May is here, and that means it’s time once again for one of my favorite events of the year, Bike to Work Month. To increase the visibility of urban cyclists and encourage others to ride their bicycles to get around the city, Cascade Bicycle Club sponsors a number of events throughout the month, including the Group Health Commute Challenge and Bike to Work Day (Friday, May 20th).
Like a small but growing number of Seattlites, I commute to work on a bicycle year round. It’s a great way to stay in shape, blow off steam, save money (especially when gas costs $4/gallon!), and help the planet. However, there are days when I have trouble getting motivated to get on my bicycle and ride the 9.5 to 20 miles (round-trip) to each of my branches, especially with the miserable weather we’ve had this spring. Luckily, I have my own personal soundtrack of bicycle-related tunes to get me pumped to ride despite the driving rain and 15 mph headwinds. Here are a few that you can find at The Seattle Public Library:
- “Bicycle Race” by Queen. On Greatest Hits. My colleague Tom wrote a great post about this song last year for Bike to Work month.
- “My White Bicycle” by Tomorrow. On Nuggets II. Perfectly captures the feeling of riding your bicycle full speed down deserted, late-night city streets.
- “Bike” by Pink Floyd. On The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and Relics. A delightful bit of Syd Barrett-era sonic silliness.
- “The Bike Song” by Mark Ronson & the Business Intl. On Record Collection. This song also has an awesome video, and you can download it for free through Freegal with your library barcode number and PIN!
One last tune that has seemingly nothing to do with cycling, but is on my soundtrack this month is “Gimme Sympathy” by Metric (on Fantasies). My co-workers on the two Seattle Public Library Bike to Work teams will know why when they hear the chorus: “Who would you rather be?/The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?” [Answer: the Stones, obviously!]
What music makes you want to ride your bike? Tell us in the comments!
~Abby, Magnolia and Fremont branches
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