May is a month of bike mania! Yes, it’s National Bike Month – which includes Bike to Work Day and Week – but it’s also a time for communities to celebrate the people who have shown dedication to cycling and alternative transportation.

Despite bad weather, injury, and long commutes, these pedal pushers keep the wheels turning. And even some communities have done so much to promote cycling that they too have earned prestigious awards.

Here are just a few of the award winning cyclists and communities from around the USA:

1)  Every day during the academic year, math and natural history teacher Ken Hoffman rides his bike two miles from his home on West Street to Hampshire College. And he’s been doing it since the school opened 40 years ago. Hoffman will be recognized for his commitment to alternative transportation during Amherst’s observance of Bike Commute Week next Wednesday. He will be the first recipient of the Arthur Swift Memorial Bicycle Commuter Award, named for the late UMass professor who was a key advocate for the Norwottuck Rail Trail and the connector along University Drive. (AmherstBulletin.com)

2) Alameda County’s 2010 Bike Commuter of the Year totes electric grinders, saws, braces, scissors and the occasional prosthetic limb to work on her bike, rain or shine. T.D. Fisher logs as many as 30 miles a day round trip on her bike commute to and from work. Fisher works for Oakland’s Center for Independent Rehabilitative Services, visiting schools, therapy units and other institutions to fit patients, often children, for braces and other devices. Fisher was awarded Alameda County’s top bicycle commuter for 2010 by the East Bay Bicycle Coalition. (InsideBayArea.com)

3) While not an individual, the city of Rochester, MN as a whole gets a mention on this list for recently winning the Bicycle Friendly Communities Award from the League of American Bicyclists. Not an easy award to win! (PostBulletin.com)

4) Snohomish County, Wash., was among the winners in the 2010 Governor’s Commute Smart Awards, presented recently at the Governor’s Mansion in Olympia, for their Curb the Congestion program that was designed to reduce traffic congestion. For 2010 they also introduced an online, monthly incentive award program where participants can log their alternative trips to qualify for prizes. Nancy Gay was the first monthly incentive award winner for the new program, and she received $250 for her participation and dedication to help “curb the congestion”. Participants who log at least 12 days of trips during April, May and June can qualify for the quarterly incentive award of $1,000 to be drawn in July. Monthly and quarterly incentives will be awarded on an ongoing basis. (SnohomishTimes.com)

5) Congratulations to the South Bay Bicycle Coalition which was recently awarded two grants totaling $246,000 from the county of Los Angeles and the Beach Cities Health District. The grants will create a Master Bicycle Plan for seven supporting South Bay communities – Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Lawndale, Gardena and Torrance. The coalition is organizing the first South Bay CEO/Celebrity Cycle-To-Work Challenge, asking local CEOs and celebrities to join in. Here’s the pledge: Personally ride to work on May 20 or another designated day during Bike-to-Work Week, encourage your employees to ride and host a “Celebration Station” to reward participation at your business. (DailyBreeze.com)

We’d love to hear from anyone participating in the CEO/Celebrity Cycle-To-Work Challenge, and photos from the event are always welcome!

Are there any cycling awards given out, or events hosted, by your community? If so we’d love to hear about them!

Top O’ the morning, err, evening to you and happy St. Patrick’s Day! While most of the 2010 parades took place over the weekend, today is the public holiday on the island of Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland).

St. Patrick’s day is widely celebrated by the Irish diaspora in places such as Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and Montserrat.  (Source: Wikipedia.org)

We’re not going to go into the specifics about the history of the holiday, as you can find that elsewhere on the Web, but here are a few options for some of best bicycling (and non-bicycling)-related events taking place across the US.

Photo found on TransitMiami.com courtesy Ocean View Rickshaw

For anyone looking for a fun time out, there are food and beverage specials, as well as bicycle rides and marathons in just about every city and every town. We hope you can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year and in years to come with a bicycle ride! Let us know how you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by leaving a comment below.

March is upon us, and while Punxsutawney Phil, the only true weather forecasting groundhog in the business, saw his shadow back in February predicting  another six weeks of winter, we are already looking forward to the green of Spring. Daylight Savings begins on March 14, St. Patrick’s Day is on March 17 and fun bike rides and tours are popping up across the country.

In today’s edition of Fast Facts Friday we’re discussing some of the upcoming bike rides and tours taking place across the country, with a focus on some of the the more interesting and obscure events. If you know of or are participating in any interesting bike rides or tours coming up, let us know! Just leave a comment below, and maybe we’ll feature you in a future Bell True Fit blog post!

