Bike Anchorage board members are only selling 500 Raffle tickets for $20.00 each! With 45 winners and all proceeds benefiting Bike Anchorage, this is the ticket you want. We'll have them at all Bike Anchorage Winter Bike Fest events, bib pick up for the Big Fat Ride, and we'll be pulling prize winners after the Big Fat Ride at 49th State Brewing Company. You don't need to be present to win, so get the tickets while you can! 

Raffle Drawing

Saturday, February 24th at 6:00pm

49th State Brewing Company, 717 W 3rd Ave, Anchorage, AK 99514

We'll pull winners after the Big Fat Ride with drinks and snacks. You do NOT need to be present to win!

**Find Bike Anchorage board members to buy your tickets at all our Winter Bike Fest events**

Check out our amazing prizes:

Go ahead and clear your calendar, Winter Bike Fest 2018 is right around the corner! February will be chock full of awesome bike events - we are talking group rides, storytelling, documentaries, and a whole lot more.

I had the opportunity to sit on a panel for the American Planning Conference in Anchorage last week. The topic was “livability and the bottom line” or, how I interpreted it, “why businesses should cater to cyclists”. I knew right off the bat this wouldn’t be a hard argument to make. I recently visited Mackinac Island in Michigan and got a taste for the way cars (or lack of) can impact a community. Situated in Lake Huron, the island has been car-free since the end of the 19th century. Bikes and horse-drawn carriages are the primary modes of transportation. I spent way more money at local fudge shops while strolling through on foot than I would have zipping through town in a car. The whole island just felt safer and more inviting.

We know Alaskans are hardy, and now we have statistical proof. We commute by bike or foot more often, per capita, than residents of any other state, according to the American Community Survey. Despite freezing temperatures, we log pedal-powered miles all year long. This in-all-kinds-of-weather attitude combined with our world-class trail system could make Anchorage a premier winter mobility city.

Join us on September 23rd-24th as we help the city get a handle on who uses our trails! This data collection effort will aid in the development of the city's new Non-Motorized Plan - an important document that will set priorities for things we care about, like new trails, sidewalks, and bike lanes! 

As part of the upcoming Data Blitz Weekend, Bike Anchorage will be hosting a community ride on Sunday, September 24th from 10am-12pm! We will be joined by Fred Young, Principal Designer with Alta Planning + Design, who will explain how the data collection will inform future city planning. So come along if you're curious about Anchorage's non-motorized future! More details coming soon. 

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm *that bicyclist. This month I bought a neon yellow helmet (like the kind given to tourists), and my confession is that I love it.

I distinctly remember telling my mother two years ago that I would not wear a neon helmet--similar to a conversation we had when I was in the fifth grade about jeans (yuck) vs. sweatpants (yes!). I eventually saw the light. Last spring, I got a neon yellow windbreaker that changed everything.

As I rode, I could see my glowing arms and never felt so visible! I felt more confident that other people could see me better in the morning dusk. A neon helmet is a natural progression, and just in time for winter darkness to sneak up on my morning commute. 

In Alaska, being a highly visible bicyclist is a necessity. Here are a few tips to be seen around town: