FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: K.C. Butler, Event Coordinator

Phone 800/679-2453

CALIFORNIA BIKE COMMUTE WEEK TO ATTRACT OVER 35,000 CYCLISTS

California (April 1, 2004) It’s the biggest bicycle commute in the United States. The California Bike Commute Week 2004 pedals into hundreds of California communities May 17-21. For the tenth straight year a record number of cyclists are expected to participate in this free event, which encompasses numerous regional Bike to Work Day events.

“With gas prices heading towards $3 a gallon, bicycling to work becomes an attractive money-saving alternative to commuting by automobile,” says K.C. Butler, California Bike Commute Week 2004 coordinator. “Bicycling just one day saves enough money in gas to treat yourself to lunch. Plus, you arrive to work more refreshed, alert, and less stressed!”

To help riders get to where they are going during California Bike Commute Week 2004, over 300 ZonePerfect Nutrition “Pit Stops/Energizing Stations” will be located throughout California. Participants will be offered free goodies featuring ZonePerfect Nutrition energy bars, product samples, and discount coupons. Some California communities will even provide cyclists with free breakfast.

For those whose commute may seem too daunting to perform entirely by bicycle, numerous transit agencies now offer busses that are equipped with bicycle friendly bike racks. In addition, most rail systems have become bike friendly allowing bicycles on almost all of their routes.

Many employers, like Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Qualcomm, and Sun Microsystems will be supporting their employees by providing free breakfast, T-shirts, or other incentives for employees who bike to work. “Employers see the benefits of their employees bicycling to work,” says Butler. “Studies show that people who commute by bicycle are healthier and less stressed than those who get to work by any other means.”

The goals of California Bike Commute Week 2004 are to develop bicycling as a form of transportation to the work place, decrease traffic congestion, improve air quality, and promote safe bicycle commuting.

Regional information and registration for California Bike Commute Week 2004 is available on the Internet at www.californiabikecommute.com. California Bike Commute Week 2004 is a project of the California Bicycle Coalition a 503(c)4 non-profit corporation and co-sponsored by Caltrans.