I'm not an official spokesperson for National Bike Month, but I'm happy to peddle their point of view because I'm such a big fan of the Ride Your Bike More Than You Do Now revolution.

It's the upside of the down slide we are all in: to save money, conserve gas, rest and refocus our frazzled brains in times of stress, more people are turning to eco-friendly bicycle riding. And there's a big push nationwide to get people to ride their bikes to work. Yes! So what if we're taking to bicycles just as the Chinese are thrilled to be giving them up?

Why support a shift to more cycling? Bikes give you exercise, joy, muscles, amazing vacations and a cheap way to get to work without polluting the air. Many of my best travel adventures include a bicycle — across France, through Italy, along the Danube, up in the North Woods of Wisconsin. When I was a kid, my bike was my horse, my stallion, my ticket to freedom, and it still feels like that every time I ride.

Do you ride? What's stopping you? I've read that 26 million adults ride their bikes regularly. That means 185 million of you are out there and not riding, just making excuses, preferring your cars, anxious about venturing out to work on a two-wheeler, wondering if you'd make it home alive . . .

You will! And May is the month to prove that to yourself. Bike to Work Week begins May 11, and May 15 is Bike to Work Day. It's good to have goals. Decide now to ride your bike to work just that one day of May 15 or go crazy and commit to an entire week of bike commuting, knowing that every day, in every way, it will get a little easier. From that place of comfort and strength, new healthy lifestyle habits develop.

Here are some ride-to-work biking tips from an ingenuous new company called RentaBikeNow.com, a worldwide online effort to provide good rental bikes, maps and community support for cyclists who travel. In the United States, they offer more than 150 bike rental locations coast to coast. Very cool idea. Check them out later. First, my personal spin on their exciting and important suggestions:

— TRY IT! Circle May 15, and commit to doing your first bike commute that special day. No excuses. All obstacles to be overcome. Can you promise yourself you'll ride three days that week? Even better.

— Drive the route first. Before you jump on your bike, use your car to help you plot the best route. Best is synonymous with less traveled streets.

— Experiment with different routes. The shortest route isn't necessarily the quickest or most comfortable. There are many Internet sites for mapping (www.mapmyride.com is one), and good local bike shops should be able to help guide you, too. Don't be shy about asking for advice.

— If you work farther away that you can pedal, don't give up! Consider combining your bike ride with a train or bus. (I know this suggestion seems wildly idealistic, but I've seen it work. In Chicago, a guy in a suit, carrying a briefcase, hanging his bike off the front of my bus. I felt proud when he sat down next to me. No apparent odor. It's a good thing.)

— Take it easy! You don't have to work up a sweat on the ride in. If you crave speed, hightail it home.

— If you do get aromatic or mussed up riding in, keep a spare change of clothes at work. A handy box of baby wipes is useful, as is soap, water and a small, quick-dry towel.

— Ask your employer about a safe place to park your bike. If there isn't one, can you gently advance the cause and make workplace bike parking available for all? All those empty offices . . .

— Network with the other bike commuters at your workplace. Share tips. Motivate others. Become a cog in the wheel of change, waking others up to the fun and challenge of bike commuting.

— Wear bright colors. Always wear a properly fitting helmet. Obey all traffic laws. Wave at motorists, and hope they wave back . . . with all their fingers.

ENERGY EXPRESS-O! PERHAPS A BIT OVERBLOWN?

"When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race." — H.G. Wells

Marilynn Preston — fitness expert, personal trainer and speaker on healthy lifestyle issues — is the creator of Energy Express, the longest-running syndicated fitness column in the country. She has a website, http://marilynnpreston.com and welcomes reader questions, which can be sent to [email protected]. To find out more about Preston and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.