Meet Our Summer Super Commuter: Ben Stites

Posted on Aug 11th 2026 | bike life, quarterly dispatch, super commuters,

Since he can remember, Ben Stites has been on a bicycle. His earliest memories trace back to rolling along Madison’s Lakeshore Path in a “baby launcher” child seat on the back of his dad’s road bike. Today, he rides every single day, from quick trips across town to journeys that stretch for thou […] read more...

Meet Our Spring Super Commuter Couple: Janie Katz-Christy and Sam Christy

Posted on May 7th 2025 | bike life, quarterly dispatch, super commuters,

Meet Janie Katz-Christy and Sam Christy, a dynamic duo who have transformed their lives and community through their passion for biking. Their journey began in different parts of the country—Janie from New Jersey and Sam from rural Maryland—but their paths converged in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they ha […] read more...

1,500 People Receive Bikes from Bikes for Kids Wisconsin

Posted on Apr 23rd 2025 | bike life, advocacy, news, better world,

Madison, WI – Bikes for Kids Wisconsin, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing the use of bicycle-based transportation for everyone in Wisconsin, provided 500 bicycles and helmets to pre-registered recipients at the 2025 Bikes for Kids Annual Bike Giveaway event on April 5th at 354 Coyier Lane in Madison. Area […] read more...

Meet our Winter Super Commuter - McTzviel Alejandro Oyerinde

Posted on Feb 12th 2025 | bike life, quarterly dispatch, super commuters,

McTzviel Alejandro Oyerinde’s passion for cycling grew out of his youth in the El Paso – Juarez area. From the very beginning, McTzviel felt the unity and freedom that bicycles, public transportation, and city parks bring to a community. Now at the age of just 24, he is finding ways to more deeply immerse h […] read more...

Calling All Youth

Posted on Feb 10th 2025 | better world, advocacy, bike life, quarterly dispatch,

Planet Bike’s involvement with the Youth Bike Summit (YBS) began in March 2010 when Kim White and Kristi Nanco, interns from Recycle-A-Bicycle in NYC, attended the National Bike Summit to learn more about bicycle policy and advocacy. While there, they sat in on Planet Bike’s panel entitled “Broadening […] read more...

Meet Our Fall Super Commuter - Nestor Rivera

Posted on Nov 4th 2024 | super commuters, bike life, quarterly dispatch,

Nestor Rivera’s love affair with bicycles began on the sun-kissed streets of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. It was the late 1970s and his uncle introduced him to the magic of two wheels by teaching him how to ride a Japanese knockoff of a Schwinn Stingray. From that moment, Nestor was smitten—exploring every corner […] read more...

IMBA is Increasing Trail Access Across the Country

Posted on Nov 4th 2024 | advocacy, better world, bike life, quarterly dispatch,

The International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) isn’t just about trails; it’s about transforming outdoor access. From bustling urban centers to awe-inspiring backcountry EPICs, IMBA’s mission harnesses the power of bicycles to create sustainable communities. Planet Bike, a supporter since 2004, ali […] read more...

Meet Our Summer Super Commuter - Heather Foreman

Posted on Jul 29th 2024 | super commuters, quarterly dispatch, bike life,

Our summer Super Commuter is Heather Foreman. She’s a velo mama and cycling naturalist who loves gliding gracefully along the bike paths and boulevards of Madison, WI. Heather found love on two wheels, is raising two young bicycle commuting dynamos and her keen eyes are always on the lookout, studying the landsca […] read more...

Meet Our Spring Super Commuter - Vivian Ortiz

Posted on Apr 30th 2024 | bike life, quarterly dispatch, super commuters,

Our spring Super Commuter is Vivian Ortiz. In contrast to Paul Revere’s historic ride through the streets of Boston on horseback, Vivian opts for her faithful bicycle as her steed of choice. She found her passion for cycling a bit later in life, but that hasn’t stopped her from being a powerful advocate and inspira […] read more...

NICA is Expanding Youth Cycling Across the U.S.

Posted on Mar 23rd 2023 | QUARTERLY DISPATCH, NEWS, LEARN, ADVOCACY, BIKE LIFE,

The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) is introducing youth and families across the country to the lifelong benefits of bicycling. NICA was founded in 2009 with the goal of developing mountain bike programs for student-athletes in grades 6-12 across the U.S. Its mission is to “build strong minds, […] read more...