1. The Muddy Buddy Ride is coming to a city near you! From California to Virginia, down to Florida and up to Oregon, the Muddy Buddy Ride and Run Series is a must for the adventurous. Muddy Buddy is all about having fun (and getting muddy of course) with a friend, family member, partner or co-worker. Teams of two traverse a 6-7 mile off-road course and five obstacles. “At the start of the race, one team member will run and one will ride the bike. At the 1st obstacle, the rider will drop the bike, complete the obstacle, and begin running. The runner will arrive, complete the obstacle, find their bike and begin riding. Teams will continue leapfrogging each other through the entire course,” according to the Web site. Funds raised through this meaningful program, benefit the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) and allow people with physical challenges to live an active lifestyle. So go get dirty, challenge yourself, support a great cause, get some exercise and get to know someone really well! Visit Muddy-Buddy.Competitor.com to get the “the dirt” on this awesome event.

2. Maybe getting sweaty and muddy with a boss or new girlfriend isn’t your cup of tea … maybe you’d prefer a glass of wine? Geared towards the novice rider, with an epicurean/vinophile bent Napa Valley Bike Tours offers a variety of scenic bike rides through rustic wine country. Since 1987 they’ve been offering single and multi-day guided bike tours, self-guided bike tours, bike rentals and bicycling vacation packages that include accommodations and dining. Sample and purchase wines, wine and dine at some of the best wineries and restaurants, and enjoy an “invigorating sensory experience” as you roll through scenic Napa Valley past rows of vineyards. Visit Napa Valley Bike Tours or become a fan on Facebook to start planning your trip today.

3. Register’s Annual Great Bike Race Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) always takes place in the summer, during the last full week of July. Sponsored by The Des Moines Register, this annual seven-day bicycle ride across the state from the Missouri River to the Mississippi River, and is the oldest, largest and longest bicycle touring event in the world.  RAGBRAI is heading into its 38th year in 2010. A week-long rider fee is $140 and includes baggage transportation, camping accommodations, emergency medical services, daily route maps, entries into drawings for a free bike, and much more. Meals, concerts, parties and events along the way make this scenic ride all the more worth it at the end of every day (after you’ve ridden 75+ miles!). Hurry though, because the entry postmark deadline is April 1, 2009. Visit RAGBRAI.com for more information and check out their blog for interesting updates.

4. Not interested in being confined to the borders of one state? Cycle America offers Cross-State Tours and a Coast-to-Coast journey from June to August. Go from Seattle, WA to Boston, MA crossing over 13 states and one Canadian Province in 64 days. The ride will take you 4,200 miles, averaging 65-86 miles per day through “the lush mountains and forests of the West, across the grasslands of the Great Plains, to the lakes and farms of the Great Lake states and the quaint towns of New England.” The cost is $6,685, and is all inclusive. If a three month bike ride across the country doesn’t quite fit into your calendar or your bank account, you can opt to ride one of the nine cross-state tours for much cheaper (roughly $800 per event). For more information or to reserve a spot visit CycleAmerica.com.

5. Looking for something closer to home, maybe not as long? Then check out The World Wide Bicycle Tour Directory (BicycleTour.com) – a comprehensive directory of bicycle tours and events for both road cycling and mountain biking. They have an easy-to-use menu to help you find bike tours based on country, state, month, duration, and type.

Whichever tour you participate in, be sure to wear your helmet! And be on the lookout for Bell helmets along the way, as many of our models are considered the best. ConsumerSearch.com says the Bell Vela is the best bike helmet for women, the Bell Citi is the best bike helmet for commuters, the Bell Boomerang is the best bike helmet for toddlers, and the Bell Trigger is the best youth bike helmet.

Cycling festivals galore! Plus, are you in it to win it? The Golden Helmet Award, that is! Whether you want to lost weight one bike ride at a time, head to Oregon for their annual Bike Summit or cycle across the country for a charitable cause, this week’s cycling news will get you riding!

• February 23, 2010: Tips for losing weight – changing the way you eat and adding in some more exercise time! Some facts on hiking and bicycling (Mark Richardson, Viploan.co.uk)

• February 23, 2010: Roswell, Georgia’s only bicycle-friendly community in Georgia, is having their annual Cycling Festival – Alive & Rolling – on April 24-25, Part of the plans? The Roswell Criterium with professional race teams, Kid’s Bicycle Rodeo, Mountain Bike Rides, Mayor’s Ride and more. One Region, Seven Communities, Dozens of Springtime Festivals and Events (Staff Writer, Hospitality Highway Newsletter)

• February 23, 2010: Organized by Cycle Oregon, the 5th Annual Oregon Bike Summit has been scheduled for June 4, 2010, and will be held at the World Trade Center in downtown Portland from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Save the Date: Oregon Bike Summit is June 4th (Jonathan Maus, BikePortland.org)

• February 23, 2010: Ann Wilson began her bicycling expedition in England last July, and has covered over 7,000km since, criss-crossing Italy, Serbia, Turkey, Iran and India. Now in Malaysia, she was inspired to embark on her journey after reading a book, “A Bike Ride”, written by Anne Mustoe, which chronicled the author’s around the world travels on a bicycle. Briton Ann Wilson cycles her way around the world (Shaun Ho, The Star)

