It was bike versus car in a race yesterday morning to promote Commuter Non-Polluter Day, part of Spare the Air Month, Tucson's invention to prove that riding a bike to work is just as economical as driving an automobile.

Along four routes, operators of both cars and bicycles were required to do everything they would normally do on a morning commute, such as get a newspaper, stop at an ATM machine and refuel.

This is the second year of the race, said Eric Iwersen, coordinator of this week's Bike Week. Last year, two of the three bike teams won, he said.

This year all four bike teams beat their vehicle competitors.

"We had a real good turnout at El Presidio Park (downtown, where the race ended)," said Beth Gorman, clean air program coordinator for Pima County's Department of Environmental Quality.

"We did (the race) to show that bikes have advantages over cars, such as getting exercise, not having to stop for gas and, in the downtown area, not having to find a parking place," Gorman said.

Tucson's bike population is higher than the national average of bike commuters per city, Iwersen said. Between 2.5 and 3.5 percent of commuters regularly use their bicycles. Tucson has also had national credit by Biking Magazine as the third-best city in the nation for cycling, Iwersen said.

The routes taken by the bicycles were on bike roadways. Some were on shoulder roadways and others on designated bikeways, such as the Third Street bike path.

Tucson City Councilwoman Molly McKasson, who said she walks to work two or three times a week, competed on the Third Street bikeway group.

McKasson and Iwersen both agreed that facility improvements are needed to create a bikeway system that runs throughout the city.