Bicycle Benefits

Pedal your way to awesome free stuff

By CHRISTINE LIU

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At the risk of preaching to the choir, it doesn't hurt to rattle off some of the myriad ways that biking helps the environment and city culture: Significant savings of fuel, energy and emissions. Healthy, built-in aerobic exercise. A closer connection with the local community. Your awesome handlebars. Sweet calves. Speed.

Already it sounds like frickin' bliss on wheels, which—with safe road etiquette and, unless you like the sound of crispy human, a healthy slather of SPF—may not be too far off of a description. However, a nascent program has launched in the Boston area that gives even more incentive to ride. With Bicycle Benefits, you receive a discount or freebie at local participating businesses when you ride there and show a BB sticker ($5) on your helmet. You've certainly been leg-pumping long enough to enjoy free ice cream at Picco or 10 percent off at Burritos on Fire. There's also practical niceties ranging from $18 Wednesday haircuts at Barbershop Deluxe to 50 percent off all "cash & pedal" printing at Copy Cop.

Bicycle Benefits evangelist Ian Klepetar, who literally rode to Dig HQ to give all the BB info in person, is currently en route, riding across the country to launch the program in every city he hits. Color us impressed. The official Boston kickoff week runs 5.19-5.23 with plenty of freebies—pizza, Hawaiian shaved ice, PBR, bagels with tofu spread ... get excited.

[Various participating establishments in Boston, Allston/Brighton, Brookline, Cambridge and Somerville. bicyclebenefits.org]