The City of Oakland's Bike To Work Day page gives a good rundown of the free awesomeness you can expect for riding, including: a pancake breakfast from 7-9am, Club One day pass (for showers and more), all-day valet bike parking, free mini bike tune-ups, a canvas bag full of goodies and entry in a raffle chock full o' prizes.

Riding your bike to work should be fun, so on Thursday morning plan a stop at one of the Energizer Stations providing free beverages, snacks and musette bags filled with goodies to cyclists. In addition to hosting a table at the Bike To Work Day Pancake Breakfast at City Hall, WOBO will be hosting two Energizer Stations that morning:

• Broadway & 27th in front of Z Bar
• Lakeside Drive & E 14th/Dam on the grassy knoll

This press release from the City of Oakland shows one of the many reasons we're excited about Bike To Work Day – all eight Council Members will be riding their bikes to City Hall on Thursday morning. But that's not all, they're doing it specifically because they want to ride with you!

Pedal Pools are your chance to ride to City Hall (and the Bike To Work Day celebration and pancake breakfast) with the Councilperson of your choice. Fresh air, free pancakes, the chance to talk with your Councilperson (maybe about supporting more bike lanes and pedestrian safety improvements), the companionship of other riders and a party waiting for you at the end of your ride... why would you miss this?

Below is a quick rundown of starting points and times for the Pedal Pool rides:

• Dist 1 (Brunner): College & Claremont – 7:45am (en route: Shafter & 40th - 8am)
• Dist 2 (Kernighan): Grand Lake Theater – 7:55am
• Dist 3 (Nadel): Poplar Park (32nd & Peralta) – 7:55am
• Dist 4 (Quan): Wheels of Justice (2024 Mountain Blvd, Montclair) – 7:30am
• Dist 5 (De La Fuente): Fruitvale BART Bikestation – 7:30am
• Dist 6 (Brooks): MacArthur Blvd at High St – 7:15am
• Dist 7 (Reid): Eastmont Police Station – 7:00am

It's Bike to Work Day, so the fun doesn't stop when the work day starts. Plan on dropping by the Bike Away From Work Party – a block party fiesta in Oakland's Temescal District, at Telegraph and 49th (in front of Frazee Paint Store). There will be music, food, prizes, awards and more, including a heavy pedal bike rodeo from Cyclecide, beer from Trumer Pils Brauerei (of Berkeley) and a fashion show/showdown between local cyclists. WOBO will have a table at the event, so make sure to stop by and say hello.

Since Bike To Work Day is the first time some bikes see a little road action (and sunshine) in a while, the City of Oakland has tips to help you prepare for your Bike To Work Day ride. These stand out:

• Check out your route in advance.
• Make sure your bike is reasonably well tuned and your helmet fits.
• Save room for pancakes, but don't cycle on an empty stomach.
• If you're planning to mix bike and transit, please be aware of BART bike blackout times (mornings and evenings in the "commute direction").
• AC Transit bus bike racks may be more full than usual on Bike To Work Day.

If you're looking for more information, check out the official Bike To Work Day site and the City of Oakland's Bike To Work Day page.