May is Bike Month
Every month is Bike Month, if you ask us. May is special, however; it's the National Bike Month. To celebrate, how about a daily ride with your friends. Or you can join up with one of the many bike clubs in the area for a group ride (weekday evening and weekend morning options) and make some new friends. Check out the Bike Charlottesville calendar for upcoming events.
Bike Counts. The Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Bike Charlottesville, and ACCT have joined forces for a compehensive bike count throughout the City and County on Sat, May 7th from 12-2pm and on Wed, May 11th from 5-7pm. To volunteer, contact Sarah Rhodes at srhodes@tjpdc.org. "If you don't count, you don't count."
Bike Week. Spring is here. If you haven't already, it's time to get your bike out of the garage, dust off the seat, pump up the tires and of course, put those safety tips to use because May is National Bike Month and May 16-21 is Charlottesville Albemarle Bike Week. To celebrate, Bike Charlottesville, Charlottesville Community Bikes, Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation, and UVa Parking & Transportation have teamed up with local sponsors to offer a bevy of free events for cyclists of all ages and abilities.
Monday, May 16th, 12-1pm: Cross Town Ride, News Conference, Community Partner Awards
12pm Depart UVa Emmet/Ivy Parking Garage (free parking provided by UVa)
~12:30pm News Conference & Awards Ceremony at City Hall Plaza on the Downtown Mall
Join Charlottesville Mayor Dave Norris, City Councilors, and other community leaders and residents for a 2-mile, one-way, bike ride. We'll ride together at an easy pace along the central portion of the East/West corridor which connects the County of Albemarle, the University of Virginia, and the City. When we get to City Hall Plaza, we'll hold a news conference to recognize the recipients of the first-ever Bike Charlottesville Community Partner Awards.
The Cross Town Ride route (Ivy Rd, University Ave, W. Main St, Water St) will give participants a bicycle-level view of the East/West corridor. Improvements are slated to roll out over the Summer months and are expected to increase cyclist ridership. Retailers and restaurateurs along the route should see an increase in patronage by cyclists, especially where there are bike parking options nearby.
If it's raining at 11am, the ride will be cancelled and the news conference and Bike Charlottesville Community Partner Awards will be held at the Charlottesville Pavilion, beginning at 12:30pm.
Generously sponsored by the City of Charlottesville, The Engraving Shop, and UVa Parking & Transportation.
Tuesday, May 17th, 6-8pm: Charlottesville Community Bikes Open House + Intro to Biking
612C Preston Ave (behind Moxie). For directions: http://www.cvillecommunitybikes.org
Charlottesville Community Bikes invites area residents to an open house where they'll receive one-stop help getting ready for Bike to Work Day: tune-ups, bike maintenance self-help skills, bike commuting routes and advice, and traffic safety instruction.
Generously sponsored by Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation (ACCT) and Charlottesville Community Bikes.
Wednesday, May 18th, 6:15-8:00pm: Ride of Silence - Charlottesville
Start / Finish: MLK Jr Performing Arts Center. Registration requested: BikeReg.com
Join Mayor Dave Norris, Del. David Toscano and the cycling community on a silent, 7-mile long, police-escorted procession through Charlottesville. Coinciding with the 8th annual, world-wide Ride of Silence, we will ride from the MLK Jr Performing Arts Center to Downtown and back to raise awareness of cyclists and to honor those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways.
Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn't aware of these rights, and sometimes are not aware of the cyclists themselves. "I highly encourage all cyclists to join us; feedback from last year's Ride of Silence participants was amazing" said Alan Bewley, event organizer. "The silence can be deafening."
The ride is free; participants need only sign a waiver (via BikeReg.com), wear a helmet, and come prepared with lights for biking during low light conditions.
Generously sponsored by the Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club, Charlottesville Racing Club, Fortuna Cycling, and Monticello Velo.
Thursday, May 19th, 12-1pm: UVa Lunch & Learn "Bike Commuting 101" SOLD OUT
UVa Carruthers Hall, Conference Room A. Registration required: http://www.virginia.edu/parking/TDM/class.html
Want to save on gas money? Interested in incorporating more exercise into your daily routine? Want to enjoy the commute to work more? Consider bike commuting. Think you can't do it because you live too far away, need to run errands at lunch, or are nervous about riding in traffic? Come learn answers to these scenarios and more. This workshop is open to anyone interested in learning the how-to's of bike commuting. Lunch will be provided. Registration limited, so sign up soon. One lucky attendee will win a free bike helmet and shoe covers.
Generously sponsored by Blue Ridge Cyclery and UVa Parking & Transportation.
Friday, May 20th, 7-9am and 4-6pm: BIKE TO WORK DAY Energizer Stations
7-9am: Main Street Market, Albemarle County Office Building, Rugby Rd / University Ave
4-6pm: Main Street Market, Albemarle County Office Building, Rugby Rd / University Ave
Bike commuting provides a healthy, invigorating, and low-cost alternative to driving. It's even more enjoyable when cyclists stop by one of the Bike To Work Day Energizer Stations for complimentary refreshments and chances to win cool prizes. Year-round, cyclists are encouraged to patronize the local merchants along the East/West corridor in appreciation for their support of extended bike lanes on W. Main St.
Generously sponsored by Albemarle Baking Company, Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation (ACCT), Blue Moon Diner, Blue Wheel Bicycles, Calvino Cafe, UVa Parking & Transportation, Whole Foods Market, and Zinc Bistro.
Saturday, May 21st, 10am - 1pm: Tour de Coop, Potluck, Puppet Show
Jefferson School / Carver Rec Center, 201 4th St NW
The latest in a string of wildly successful, themed bike tours around town comes the Tour de Coop, which combines urban poultry farming with the joy of biking for transportation. Area residents are invited to join in on this family-friendly, easy-paced bike ride through several city neighborhoods to visit poultry Americans and tour their abodes. At the final stop, there will be a puppet show and potluck. Suggested donation is $5 for Charlottesville Community Bikes.
Generously sponsored by Charlottesville League of Urban Chicken Keepers (CLUCK) and Charlottesville Community Bikes.
Saturday, May 21st, 3-5pm: 9th Annual Children's Bicycle Rodeo
Washington Park, in the basketball court area behind the pool
Parents of children ages 6-12 are invited to bring their children along with their bikes to a free, hands-on bike riding event. Kids who don't have a bike can use one from the rodeo's fleet. Free helmets will be given to participants and bikes will be checked by volunteers from Charlottesville Community Bikes. During the rodeo, young people will navigate through stations that are designed to challenge their balance, coordination and knowledge of bike safety. All participants, upon course completion, will earn a certificate, snacks and the opportunity to enter a raffle for great bike-themed prizes.
Generously sponsored by the Alliance for Community Choice in Transportation (ACCT), Charlottesville Community Bikes, City of Charlottesville Police Department, and Rose Hill Neighborhood Association.
All month long: Double the Wheels
June 4th celebration: Random Row Books, 315 W. Main St
Throughout Bike Month, cyclists around town will be enrolling their bikeless friends in Double the Wheels, a campaign to rapidly increase the number of people who travel by bike. The campaign culminates with a celebration on June 4th, Double the Wheels - Double the Party. Ian Ayers, founder, believes social influence is the trigger that encourages and sustains a new rider. "People want to ride with their friends; Double the Wheels helps them do that."
Generously sponsored by Double the Wheels.
Sponsored by:
