ANDERSON — It took about an hour and 40 minutes, but Altairnano employee Bruce Lasley finally made it to work Friday morning from his Fishers home.

The normally quick drive took a lot longer when Lasley took his foot off the gas pedal and placed his two feet on the rotating pedals of his bicycle to participate in Bike to Work Day.

About 50 Madison County workers signed up to ride their bikes to work Friday, and Madison County Council of Governments’ Allan Henderson said they came from as far away as Fishers, Chesterfield and Elwood.

“We just thought it would be a good idea to encourage people to leave their cars at home, to give it a try,” said Henderson, who helped organize the event, along with officials from the city and the Anderson Spoke and Wheel Club.

MCCOG does transportation planning within the county, so Henderson’s focus on biking and pedestrians fits it with the group’s purpose, he said. Health and environmental reasons made the event attractive to participants.

“It’s hard to pick out just one of those (reasons) and say, ‘This is the reason we’re focusing on it,’” Henderson said.

Lasley said he enjoyed the 19-mile back-roads bike ride to work Friday morning, which he made with his co-worker Dave Lynch.

“It was a great experience,” he said. “I love riding to work whenever I get a chance. Once you’ve done it a couple times, it’s pretty easy.”

Lasley rides his bike for about 15-20 miles a couple times a week, he said, and he’s no stranger to the environmental benefits of alternate transportation. Altairnano makes lithium batteries for vehicles, and he worked on GM’s first electric vehicle, EV1.

Diana Ockomon, assistant manager of the city’s utilities office, said about four people in the City Building rode their bikes to work Friday.

Ockomon rode her bike to her downtown office from her house near Anderson High School. It took her four to five miles, 25 minutes and a few dodged trash cans, but she made it to work safely.

“It’s healthy, and I just enjoy doing that sort of thing,” she said. “I’m grateful that I’m physically able to do that. One day is not much to help the environment, but still it puts the idea out there that we can all do it.”

Stacy Mevzek, administrator at Keystone Woods Assisted Living on North Madison Avenue, rode her bike from her home in Alexandria on Friday morning. The nine-mile ride took her about 45 minutes.

“I managed to work all day without being too sore,” she said. “I’ve had more energy today. It’s just been a real adrenaline rush. I’ve been pretty proud of myself.”