Trim Gas Prices and the Waistline with Bike to Work

With gas prices taking their toll on the wallet, but still a strong relliance on transportation, it can be hard to make ends meet. And, let's face it, who couldn't afford to be more fit?

You can help meet both goals at once with a little support from the Communities in Moition. The Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association (GVF TMA) organizes the event locally.

"Communities in Motion, a GVF TMA Foundation, is excited to kick off the fifth annual Bike to Work Challenge on Wednesday, May 1," said Carissa Bobenchik, contact for the event. "This year, the Bike to Work Challenge will be part of the National Bike Challenge, pitting local bicycle commuters against 50,000 cyclists all over the United States."

The GVF held a similar event in 2012, as reported here by Patch. The free, online program is designed to "encourage biking for transportation, fitness, recreation or friendly competition among colleagues."

"Ride solo, create a team or pedal as part of a workplace to get healthier, have fun and become part of a national online community," said Bobenchik. "Participants are also eligible to win raffle prizes."

Registration is open for this year's Challenge, which runs from May 1 to Sept. 30. For more information and to register, visit the website here.

"We are very excited to begin our fifth annual Bike to Work Challenge," said Rob Henry, CEO of Communities in Motion. "We are also very excited to now be a part of the National Bike Challenge which will allow our participants to see how they measure up against the rest of the country."

Henry said all ages and various types of ability are welcome to try out the program.

"We encourage cyclists of all levels to participate as the challenge is meant to be fun initiative that allows people the opportunity to commute while improving their health and also our environment," he said.

Since the Bike to Work Challenge began in 2008, Bobenchik said "participants have commuted 174,508 miles, which has saved 8,080 gallons of fuel and 155,734 pounds of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere."

For more information on the program and all GVF TMA has to offer, visit the organizations website here.