Please email the leaders of the bike ride you are interested in and let them know if you will be able to make it. Hopefully we will have warmer temperatures next week. All other information below has not changed. We look forward to riding with you!

Scott Lamond and Dining Services will even provide a free breakfast for all riders on March 27th! Vouchers will be issued the day of the ride at each ride site.

WHOLE FOODS or QUAIL RIDGE BOOKS GIFT CARDS!
All riders will be entered in a drawing for a $50 gift card to Whole Foods or Quail Ridge Books (your choice). You will need to sign a waiver form available before each ride. This will also be your ticket to enter the drawing. Drawing held the afternoon of the commuter ride.

I hope you will consider joining one of the rides next Wednesday, March 27th!

"Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race." ~ H.G. Wells

Specific Information about each ride…

Several of your faculty and staff have been riding bikes to work or for exercise. Alyson Colwell-Waber, Jeff Langenderfer, Lara Dick, Denise Parker, Doug Wakeman, and Sherri Henderson would like to invite you to participate in our inaugural group commuter bike ride to Meredith from N. Raleigh, Downtown Raleigh and Cary on Wednesday, March 27th!

WHY A BIKE RIDE?
To celebrate spring, to meet other likeminded coworkers who enjoy biking to work on the wonderful greenways right in Meredith’s own back yard (and front yard)!! Riding to work will help decrease our carbon footprint and increase our metabolism while we bike and burn calories not fossil fuel!

WHAT YOU NEED:
A bike with multiple gears for making it up some long/steep hills on the greenway, a helmet for safety, bike lock, strong legs and lungs, a love of the outdoors and a good attitude. The ride from downtown with Lara Dick should be the shortest ride and not as hilly. Please contact Lara if you’d like to park at her house and bike in with her.

WHEN and WHERE:
N. Raleigh Commuter Ride - Wednesday, March 27th leaving at 7:00 am. (Please note the time change from the previous emp_all email. We will leave at 7:00 am NOT 6:30 am) Meet Sherri and Denise at the upper parking lot of Shelley Lake Park closest to the Sertoma Art Center on Millbrook Road. There is ample parking at this lot.

The bike ride from Shelley Lake to Meredith is approximately 8 miles and takes around 45 minutes. We cross N. Hills Drive and Blue Ridge Rd. Other than those two roads we are on the greenway all the way to Meredith.

This ride has several areas of uphill riding on the way to Meredith, however, the trip home is mostly downhill and Denise and I try to make it in 30 minutes! We will head back to Shelley Lake from Meredith between 5:00 – 5:10 pm. Contact Sherri at hendersh@meredith.edu to sign up for the ride.

N. Cary Park Commuter Ride Wednesday, March 27th leaving at 8:00 am.
Meet Alyson at N. Cary Park at Cary Parkway and Norwell Rd. There is ample parking at this lot.

The bike ride from N. Cary Park to Meredith is approximately 12 miles and takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. Alyson has offered multiple meeting places if people would prefer to bike less than 12 miles but still want to participate. Contact Alyson by email at colwella@meredith.edu to sign up for this ride. Alyson can return to Cary anytime after 4 pm.

Downtown Raleigh Wednesday, March 27th leaving at 8:30 am.
Meet Lara Dick at Moore Square near the acorn. This ride takes between 25-30 minutes. Please contact Lara at lkdick@meredith.edu to sign up for this ride and free parking at her house.

WHAT IF WEATHER IS A FACTOR (TOO COLD OR RAIN):
If it is too cold or rains on March 27th we will reschedule the ride sometime in April. Check email/enews for more information.

HOW:
Showers are available in Weatherspoon locker rooms and if you need a lock or locker please contact the admin assistant, Becky Crissinger, (ext. 8546) about reserving a locker. The day before the commuter ride, bring a towel, toiletries, and change of work clothes and store it in a locker in Weatherspoon. You can keep your bike clothes in the locker to have for the ride home. Leave your work clothes in your locker and pick them up another day. Denise Parker and I are in our offices by 8:30.

Bikes can be parked and locked to the railing at the Weatherspoon Annex accessible ramp.

WORK HOURS:
Staff - Please talk to your supervisor if you would like to ride but are usually at work by 8:00. You may be able to take a shorter lunch time or make up the time another day that week with supervisor approval.

BCBS Points:
25 points will be added to your account with the BCBS Healthy Outcome Challenge. Please let me know if you are interested in this and I will let Pam Davis in Human Resources know who you are! Hope you can join us!