Here at Green West we believe in sustainable solutions that work with our lives, that improve our quality of life and the environment. If you live close enough, biking or walking to work or for errands can be a truly win-win solution. Moving under your own power provides you with exercise, reduces your gasoline bill, and cuts down on air pollution. A recent article in The Washington Post outlined the health dangers of commuting by car, namely increased pressure on your spine, psychological stress, and decreased time for exercise. These effects are often difficult to attribute to your commute because they develop of a period of decades and so might be mistaken for the consequences of aging. Enviroblog points out that air pollution arguably kills more people in California that auto accidents, particularly kids that live near freeways.

(photo by Richard Mason)

Luckily, the blogosphere has been filled with useful tips and local resources to help with bicycle commuting, since last week was the 13th Annual California Bike Commute Week, sponsored by The California Bicycle Coalition. Green Living Online offers tips for a spring bicycle tuneup, especially useful for those of us who aren’t hardcore enough to bicycle through the winter rains and snow. Anna, of bitchinspin, recommends BikeRoWave, in Berkeley to East Bay bicyclists who don’t feel up to doing their own tuneups. LAist provides a photo essay of the ups and downs of Bike to Work Day in LA. Green LA girl points to the Transit Authorities website which gives tips on combining biking with transit.

If you live someplace a little less flat than LA you might want a little help from a hydrogen bike. Another interesting idea is a solar powered bike, created by Canadian entrepreneur, Peter Sandler. Electrical bikes have been around for a number of years, so there are lots of options out there. The folks at Optibike claim to make the finest electric bike in the world and I tend to believe them since folks in Boulder have some of the most challenging terrain in the world.

If you missed Bike Commute Week or aren’t in a position to by a $5000 electric bicycle, you can still get out on weekends for a leisurely trip. Or get crazy and participate on June 9th in World Naked Bike Ride, pointed out to us by Chris at Beer Activist.