Freeze your keys

Just in time for gas hitting four bucks a gallon in Anchorage—and much of the ice and slush slowly disappearing—Bicycle Commuters of Anchorage are kicking off their second Freeze My Keys event.

The concept is simple: You freeze your car keys (symbolically, if you’re squeamish about potentially ruining your high-tech keys with all the electronic doodads they put in them these days) and commit to not using a car for the month of April. Or, if that’s not realistic, you can promise to freeze your keys for a couple of hours, days or weeks, and log as many commuter errands or trips on the bicycle as possible.

And because no bike event is complete without some swag, some of Anchorage's small businesses have donated locally produced prizes, which participants can qualify to win by visiting the businesses.

“We are showing Anchorage business owners that catering to bicyclists is good for business and we’re telling Anchorage bicycle commuters to support bike-friendly businesses,” said BCA Vice President Dawn Groth.

Freeze My Keys kicks off this Friday at 5:45 p.m. at Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge, 751 E. 36th Ave., and coincides with BCA’s Bike First Friday non-motorized tour of art galleries. Participants are encouraged to ride their bikes, and bring an old unimportant key, which will be symbolically stowed in the deep freeze for April, after members group-pledge to bicycle commute more often for more reasons.