OxfordPress.com

As gas prices continue to rise, more people are finding the economic value of bicycling in addition to its exercise and health benefits.

Many Oxford residents use bikes to get to work regularly and say benefits go even beyond the economic and health benefits — finding parking is a lot easier.

A group of Oxford residents gathered at the Uptown park Friday morning, May 16, to promote riding bikes to work as part of the national observance of Bike to Work Day, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists.

It was a small group of five people, but another group headed to Kramer School passed by on the other side of the street and waved in support of the effort.

Among the group gathered were Oxford Mayor Prue Dana, a long-time advocate of bike lanes and use of bikes, and David Prytherch, a Miami University assistant professor of history pulling his daughter, Ella, in a child trailer on the way to school.

Prytherch said Oxford's observance of Bike to Work Day was small and hastily put together but provided a good promotion for the concept.

"You never get the turn out you hope for, but I was happy to see some of the other folks who choose to use their bikes for their commute to work/school," he said, adding that a flyer sent out from the school offered information about the event. "National Bike-to-Work day is basically about reminding people that biking is a convenient, economical, healthy and environmentally sound option. And potentially the most relaxing 10 minutes of the day!"

Dana said that information about the event was provided by the Oxford Parks and Recreation Department which is preparing a grant request for 2010 to promote getting people out on bikes in a fitness effort.

Prytherch said he enjoys biking to work because it is convenient as well as being good for the environment and his health.

"I bike from Devonshire and it takes less time than by car by the time I find a parking space," he said.

Bike to Work Day was part of a week-long observance to encourage use of bicycle transportation by the League of American Bicyclists, which promotes cycling for fun, fitness and transportation.

The league has a Web site with information about cycling as well as equipment trips and more. The site is www.bikeleague.org/index.php.

Among the topics they cover on the site regarding bicycling to work are bicycle parking and storage, bike security, carrying cargo, clothing, how to commute by bicycle and rain riding.

Prytherch said that Miami conducted a survey this spring on staff and student commuting habits and results are being compiled. Preliminary numbers, however, indicated that 45 percent of students commute by car while 87 percent of faculty commutes by car.

"(T)here are a number of cyclists around town who take advantage of how walkable/bikeable Oxford still is," Prytherch said. "And with parking getting tighter and gas prices going up, biking seems to make more and more sense."

Contact this reporter at (513) 523-4139 or bratterman@coxohio.com.

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