Santa Barbara’s CycleMAYnia, a month-long celebration of pedal- powered transport, will kick off on May 3 at Casa De La Guerra with the “Velo Vogue” bike fashion show.

CycleMAYnia, hosted by Traffic Solutions and the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition, expanded from a single community-organized “bike to work” day into four weeks of cycling-themed events. The cam- paign’s main focus is the month-long Bike Challenge, in which teams of five compete for the highest number of work commutes and daily errands completed via bicycle.

The first place team of the Bike Challenge will receive $500 to put toward Santa Barbara-based chari- ties of their choice while the remain- ing 49 ranking teams will receive between $25 and $400 to donate.

Traffic Solutions Director Kent Epperson said the government organization’s priority is facilitating efficient, economical transportation throughout the county.

“Our mission is to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality by getting people to drive less and use alternative resources for sustain- able transportation,” Epperson said. “Bicycling is an important alternative for people in our community.”

According to Epperson, the kickoff fashion show will feature both active and elegant wear as well as biking equipment.

“It combines cycling with fashion and this active lifestyle that we’re starting to see grow in the South Coast,” Epperson said. “We’re also showcasing some really interesting bicycles available for sale at a lot of bike shops in town.”

The campaign will continue with various community- organized events such as a Bike Commuter Boot Camp, Gibraltar Hill Climb Time Trial and Mountain Bike Skills Clinic. Epperson said community involvement throughout the month is a vital part of CycleMAYnia’s appeal.

“My favorite part is the fact that this isn’t something that we’ve just come up with — it’s something that the commu- nity has participated in,” Epperson said.

Though many of the events are free of charge, some events like the Gibraltar Hill Climb Trial require an RSVP and small registration fee.

Team registration for the Bike Challenge is available at www.trafficsolutions.info and the full list of planned events can be found at www.cyclemaynia.org.