A cyclist rides along the Campbell Creek Trail near Elmore Road on a beautiful Tuesday afternoon in Anchorage.

The League of American Bicyclists is sponsoring Bike-to-Work Week this week and Bike-to-Work Day on Friday.

While this is a nationwide promotion, nowhere is it more appreciated than in Alaska. Why?

May is really the start of summer here. Oh, sure, we don’t officially start summer until June 21, but with nearly 17.5 hours of daylight, it seems like summer right now.

After last year’s awful summer full of rain, cloudy days and generally unpleasant weather, this week’s beautiful, sunshine-filled days have been a blessing.

Anchorage has more than 120 miles of paved bike trails and multiuse pathways – simply perfect for riding to work.

A cyclist rides on a trail through the woods behind the University of Alaska Anchorage on Tuesday.

And I paid $2.55 a gallon for gas yesterday.

So far this week, I’m four-for-four in riding to work, and nothing short of a broken leg will stop me from riding on Friday.

As any regular blog readers know, I love riding my bike -- commuting to work, hitting the dirt trails once they dry out, putting in some serious mileage on the road bike, bundling up for winter rides. One of the greatest things about Bike-to-Work week is seeing a variety of people pedaling.

A pair of cyclists and their dog ride along the Elmore Road bike path.

Here are some random thoughts from the trail:

* There are a lot of fluorescent colors out there. Early morning temperatures have been in the 40s, so many riders are wearing lightweight jackets to keep warm. Many of those jackets are bright yellow (sometimes orange) so they can be seen by drivers. That’s smart … and colorful.

* Wear a helmet. Too many riders -- kids, adults, it doesn’t seem to matter -- don’t take a safety-first approach. All it takes is one fall to change your life -- or end it.

The bike lane along Elmore Road is half covered with a winter's worth of gravel. Throw in some broken glass here and there and it makes for an interesting commute.

* You’d think the city, which is promoting Bike-to-Work Week, would plan a little better. On my commute, the bike lane on Elmore Road (a main route from south Anchorage to Midtown and beyond) is still covered from a winter’s worth of sand and gravel. And then a little farther down the road, one section of pathway is closed off for construction and today a portion that is open was torn up and covered in sand. I understand construction happens, but the timing lacked a little this time.

What's wrong with this picture? It's "Bike to Work Week" and a bike path near a very busy intersection in Anchorage (Tudor Road and Elmore Road) is closed. It seems like the construction folks aren't supporting biking this week.

* I’ve got a new job in a new part of town (I’m not at the Daily News any longer, but I am keeping the blog alive), so I’ve been meeting new people on the trails I’m riding now. It’s fun to see the same riders day after day. Those people come in all shapes, sizes and ages. Some seem as though they’re training for the Tour de France. Others seem like it’s their first time on a bike in decades. Doesn’t matter; they are sharing the trails and enjoying the ride.

If you’re a local, I hope to see you on the trails tomorrow. If you’re a visitor planning a trip, be sure to include at least one day on a bicycle. You won’t be sorry.

-- Steve