The month of May — synonymous with the coming of spring, and in Ellensburg, trips to People’s Pond — is National Bike Month. In celebration, CWU is hosting Bike to Campus Day on May 21 from 8 a.m. to noon. The event is led by CWU’s Sustainability Department in collaboration with Outdoor Pursuits and Rentals (OPR) and the campus police. 

Bike to Campus Day encourages students, faculty and staff to leave cars in driveways and shake the dust off their bikes when heading to campus. The event is far from two-wheel exclusive, however. “Even though it’s called Bike to Campus Day, it’s kind of more like an alternative transportation day… including if somebody were to scooter or ride their skateboard…” explained Lily De Young, CWU’s Americorps Sustainability Education Program specialist. “We’re really … encouraging people to get outside, to get out of their vehicles and enjoy the sunshine.” 

Bike to Campus Day offers more than the obvious step of biking to campus. A tent located directly in front of OPR will provide snacks and refreshments throughout the morning. Thrill-seeking students should also be sure to visit the wheelie station where the back wheels of bikes are mounted to the ground to allow for wheelie practice. CWU Sustainability also plans to set up a satellite location on south campus where the campus police will be stationed. Campus police can share bike safety information as well as assist with registering bikes with the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). In the event a bike is stolen, NCIC can assist with relocating and returning bikes. 

Bike rider enthusiast and environmental science major junior, Lexie McCoy, shared her motivations for choosing biking as her primary mode of transportation. “For me, riding my bike is a lifestyle — not a one day thing,” she said. “I like riding bikes because it’s less expensive, healthier, and more fun. It feels freer and I’m able to appreciate my surroundings better.” 

Andrew Lapora, a junior accounting major, felt similarly. “I bike to class for both the health benefits, of ya know, getting out and moving because it’s important, and also because it saves on gas, and I like that,” Lapora says. 

Events like Bike to Campus Day build community and spark positive lifestyle changes. For questions related to Bike to Campus Day, contact Sustainability Officer Jeffrey Bousson at [email protected]. More information related to the City of Ellensburg’s biking events this month can be found on their website.