Gregg Charalambous is looking forward to Bike To Work Day, when more than 3,000 people in Austin are expected to leave their motor vehicles at home Friday and pedal to their workplaces.

The annual event is "more meaningful than riding a bike. It's a movement," he said.

Charalambous is undeterred to participate in the event despite an incident during Bike To Work Day last year that started as an argument between the cyclist and a motorist, led to a physical confrontation in the middle of the road and is currently a pending matter in civil and criminal courts.

Authorities charged Austin patent lawyer Richard Mason with misdemeanor assault in the case. He is set for trial on June 10. A lawsuit is also pending in civil court, and Charalambous' lawyers are seeking a trial date in that litigation.

Charalambous, an Army veteran and an engineer at Apple, on May 18, 2018, was on his way to volunteer at Austin Pets Alive when he said a black Infiniti sped from the Brodie Oaks Shopping Center on South Lamar without waiting for him and others to cross the street at a designated crosswalk.

In an effort to get the driver's attention, Charalambous said he pointed to the pedestrian crossing signal that was lit and showed he had 27 seconds to get to the other side of the road. The driver waited for Charalambous to make the turn and the two began yelling at each other, Charalambous said. At one point, the driver threatened to kill him and drove dangerously close to him, he told police.

Believing tensions from the argument had subsided, the 43-year-old Charalambous said he was caught off guard when the man reappeared on foot, grabbed him by the straps on his backpack and threw him to the ground. The force of the tackle drove the men from the designated bike lane and into oncoming vehicle traffic, prompting a motorist to tell police she had to stop her car to avoid hitting them, court records show.

Witnesses said the man fled and police used the license plate number to track it back to 44-year-old Mason, who Charalambous identified as his attacker in a lineup.

Mason "denies everything, does not admit to tackling him," said personal injury lawyer Lenore Shefman, who is representing Charalambous in the suit. "It's like he disassociated from his body in a mad rage or he's absolutely lying."

Mason's lawyer, Alfonso Hernandez, said the physical altercation was sparked by Charalambous directing "grossly obscene and vulgar language" at Mason's 13-year-old daughter, who was with him in the car. Charalambous, Hernandez said, was the only man who threw a punch during the exchange. Charalambous denied making any lewd remarks to the girl.

"Mr. Mason has always been receptive to some reasonable resolution; however, (Charalambous) has refused to shoulder any responsibility for his abhorrent behavior, almost certainly because he believes there is some payday waiting for him," Hernandez said. "I have shared with the county attorney's office over 20 letters from friends and colleagues going back decades attesting to Mr. Mason's strong character and integrity. Additionally, there were some questionable actions taken by the Austin Police Department in this case that merit attention."

Police noted in their report Charalambous was shaken from the incident and couldn't complete sentences. The helmet he was wearing might have prevented a head injury, Charalambous believes, but he said he suffers to this day from ringing in his ear and, to a lesser extent, numbness on the tip of his thumb. To make matters worse, he said, the MacBook computer he was carrying in his backpack was "turned into a freaking taco."

Bike To Work Day has exploded locally as a way to promote environmental conservation by reducing gas emissions. Fifty stations around town will provide water and food to cyclists, up from five stations when the event began in 2010. An estimated 3,000 bikers participated last year, and organizers with Bike Austin are hoping for an even bigger turnout Friday if the weather holds up.

But an increase in bikes on the road warrants an increase level of awareness by all, said Bike Austin board President Chris Riley.

"We encourage everyone on the roads to be extra careful, to share the road, and to be aware that there may be more people biking to work than usual," Riley said. "The point of this effort is to encourage less experienced cyclists to try biking to work. That may present issues that people on the roads aren't accustomed to."