• February 24, 2010: A trio of young Connecticut men in their 20s are bicycling across the country from St. Augustine, Fla., to San Diego trying to raise awareness of autism and collecting donations for Autism Speak. Autism awareness riders make their way from Florida to California (Marilyn Monroe, Wicked Local/GateHouse News Service)

• February 25, 2010: The Golden Helmet Award will recognize a Monterey County resident for his/her dedication to bicycling to and from work. Sign up before the March 31 deadline! Nominations sought for Monterey County Golden Helmet Award (Rachel Zentz, The Californian.com)

• February 26, 2010: Being called a “Hub Grub Ride”, the Seminole Heights Bicycle Club met up last weekend and pedaled to eight Seminole Heights restaurants. Tour Seminole Heights restaurants with the Hub Grub Ride (Dalia Colón, St. Petersburg Times)

• February 26, 2010: The sixth annual North American Handmade Bicycle Show took place this past weekend in Richmond, VA, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. Handmade Bike Show Kicks Off (Staff Writer, Bicycling)

The winter doesn’t have to mean the end of the bicycling season. Take it from a Hipster – If you just bundle up, then you’ll be good to go! Check out last week’s cycling news around charities, festivals, fashion runways, fashion statements and more!

• December 5, 2009: Twitter allows bicycling enthusiasts to connect with one another. Tweeting isn’t just for the birds (Mary Cruse, Times-Standard)

• December 4, 2009: Tour de Fat is a free event, but the money raised from the sale of New Belgium beers and merchandise goes toward bicycle advocacy and environmental stewardship. New Belgium’s Tour de Fat Raised More than a Quarter-Million for Non-Profits in 2009 (Al Fresco, Bike World News)

• December 4, 2009: If you’re planning to get away from the cold weather this winter and head to Australia, check out these neat places that will get your blood pumping. Australia’s best bike rides (Simon Hayes, News.com.au)

• December 3, 2009: Decades of research and heartbreak back up helmet use as one of the best ways to keep favorite pastimes and activities from turning into tragedy. Helmet Use Proven Life-Saver (Peter Pappas, MD, Sports Coast Medicine & Healthy Living)

• December 3, 2009: Winterfest – a combination fundraiser, art show and bike party that celebrates the best of Bay Area bike culture. Winterfest 2009: Celebrating bicycle culture (Monica Nolan, San Francisco Chronicle)

• December 2, 2009: Bikes Belong has announced six fall grant awards that will help put more people on bicycles more often in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia. Bikes Belong Awards $50,000 in Grants (Press Release, Bicycle Retailer)

• December 2, 2009: Chris Carr started a non-profit organization called Wheels for Wells (@WheelsForWells on Twitter), which aims to raise $200,000 to provide clean drinking water for people in Africa. Bike ride across US to build wells in Africa (Rebekah Miller, The Waltonian)

• December 2, 2009: Check out the photo of the bicycling models sporting clothes by French designer Sonia Rykiel as part of her show for H&M in Paris Tuesday. Pictures of the Day (Thibault Camus, Associated Press)

• December 1, 2009: Over the last two years, Share A Cycle has provided about 90 bikes each year to local youth with Denver Kids, Inc. Extra bike lying around? Donate it to Share a Cycle (Susie Wargin, 9News.com)

• November 30, 2009: Hipsters make a statement by riding a bicycling in the winter months. Hipsters cycle for fashion (Rachelq Harman, The Argonaut)

Vorbereiten, setzen, gehen! Go where, you ask? To Germany! In honor of this weekend’s big Oktoberfest festivities, we thought we’d focus our attention to our friends in Deutschland!

1. According to the book titled Grosser Fahrrad-Atlas Deutschland, by Mair Geographischer Verlag, German Karl von Drais invented bicycling over 175 years ago. (Bicycling in Germany)

2. Oktoberfest isn’t the only big event that takes place in Germany in October. During the Festival of Lights in Berlin (October 14-25, 2009), 45 of Berlin’s most iconic landmarks and historic buildings are illuminated every night, and special “lightseeing tours” are offered by bus, boat, or BICYCLE! (About.com)

3. Grofa GmbH is the name of the Bell Sports distributor in Germany. (Bell Sports)

4. The Pfälzerwald Mountain Bike Park in the Palatinate Forest of Germany is a trail network that consists of five main routes. (Mountainbikepark Pfaelzerwald)

5. According to German bicycle laws, you must have a bell (no, not this Bell) on your bicycle to warn pedestrians and other cyclists of your whereabouts. (German Laws)

Going to actually be in Munich for Oktoberfest this year? Rather than filling your belly with beer why not get an early head start on that “healthy lifestyle” you’ve been gearing up for and sign up for Mike’s Bike Tours, Munich! What are your plans for the final weekend of Oktoberfest this year? We’d love to hear