Two Durham cyclists, Pablo Torres and his girlfriend Gabrielle Trapenberg, are raising money for their upcoming Climate Ride, a 300-mile roll from New York to Washington, D.C. They call themselves Latinos por el planeta.

Pablo says he and Gabi are the only two North Carolinians scheduled to join cyclists from across the United States on the five-day bike trip, Sept. 26-30, which is a fund-raiser and a "climate conference on wheels:"

Along the way, expert speakers will educate and inspire Climate Riders and local communities about the science, the policies and the solutions to global warming. Participants will meet knowledgeable renewable energy experts, climate activists, scientists, and leaders committed to making a difference. The ride will finish at the steps of the U.S. Capitol, where riders will have the opportunity to meet with the nation’s government leaders and make a powerful statement about the need for renewable energy and climate change legislation.

They have a lot of training to do, and a lot of money to raise. ...

Saturday is your last chance to take the SmartCommute Challenge -- a good idea on its own merits -- and enter the drawing for prices including a $2,500 check.

So far 10,433 Triangle residents have taken the challenge -- which means they pledge to experiment with some commuting mode other than driving alone to work or school. In other words: bus, vanpool, carpool, walk, bike, telecommute, did I leave anything out?

The idea behind this six-week, three-county campaign is simple and smart. Give lots of people incentives to leave the car at home and experiment with other ways of getting to work, and some of this will stick. Some people will actually change their habits.

Details are online. 

As 26 cyclists set off for a leisurely loop through downtown Raleigh this morning, Jim Trogdon was the guy wearing a blue necktie and pinstripe shirt with his bike helmet.

“I usually wear a tie on Fridays, anyway – on ‘casual day,’ I wear a casual tie,” said Trogdon, assistant adjutant general of the N.C. National Guard and chief operating officer for the state Department of Transportation.

“Because of my tight schedule, I decided to bike to work in my duty uniform, but in a casual manner so I do not get too dirty and sweaty on the way in. And it’s perfect weather for that, cool today.”

It was a modest turnout for an event promoting Bike to Work Week. Many of the participants were bike boosters – city and state government and transportation and environmental officials, outdoor retailers, and retired veteran cyclists who still bike but no longer work.

Rebecca Ferres was a new recruit to the world of bicycle commuting.

“I just started yesterday,” said Ferres, 28, after the 15-minute ride around an 18-block circuit. Thursday had been her first day making the 5.75-mile commute from her home to her office on Fayetteville Street, where she works in the city’s stormwater compliance office.

“There’s a lot of reasons why, but I’m poor! I’m trying to save on gas. I need exercise. Environmental reasons. So there’s a hodgepodge of things. I was very scared when I first started, but I’ve gotten used to it.”

Dozens of helmeted commuters will tour downtown Raleigh on two wheels Friday morning, mingling with rush-hour automobile traffic in a group ride marking National Bike to Work Week.

Cyclists will gather on the north side of the Bicentennial Mall, in front of the Jones Street entrance to the Legislative Building. The event starts at 8:30 a.m. with a walk south through the mall and a ride looping around 18 blocks bounded by Edenton, Salisbury, Morgan, Fayetteville, Hargett, West and Jones streets.

Breakfast refreshments will be served at the end of the 45-minute ride. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, check the Bike to Work Week website or call 516-2158.

In honor of Bike to Work Week, enjoy this stop-animation show, "3.6 mile bike commute in 2 minutes," of N&O photographer Travis Long's daily ride to the office.

It's set to a frisky pedal-pumping track by The Cool Kids.

Bike to Work Week formally starts Monday, but two-wheelers around the Triangle will get things rolling early with events today in Raleigh and this weekend in Apex and Wake Forest.

Check the website for detailed listings: www.gotriangle.org/BTWW

Raleigh 5/8: The kick-off-event is from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Marble Kids Museum courtyard at Hargett and Blount streets downtown. Food, free bike maintenance and more. ... [MORE]

See photos from the start of the 1th Annual AIDS ride in Raleigh on Saturday, May 2, 2009.

They say virtue is its own reward, and you could argue that taking the SmartCommute Challenge is its own reward, too.

But if it isn't -- if the experience of biking or carpooling or catching the bus is not enticing enough -- there are prizes at stake. Does that sound more rewarding?

The idea behind this six-week, three-county campaign is a simple and proven one. Give lots of people incentives to leave the car at home and experiment with other ways of getting to work, and some of this will stick. Some people will actually change their habits.

This really works. Frequently when I interview some Triangle commuter reading the paper on the way to the office, it turns out that he or she first got the bus-riding bug in a previous SmartCommute campaign.

Here's how it works:

From April 15 through May 30, any employee or college student who commutes to work or campus in Wake, Durham, or Orange County can participate. To enter the Challenge, make
your online pledge that at least once before May 30 you will carpool,
vanpool, bike or walk, ride the bus, or telework (work from home).

Everyone who takes the Challenge will be entered into a drawing to win one of several PRIZES, including $2,500 cash!

That's pretty simple. The website helps you figure out how you actually can ride a bike or a bus or join a vanpool etc., and of course it talks about those prizes. The campaign started last Wednesday, and 1501 people have signed up so far at the website.

Good luck and have fun.

If you must know, Cary resident Steve Cope is currently somewhere around latitude 29.612N and longitude 100.009W. Or for those who speak in words rather than numbers, that’s just south of Camp Wood, Texas.

Not that I’m keeping track.

Cope, an employee at Progress Energy, is currently wheeling his way across the country – literally. On Nov. 21, Cope hopped on The Mean Green Machine – that’s what he calls his bicycle – in San Diego, Calif. and embarked on a cross-country ride that will end Jan. 5 in St. Augustine, Fla.

On Tuesday, Cope rode about 33 miles into Del Rio, Texas. It was one of the shorter distances he’s traveled since he hit the road. To date, he’s traveled for more than 135 hours, covering nearly 1,400 miles.

Just the thought of it all is making my back ache. But not Cope. On his blog – appropriately named “Where is Steve?” – Cope issued a tongue-in-cheek response Tuesday to a friend concerned about his ability to recover from his daily rides.

“The truth is that I have been crossing the border (much cheaper and no cops) at night for blood transfusions,” he said. “I also take nightly EPO supplements, drink 4-5 cups of coffee a day, drink 2 pints a day, eat at least 1 PayDay a day, eat as many bean burritos as possible, and most importantly I shove as much protein, carbs, and fat into my system as I can!”

OK, so maybe it’s not all untrue. Cope speaks constantly of food on his blog and jokes in one entry that he’s found a new weight loss plan. “I have discovered a new way to lose weight that just might put Curves out of business,” he said in an entry dated Nov. 30, nine days into his ride. “Simply ride a bike 74 miles per day and you can eat all you want while still losing weight.”

Tempting. But I’ll pass.

If you’d like to follow Cope’s adventures, visit his blog. You can read about his daily rides and even keep track of his approximate whereabouts.

Happy hunting.

And Steve, if you happen to read this, good luck.