May is an especially great month to be a biker. In the U.S., the weather generally cooperates. Now is a great time to dust off or tune up your bike and enjoy spring and summer riding.
Want to experience safety in numbers? National Safe Routes to Schools Bike to School Day is May 7. National Bike to Work Day is May 16. San Francisco cyclists enjoy Bike to Work Day May 8. Washington, D.C. and others have declared May 17 to be Bike to Work Day. Best yet, the League of American Bicyclists has declared the entire month of May Bike to Work Month. Their site lists tons of bike-related events and resources from Anchorage, Alaska, to Tallahassee, Florida, that should make it easy for almost anyone to ride alone or with a group, take a class, and enjoy other fun activities.
Here are just a few of the fun ways you can get involved:
National Safe Routes to Schools Bike to School Day is May 7. If you missed it, don’t worry! Safe Routes to Schools is offering a bicycle and helmet giveaway until May 31. They also offer suggestions for biking year-round.
Enjoy CycloFemme on Mother’s Day, May 11. CycloFemme is a global women’s cycling event to empower women riders and share the joy of biking, with 276 rides scheduled worldwide.
This is just a smattering of the many events offered in various cities nationwide. Find a bike event or class near you.
Pueblo, CO: Crusin’ Pueblo Ride, May 8.
Cedar Rapids, IA: Bicycle Scavenger Hunt, May 10.
Tampa Bay, FL: Bike with the Mayor, May 16.
Chico, CA: GRUB Garden Bike Tour, May 17.
Trenton, NJ: Trenton Bike Tour, May 17.
Honolulu, HI: Free admission for bikers to the Honolulu Zoo, May 18.
Radford, VA: Family Wilderness Road Ride, May 24.
Seattle, WA: Summer Streets Party, May 29.
Of course, anyone getting out biking wants to be safe. The League of American Bicyclists offers these tips for bike safety.
Another great resource for information about bike and pedestrian safety and school biking and walking programs is Safe Routes to Schools.
Enjoy biking to work and school and just for fun!
Photos: Top, my family in Acadia National Park, Maine. Above, three of the most inspirational bikers I know – my daughter Anna, a college freshman who has been a devoted bike commuter since the age of 10; my husband Lippy, who rides almost every day for exercise; and my good friend Victoria, who loves to ride more than anyone I know and organizes long, fun rides for herself and her friends.