The End of Daylight Savings Doesn’t Have to be Ghoulish

Posted on Oct 28th 2022 | BIKE LIFE, PRODUCT,

The fall colors are popping, there’s a chill in the morning air and all the children across the land are preparing to dress up as ghost and goblins to make their rounds on Halloween night! As the afternoon light fades with each passing day, and the end of daylight savings time arrives, you needn’t be afraid […] read more...

Meet Our Fall Super Commuter - Becky Walkwe

Posted on Oct 6th 2022 | BIKE LIFE, QUARTERLY DISPATCH, SUPER COMMUTERS,

Like the English nanny Mary Poppins, Becky Walkwe also loves children and teaches them valuable life lessons with a magical touch. The two are similar in many ways but diverge when it comes to their preferred means of transportation. Mary has an enchanted parrot umbrella to float between nannying assignments and Be […] read more...

Back to School Gear That Will Keep You Riding Through the Year

Posted on Sep 1st 2022 | BIKE LIFE, LEARN, PRODUCT,

As the long days of summer wind down, students across the land have to say goodbye to the carefree days of summertime and head back to school. So, whether you’re a second grader, a high schooler, an undergrad or a teacher, give biking to school a try. It smells better than a big yellow school bus and it can be mo […] read more...

Meet Our Spring 2022 Super Commuter - Emma Scudder

Posted on May 6th 2022 | BIKE LIFE, QUARTERLY DISPATCH, SUPER COMMUTERS,

Bicycles have the power to inspire and empower people. Portland Bike Party co-founder Emma Scudder found this out in college when she saw how many people used bikes for transportation. That’s when she embraced the independence and joy of bicycling and was inspired to become a daily cyclist and a committed bicycle a […] read more...

Planet Bike Continues on the Path to a Sustainable Future

Posted on Apr 22nd 2022 | ADVOCACY, BETTER WORLD, BIKE LIFE, LEARN, NEWS,

Doing business in a different way has been a part of our company culture since its founding in 1996. Environmental sustainability and social responsibility are at the core of our mission as it promotes the power of the bicycle to bring equity and positive change to people, communities, and the environment.In honor […] read more...

Don't Let the Cold Keep You Off Your Bike

Posted on Jan 14th 2022 | Bike Life, learn,

As the temperatures drop and daylight shortens it sometimes gets harder to find the motivation to keep those wheels turning. Nevertheless, if you’re able to work through your winter riding hesitancies, you’ll discover that even the shortest rides through challenging conditions can be the most rewarding adve […] read more...

Black Girls Do Bike Releases New Bike Girl Magic Video

Posted on Oct 26th 2021 | Bike Life, news, Quarterly Dispatch, Video,

Planet Bike is thrilled begin a partnership with Black Girls Do Bike. We love the balance that the bicycle brings to the world and our corporate mission is to pledge time, resources and profits to organizations working for sustainable transportation solutions. This year we have focused a portion of our giving on […] read more...

5 Tips to Extend Your Bike Commuting into the Fall Season

Posted on Sep 21st 2021 | bike life, learn, product,

With the days getting noticeably shorter and the temperatures starting to drop, it’s time to start thinking about fall riding gear. Here are five tips to extend your riding season into cooler temperatures so you can take in all the autumnal beauty as you pedal through fall. Dress in layers – Wool for the wi […] read more...

Riding Back to School

Posted on Sep 2nd 2021 | Bike Life, Learn,

For most kids, nothing is more exciting than the anticipation and feeling of back to school time. That sense of excitement is even more palpable when the daily trip to the school yard involves pedaling by bicycle through the fresh morning air.Across the nation, schools are back in session and we have compiled five […] read more...

Summer 2021 Super Commuter - Elizabeth Climer

Posted on Jul 27th 2021 | Bike life, news, Quarterly Dispatch, Super Commuters,

As we all know, Covid has been horrible! As we live through it, we’ve all been inspired by the stories of the countless frontline workers who have selflessly rolled up their sleeves and met the crisis head on. At Planet Bike, we are particularly moved by a medical professional who travels by bike. Elizabeth Climer is […] read more...

