Bike commuting is a mental and physical challenge, and it’s also a great way to work exercise into your day, avoid the cost of commuting and reduce your CO2emissions. Many people’s top concerns about bike commuting are arriving wet and safety on the road — fortunately Seattle has good solutions to both, and has the largest bike club in the United States to boot, the Cascade Bicycle Club.
Hop in the saddle and learn bike commuting 101 with a free class from Cascade Bicycle Club in either an hour and a half or a three hour class. Instructors cover biking in traffic, how to carry work items and clothes, taking bikes on buses (there’s no additional charge), and making minor repairs. Downtown commuters can take advantage of secure attended bike parking and classes available at Bikestation, (311 3rd Ave S).

Women can join up with Seattle Team Luna (seattlelunachix.com) for mountain biking and road biking classes and adventures with a team supported by the makers of the Luna bar. Join up with a team for clinics through Northwest Women’s Cycling (nwwc.org), or take a casual ride and make friends during their weekly 2-hour ride around the south area of Lake Washington.

Find routes in your area submitted by other riders and displayed on Google maps at bikely.com, and see pedaling.com for even more routes including longer trips in the area. Have a lot of stuff? Get yourself a SUB — that’s Sports Utility Bicycle — at xtracycle.com. Helmets, lights, a jersey, and a waterproof bag will get you set up. For peace of mind there is even 24/7 roadside assistance and insurance for your bike through betterworldclub.com/bicycles. To see how much you can reduce your impact by going without a car visit carboncounter.org, and get pedaling.