Bike Week kicks off Saturday in Portage la Prairie. Ian Wassink, a member of the Portage Active Transportation Committee, says this is the third year for Bike Week in our city and all kinds of fun activities are on tap for the whole family. Wassink notes one of the committee's goals is to encourage people to get more active, to take those bikes out of the garage and have a great time. He says bicycling helps keep you physically and mentally healthy and participating in events like this really helps foster a feeling of community. Wassink notes all the activities planned for this week are free with the exception of Thursday's "Cycling Grub Crawl," which requires the purchase of a twenty-five dollar ticket entitling the holder to bike around the city and stop at several different restaurants to sample their food.

He adds some of the activities include a guided public art bike tour of Portage, an introduction to mountain biking by the Junkyard Dogs cycling club at Garbage Hill, a recreational ride on Tuesday which starts at Stride Place, and a historical bike tour on Wednesday. Wassink says the family cookie ride was new last year and proved to be very popular with parents and children alike. He notes on Sunday afternoon the "Gravel Grumble Ride" will take place and there'll also be a Monday lunchtime presentation entitled "Top Ten Tips For Cycling Commuters" at the Red River College campus in Portage.

Wassink adds it all wraps up on Friday, June 16th, with "Bike To School And Work" day. He says they're encouraging parents to let their elementary students bike to school in groups that day instead of dropping them off with the car. Wassink notes they're also encouraging folks to bike to work. He adds some people can't do that because they live far away from their place of employment, but if you live in town and work in town you might want to consider biking to work on Friday. Wassink says active transportation pathways in Portage la Prairie have been developed over the last few years with the support of city council, so there are many nice, smooth pathways on which to ride.

He notes if you'd like to participate in any of the rides during Bike Week, you're greatly encouraged to wear a helmet for your own safety. Wassink says they have many dedicated volunteers helping out with these events, adding it'll be fantastic to see a lot of people riding bicycles this week and throughout the summer. If you'd like more information, you can check out the Portage Active Transportation Committee's Facebook page.