Ready to join the growing peloton and pedal around Pierce County?

For those who like to ride their bicycles, the county has just published its seventh version of the Pierce County Bike Map.

The free map focuses on the on-road bikeways, such as roads with wide lanes, paved shoulders, and designated bicycle lands and shared-use trails.

"Bicycling is a great way to experience Pierce County's trails and parks, commute to work and get exercise," wrote Brian Ziegler, Pierce County Public Works director.

The map also features points of interest accessible by bicycle, such as museums and parks.

"This map helps riders find a route that works for them," Ziegler continued, "wherever their ride is taking them."

The new map, along with a list of locations that carry it, is available at piercecountywa.org/bike.

The online version also allows users to download and print sections of the map.

"The map is a great resource for bicyclists looking for either commuting and/or recreation options," echoed Rory Grindley, a county traffic engineer. "It is a great resource for discovering points of interest in the county, and it includes a number of bicycling resource contact information."

There's a lot to bike on.

Officials say there are about 197 miles of bike lanes and 92 miles of paved trails in Pierce County.

The most recent edition of the map includes newly constructed trails in Sumner, Tacoma and Gig Harbor, and brand new bike lanes in Tacoma and University Place.

It also highlights a larger inset of downtown Tacoma and a table that shows the mileage between access points on major trails.

"This is probably the only county-wide map that includes these distances for all of the trails and access points shown," continued Grindley.

The map is also one of the tools employed in the county's Commute Trip Program, which encourages employees in participating organizations to use forms of transportation other than driving alone.

Bicycling is also a great way to exercise.

"Cycling gets your legs moving and your heart pumping without pounding your joints," said Andy Clarke, the president of the League of American Bicyclists, in a recent article written by Chris Giblin entitled, 10 Reasons To Get On A Bike. "It ends up being a smoother, lower risk form of cardio you'll appreciate, especially if you're recovering from an injury."

So what's the hold up?  

Take the bicycle out (of which there are approximately one billion worldwide), check the air in the tires, put on your helmet and join the growing peloton of those enjoying the great outdoors, Pierce County and numerous points of interest.