It's Raining Bicycles in Hartford?

If you’re looking for fun bike stuff to do in Hartford, there is an abundance coming up in the next month and a half.  Some of it even snuck up on me, so I’m giving the five faithful (faithless?) readers of the Beat Bike Blog a hearty heads up.

1. Friday, August 17th - Last downtown Hartford Bike to Work.  6:30AM to 9AM at the Old State House.  Get your commuting on and get fed.  Free t-shirts to the first 100 bike commuters.  This event is sponsored by the City of Hartford and Mayor Segarra will be there.  Channel 8 will be filming.  Represent!
2. Thursday, August 23rd - Hartford Bicycle Symposium.  Meet at the Hartford Public Library at 5:30PM, in the Hartford History Center.  Panelists include Tom Condon (renowned Courant editor) and TJ Clynch (Cycled Energy on Pratt Street).  Get out and learn about Hartford’s bicycling history (Colonel Pope) and be a part of our cycling future.
3. Saturday, August 25th - The East Coast Greenway rides into Hartford.  The East Coast Greenway is a developing trail system linking major cities on the eastern seaboard between Canada and Key West.  In year 2 of a 10-year plan to ride all 3,000 miles, this year’s leg begins in Portland, ME and ends in Hartford at Bushnell Park. You can join the ride at 10:00am in Putnam (corner of Route 44 and Kennedy Drive) or 4:00pm in East Hartford (DOT commuter lot at 500 Main Street), or just welcome the riders at the east end of Bushnell Park around 4:30pm. For more information, please email Rob Dexter or call 860-836-9304.
4. Friday, August 30th - Hartford Critical Mass.  Meet at 5:30PM at the carousel in Bushnell Park.  Usually the ride rolls out around 6PM.  This month I've heard rumors of special guests...
5. Saturday, September 22nd – Real Art Ways Real Ride.  This was a blast July 4th and we’re doing it again in September.  Come out to RAW, decorate your bike (or not), and come along for a night ride / parade / party.  Dave now has three HUGE battery powered amps that will be pumping the jams, so you’ll be grooving wherever you may be in the group.  FREE!  Usually we meet up at 6PM-ish and roll our around 8PM.  More details to follow.
6. Saturday, September 29th – The Discover Hartford Bike Tour.  This annual ride is a family friendly roll through Hartford’s parks and neighborhoods.   Tell your friends.  The bigger this ride is, the more momentum (and funding) Bike Walk CT has to do good works for bike and pedestrian safety in CT.  Registration is open!

A big part of improving cycling conditions in Connecticut is simply getting more people riding, particularly for commuting.   It’s next to impossible to advocate for an activity that garners < 1% of the transportation mode.  As a cyclist and commuter, it is therefore in the interest of your own safety that you should be spreading the word about events like those mentioned above.  If love of your fellow man and environmental considerations aren’t enough, maybe you’ll be engendered to act by base self-interest?  Now - Spread the Word!