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AMCA Members Celebrate Ride to Work Day!

Alison Finfrock | Published on 6/24/2022



AMCA Members Participate in 31st Annual Ride to Work Day!

RTW Kick out of LIfe Comic

On Monday, June 20th, AMCA members participated in the 31st annual Motorcycle and Scooter Ride to Work Day. (Some people participated on June 21st when they returned to work – Monday was a holiday, after all.) The mission of Ride to Work Day is to “advocate and support the use of motorcycles and scooters for transportation, and providing information about everyday utility riding to the public.”

From the website www.ridetowork.org, dedicated to the non-profit organization behind this annual event:

Every year more than a million two wheeled moto-commuters demonstrate riding as a fun and practical form of utility transportation and highlight the benefits of riding, including: reduced road congestion, shorter commute times, more parking spaces and less fuel consumption.

“Motorcycles and scooters take up less space in parking areas and on roads. And there’s a lower footprint. Riders seek recognition for this form of personal mobility, and government and public awareness of the many benefits,” states Andy Goldfine, an event organizer. Over 100 American cities formally recognize Ride to Work Day by proclamation, and rider’s clubs around the world encourage their members to participate in this annual demonstration.

For hundreds of thousands of US workers, riding is a socially beneficial form of transportation which provides a broad range of other public benefits. According to the United States Census Bureau and the Department of Transportation, over eighty million cars and light trucks are used every day for commuting, and only about 200,000 motorcycles and scooters are a regular part of this mix. On June 20th, the practical side of motorcycling and scootering becomes more visible as a higher percentage of America’s 8,000,000 cycles and scooters replace automobiles.

Ride to Work Day was inspired by “Work to Ride – Ride to Work‘” marketing materials created between 1989 and 1991 by the Aero Design and Manufacturing Company, a Minnesota based manufacturer of motorcycle riders clothing. In 1992 these items inspired motorcycle magazine editor Fred Rau to write an editorial calling for a national ride to work day.


The first annual Ride to Work Day event was proposed in Road Rider magazine (now titled Motorcycle Consumer News) in the May 1992 issue. This is an excerpt from that “Ride to Work” editorial:

“You may remember several months ago when Bob Carpenter, commenting in his ‘Two Up’ column, mentioned how neat he thought it would be if there was one day a year when everyone who owned a motorcycle used it to ride to work. That comment was prompted by a T-shirt produced by Aerostich RiderWear that simply said, ‘Work To Ride, Ride To Work.’ Everyone seemed to think that a national ‘Ride To Work’ day was one heck of a good idea.”

The first Ride to Work Day event date was July 22, 1992. For several years various motorcycle businesses informally promoted every third Wednesday in July as Ride To Work Day. These early advocates included Road Rider Magazine, Dunlop Tires, and Aerostich/Riderwearhouse. The event continued to grow as an informal grass roots demonstration every year until 2000. That year a non-profit organization, Ride to Work was formed to help organize and promote Ride to Work Day. The first Ride to Work Day event led by this group was the third Wednesday in July of 2001. This day was the annual day until 2008, when it was changed to the Third Monday In June. This change was made to climatically better accommodate riders world-wide, and to give more riders an opportunity to participate.

Ride to Work is a 501 c4 nonprofit, all-volunteer effort. Organizers include Andy Goldfine and Lynn Wisneski.

Source: https://www.ridetowork.org/about-ride-to-work/

Thank you to the organizers, for tirelessly working to advocate for motorcyclists, and thank you to all the AMCA members who participated this year!

Want to organize Ride to Work events at your workplace or in your Chapter next year? Check out their website for free resources to help you plan and get your team excited to join in the fun: www.ridetowork.org



Check out the photos from our members who participated:


John LaMastra of Pennsylvania drove his '39 Knucklehead to his workplace. Beautiful weather for it!

Allen Calhoun bought this Sportster off the showroom floor 49 years ago and used it for his riding on RTW day

Beryl Kelley of Washington did not have to work, so he rode 115 miles to get cherries. He stopped at a gas station, a farm stand, and a drive in for lunch to visit people who did have to work. He took his newer Indian, since his classic bike was in the shop.



I'm 94 and have been retired for 39 years. Now I can ride to my coffee group on my 1934 Harley VL with sidecar. Bike is painted copper and vermillion, a special paint used only in August 1934. - Rich Schultz


Father and Son duo enjoyed a 6 mile round trip on RIDE TO WORK DAY including breakfast out! Typically the day starts either on foot or golf cart to the back yard for work at A & A Auto Salvage, Inc. located in Gettysburg, PA. On the left is Dennis Arnold with his 1951 WL 45 cubic inch Flathead with a Goulding Sidecar.  On the right is Dusty Arnold with his 1947 FL Knucklehead Chopper.



I rode my '49 Harley Panhead to my job as Capt. on the Fort Ticonderoga Ferry.
The Ferry runs between Shoreham, Vermont and Ticonderoga, NY. It is one of 
the oldest ferry crossings in the U.S. beginning service in 1759. - Dave Harris




Did you ride your bike to work and want to share it with our AMCA members? Send your photo and information to customerservice@antiquemotorcycle.org and we would be happy to add you here and on our AMCA Crew Facebook Album! (If you send us the link to your Facebook profile, we will make sure to tag you in the photo.)






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