Columbia Bike Walk and Wheel Week to involved almost 5000 this year

Columbia's Bike Walk and Wheel Week is one of the most successful "Bike Month" programs in Missouri, with almost 5000 participants this year.

Bike Walk and Wheel Week 2008 runs May 3-10. More information on the GetAboutColumbia.com web site.

An article in the Columbia Missourian talks about how Judy Knudson, one of the founders of Bike Walk and Wheel Week, got involved with bicycling:

After six months of trying to quit, Knudson said she started gaining a little weight, so she decided to do something about it.

“One day I said to my husband, ‘Let’s go out and ride, I need some exercise,’” Knudson said. “I went two miles and had to stop because I could not go any further, and that really scared me.”

So she started to bike almost every day, with the goal of at least equaling her previous ride and adding five minutes to that. The shift in her lifestyle was something no one could have predicted from a person who never played any sports.

“I knew nothing about biking, biking stores or any equipment then,” Knudson said. “I was the kid in phys ed who always covered up my head when they threw the ball at me.”

Now Knudson is preparing to leave for New York City to ride in the Five Boro Bike Tour, which takes place Sunday.