Hats off (helmets, too) to everyone who is pedaling to work this week. May is National Bike Month, this week (May 14-18) is Bike to Work Week and, if you still need an excuse to jump in the saddle, Friday, May 18, is Bike to Work Day.

The benefits of riding to work are fairly obvious. Chief among them: No gasoline is involved, you get some exercise and the whole trip feels like a mini-adventure.

Plus cycling involves some above-average health benefits. So if you're on the fence about pedaling to work this week, maybe this post will serve as the final nudge needed to get you on your bike this week.

Check out the photos in this post that I snapped last night of several of my REI colleagues leaving our headquarters on their bikes. That's a pretty healthy, happy-looking bunch.

Two items of cycling interest crossed my computer screen this week:

1. The folks at Walk Score, which rates neighborhoods for their "walkability," is taking on "bikability" with Bike Score. It appears just 10 U.S. cities are rated at the moment (Minneapolis, to no one's surprise, ranks No. 1 in the debut top 10), and more cities and neighborhoods are to be added in the future.

2. Why is it that bikes and motorized vehicles in the Netherlands seem to coexist so compatibly, which is not always the case in the U.S.? Familiarizing citizens at an early age with a shared-road point of view, reports The Atlantic.

Seeking tips on becoming a bike commuter? Read the REI Expert Advice articles Riding in Traffic, Errand-running by Bike and How to Choose Commuter Bike Gear.

We also offer a handy quick-reference tool, the REI Bike Commuting Checklist.

As some of my bike-loving colleagues like to say, there's never a bad day to ride.

Photos by T.D. Wood.