A cyclist makes his way down Broadway in New York. Cyclists have launched a campaign to boost bike use for Obama's inauguration on January 20, expected to draw record crowds in the capital and block traffic in and around the city.

Cyclists have launched a campaign to boost bike use for Obama's inauguration on January 20, expected to draw record crowds in the capital and block traffic in and around the city.

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association will offer two free bike valet parking stations -- one north and the other south of the Mall, the large grassy area leading up to the US Capitol, where Obama will be sworn in.

"We are expecting a large number (of bicycles) but it will all depend on the weather," said the group's program assistant, Henry Mesias. "We already did it for the Democratic convention in Denver. We handled 1,600 bicycles."

Californian Ryan Bowen launched a cross-country cycling trip on December 2 dubbed "Biking for Obama," hoping to bike into Washington for the inauguration. If successful, he will have biked some 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles) across the country from Los Angeles, California to Washington.

Organizers are expecting record crowds to swarm Washington for Obama's inauguration, with estimates of some two to five million on the streets for a parade and outdoor swearing-in ceremony.

Access to roads, bridges and parks will be severely limited, authorities said Wednesday as they released a list of closures and restrictions effective January 17 to January 21.