal is to stop collisions between cyclists and vehicles. Helmets are required for all bike ride participants. More information about the ride, including a printable registration form, is available online at http://www.mesaaz.gov/transportation.

On Wednesday, April 22 join the City of Mesa in celebrating Bike2Work Day. Stop by the north entrance of Mesa City Plaza while biking to work or school for refreshments to pick up a free Mesa Rides! water bottle and to enter into a raffle for more prizes donated by local bike shops. We’ll be out there from 5:30 AM to 7:30 AM. If we are not on your route please ride safely. Thanks for riding to work on Earth Day because every trip counts. More information about Bike2Work Day is available online at http://www.mesaaz.gov/transportation."

Thanks city of Mesa for the e-mail and fun events.

And really, don't forget those helmets. I've learned just how thankful I am for them - they keep those carefree rides going.