Spring 2021 Super Commuter - Colleen Synk

Posted on May 6th 2021 | Bike Life, News, Super Commuters,

Bicycles can bring joy to our lives in so many ways. From daily work commutes through nature preserves, bikepacking tours, bike polo competitions, and helping kids safely bike to school, our spring 2021 Super Commuter Colleen Synk from Lansing, Michigan has embraced cycling countless ways throughout her life. Born and […] read more...

Capital Trails Coalition Releases Their First Impact Report

Posted on May 5th 2021 | Advocacy, Better World, Bike Life, News, Quarterly Dispatch,

We are a proud member of 1% for the Planet® which is an alliance of businesses that are financially committed to creating a healthy planet. As a result, every year the Planet Bike staff has the privilege of sitting around the “advocacy” table to discuss all of the wonderful organizations that are helping to m […] read more...

Winter 2021 Super Commuter - Daniel Iroh

Posted on Jan 26th 2021 | Bike Life, News, Super Commuters,

Like many of us, we learned to ride a bike at a young age and soon it became our first true vehicle for exploring the world. As time passes, some of us take a step back from our bicycles for a little while. Then one day our trusty two wheeled friend comes roaring back into our life as our favorite form of transport […] read more...

Amy Shares Her Bicycling Experience During A Pandemic

Posted on May 7th 2020 | bike life, news,

As we move into week 7 the anxiety, that was like a constant ringing in the ear, has settled into a sort of low hum in the background. It’s there when I’m working, when I’m sewing and when I’m playing with my kid. If we’re having a good day the hum goes away when I’m playing with my kid, but to be honest the only t […] read more...

Amy’s Foray into Winter Bike Commuting… When Everything Went Wrong! (Part 2)

Posted on Apr 21st 2020 | bike life, news,

When I returned to Wisconsin, I found winter had come back, but for real this time. As soon as I got back to work my coworkers helped me find the right set of fenders for my bike and we discovered something very important about my bike; I doesn’t want fenders. Turns out, my vintage Italian bicycle doesn’t have the thre […] read more...

Adventure Cycling Six-Month Free Membership

Posted on Apr 6th 2020 | advocacy, bike life, news, quarterly dispatch,

Are you starting to think about your next bicycle tour? We’re heading toward the warmer days of spring and summer, so we’re partnering with the nation’s largest bicycling association and the leaders in bicycle touring information to offer a six-month free trail membership to Adventure Cycling! Click o […] read more...

Amy’s Foray into Winter Bike Commuting… When Everything Went Wrong! (Part 1)

Posted on Feb 25th 2020 | Bike Life,

So, how’s that bike commuter thing going? Well, first of all, everything went wrong! There’s a saying that when you are on a path the universe will do everything in its power to keep you on that path, so I was seriously doubting I should be on this bike path. A series of unfortunate events began about a we […] read more...

NICA IS ABOUT MORE THAN PUTTING KIDS ON BIKES

Posted on Oct 28th 2019 | Advocacy, Better World, Bike Life, Events,

This past weekend, the Wisconsin chapter of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) held its state championships in Waterloo, WI just 40 minutes outside of our hometown of Madison, WI. If you haven’t yet heard of NICA, this organization is doing some amazing work in growing the next generation of cyc […] read more...

HALLOWEEN GIVE-A-WAY CONTEST

Posted on Oct 28th 2019 | Bike Life, Blog, Events,

Here at Planet Bike, Halloween is one of our favorite times of year. We love costumed cyclocross races, trick-or-treating with the kids, carving pumpkins and radiant rides through the fall colors. It’s also a fun time of year to see bicycle enthusiasts use our products in unique ways. This year, we want to hear from […] read more...

FALL 2019 SUPER COMMUTER – KENT FACKENTHALL

Posted on Oct 28th 2019 | Bike Life, News, Super Commuters,

Bicycle commuting is often considered an urban phenomenon, but we realize that not all Super Commuters live in Metropolis and battle car-choked streets to get to work or hit the neighborhood market.  That’s why we are happy to report that our latest Super Commuter is more of the pastoral variety.  That […] read more...