2 min read

NORWAY — Oxford County is on the move. The initiative that encourages people in Oxford County to stay healthy by walking or riding their bikes is collaborating with area businesses and organizations to host a “pit stop” for bike commuters on Friday, May 16, National Bike to Work Day.

The event, a collaboration between Oxford County Moves, Green Machine Bike Shop, the Western Foothills Land Trust, the Center for an Ecology Based Economy and Norway Downtown’s Healthy Main Streets Program, will be held in front of Green Machine Bike Shop at 329 Main St., from 7:30 to 10 a.m. and from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m.

There will be refreshments, free bike route guides and a bike mechanic will be on hand for any bicycles that need repair. Commuters will be celebrated during a “mocktail” happy hour between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m.

Everyone in Oxford County is also invited to participate in the Bike Commuting Challenge. Awards and recognition will be given to the individual who logs the most commuting miles during National Bike to Work Week from May 12-16; the business that logs the most cumulative miles; and the business that has the most commuting participants. Winners will be celebrated at the happy hour on Friday. Last year, commuters logged 184 miles on Friday alone — equivalent to 7,300 calories, or about 150 pounds of carbon emissions.

For information about how to log miles for this challenge, businesses and employees can email [email protected].

“National Bike to Work Day is an opportunity to entice people to get out on their bikes and get moving,” said Brendan Schauffler, Oxford County Moves coordinator. “It’s also a chance to remind drivers that there are cyclists out there, including commuters, and that we all need to share the road.”

To find out more about the May 16 event, or other biking or walking events in Oxford County, visit oxfordcountymoves.org. The new site offers tips for walkers, bike riders and motorists about how to keep themselves and each other safe and directs people to physical activity resources. The initiative is also active on Facebook at www.facebook.com/oxfordcountymoves.

Comments are no longer available on this story