On the brink of summer, more and more cyclists are appearing on the roadways and trails of southeast Iowa.The League of American Bikers established May as National Bike Month in 1956, using the designation as a way to showcase the benefits of bicycling.

Among the events to recognize National Bike Month is the “Bike to Work Week” campaign happening next week across the nation. Forty percent of all trips in the United States are less than two miles in length, making bicycling an alternative mode of transportation.

Alijah Beatty, a Washington teenager and sophomore at the Iowa Mennonite School, started bicycling with her father when she was in grade school. She now competes professionally with the Women’s Elite Iowa City Cycling Team and the Northstar Development Cycling Team in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She says the more you get out and ride, the better you will get.