For several weeks now, a core group of cycling enthusiasts has been working feverishly behind the scenes to plan 2012 Kamloops Bike to Work Week.

No small undertaking, for sure.

The team, led by Marcia Dick and James Gordon, has gathered sponsors, enlisted volunteers, planned, organized and planned some more, all to make the fifth-annual Bike to Work Week a success in Kamloops.

On top of that, they’ve plugged away at social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook as a means of not only promoting the May 28 to June 3 week, but in helping residents prepare their minds, bodies and bikes for their upcoming two-wheeled commute.

The Daily News is a proud sponsor of Bike to Work Week. Yes, we say that about a lot of community events – just look at our front-page banner at the top of every day’s paper.

It’s more than just words, though.

We believe there are not enough bikes on the roads of Kamloops, not enough people willing to trade a day or two commute by car with a commute by bicycle.

This spring, you may have noticed City crews painting large, bicycle symbols on city streets. There’s one right outside the Daily News parking lot on St. Paul Street.

There are many more throughout the city and they can be seen as a welcome sign to cyclists and to those who believe cyclists have a rightful place on our municipal roadways.

Another visible sign of the growing acceptance toward bicycle commuters could be seen in the new bike lockers at the Lansdowne transit exchange. A great step forward, indeed, for this community.

What’s needed now are the cyclists.

We need more cyclists on the streets of Kamloops. Lots of them.

And that’s where we can all play a part next week. Bike to Work Week begins a week from today and that’s plenty of time to get yourself and your bike ready.

As of the weekend, 51 teams had signed up for the week via www.biketowork.ca/kamloops. We encourage more Kamloops residents to do so before Monday.

You’ll even see a few of us on our bikes that week, pedaling and smiling as we enjoy the fresh air, the rush of adrenaline and the unencumbered experience of the outdoors one can only get on a bike and not in a car.