February 2025: All about the Washtenaw Bike Summit
We're expecting a record crowd for the Tenth Annual Washtenaw Bike Summit on Sunday, February 2! Here's a look at the schedule, speakers, discussion topics, and prizes on offer.
Welcome to Wheelie Good News, published by the Bicycle Alliance of Washtenaw! Below, you’ll find a complete schedule for Sunday’s Washtenaw Bike Summit.
Please note: We have a super-full house of registered ticket holders, but we’ll do our best to accommodate as many people as we can from the waitlist.
For more updates, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky!
The Bike Summit Schedule
11:00am - 12:00pm: Coffee Hour (networking, bingo)
12:00pm - 12:15pm: Welcome and BAW Overview
12:15pm - 12:30pm: Guest announcements:
Jeff Carek: interim executive director, League of Michigan Bicyclists
(see Wheelie Good Podcast episode below)
Lilliane Webb: director, getDowntown
Jennifer Proctor: director, Loop of Pain
12:40pm - 1:20pm: Breakout Session A
1:20pm - 1:30pm: Break
1:30pm - 2:10pm: Breakout Session B
2:20pm - 3:00pm: Breakout debriefs, closing remarks
3:00pm - 4:00pm: Social Hour (raffle winners, Loop of Pain screening)
Breakout Session A
On the Right Path: B2B Trail Updates and Trail Courtesy Learn what’s ahead for the B2B Trail with a brief overview of 2025 construction updates, then join a collaborative discussion on upcoming trail courtesy initiatives. — Kristin Schroder
Safe School Commutes This group discussion will include information about bike buses and Safe Routes to School committees. Participants can share ideas for advocating for safe, carless school commutes throughout Washtenaw County school districts. — Greg Matthews and Andy Burkhardt
Getting Across: Signs and Signals for Cycling As Ann Arbor builds out an All Ages and Abilities cycle network, there are multiple ways to set up signs and signals at intersections. We will discuss the city's approaches and engage participants on what they look for to cross an intersection safely. — Trevor Brydon
Luki Bike Adventures We empower kids in foster care, and Black, Latino, and Native American youth to experience the outdoors through mountain biking. We'll be sharing stories of our adventures so far and some of our plans for the upcoming season. — Kris Dantzler
Common Ann Arbor Cycling Problems (And How to Manage Them) What should you do if you encounter a blocked bike lane? Or a dangerous pothole? This session describes what to do for your best shot at getting it fixed. — Peter Houk
Changing the Narrative: How We’re Using Bike Data in Downtown Join us for a deep dive into what we’re learning about bike ridership, downtown visits, and driver behavior. The Ann Arbor DDA will share takeaways from their Velo Copilot Study, downtown visit trends, and bike counting program. — Amber Miller and Shelby Fergon
Breakout Session B
On the Right Path: B2B Trail Updates and Trail Courtesy Conversation
Safe School Commutes
Getting Across: Signs and Signals for Cycling
The Outdoors Is Not Real Nature has always existed, but the outdoors was created. This session outlines the history of outdoor recreation in America, how it was created to exclude people of color, and what we can do to make sure the outdoors includes everyone. — Brandan Freeman
Cycling Without Age Cycling Without Age is a worldwide grass-roots movement that helps 1.5 million elderly people enjoy bike rides with trained trishaw pilots. CWA has over 3,500 chapters in 41 countries, and we'll be sharing plans to start a chapter here. — Megan Muzzell
Pushing Pedals and Policies: A2 Council Discusses Progress and Advocacy Join Ann Arbor City Council members for an overview of the city's progress on bicycle infrastructure over the last year. Learn about upcoming initiatives and discuss how your advocacy can help shape a bike-friendly future for Ann Arbor. — Dharma Akmon and Erica Briggs
Raffle Prizes!
Two (2!) Solo Stoves — Arbor Move Realty
Coffee package — Hyperion Coffee
Lock with alarm — Urban Rider Cargo Bikes
Helmet and lights — Sic Transit Cycles
Lube and repair kit — Aberdeen Bike
$100 gift card — Downtown Home & Garden
Two $50 gift cards — York Food & Drink
Coffee voucher — RoosRoast Coffee
Recovery mix package — Blank’s Sports Nutrition
Tickets to the Bicycle Film Festival, March 1 at the Michigan Theater!
On the Wheelie Good podcast
Interim Executive Director of the League of Michigan Bicyclists Jeff Carek details his career arc from Boat Cop to Bike Bigwig and outlines ways to get involved.
Episode 6: Your bike is a freedom machine — with Jeff Carek
As both an avid mountain biker and a 26-year veteran of the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s office, Jeff Carek has spent much of his career easing frictions between cyclists and law enforcement. And after three years as the Education Director of the League of Michigan Bicyclists
Happening This Month
Conquer the Cold Midpoint Mingle
Wed 2/5 | 8:30 - 10am
Meet at Argus Farm - Liberty with the getDowntown team midway through the Conquer the Cold challenge! Share your winter stories, learn about green commute options, and discuss resources for walking, biking, carpooling, and riding the bus.
Wed 2/5 | 5 - 7pm
The Neighborhood Institute meets on the first Wednesday of each month to advocate for affordable housing, walkable and bikeable streets, and improved public transit. Meet at the Blue Tractor in Ann Arbor for half-price beer and apps until 6pm!
Walk Bike Washtenaw Board Meeting
Wed 2/12 | 6:30 - 8:30pm
Anyone interested in making Washtenaw County a leader in bicycling and walking is encouraged to attend. All meetings are virtual and open to the public.
Common Cycle Steering Committee Meeting
Sun 2/16 | 4 - 5:30pm
The Steering Committee meets monthly online on the third Sunday of each month, and all are welcome to discuss a variety of organization business. Please email us at “info at commoncycle dot org” for the Zoom link and meeting details.
Bicycle Alliance of Washtenaw Meeting
Wed 2/26 | 7 - 8:30pm
Come to HOMES Brewery and meet your local bike enthusiasts, hear about our ongoing efforts, and get involved! We’ll need help with this year’s Bicycle Film Festival (see below), and all volunteers receive free tickets!
*** Bicycle Film Festival ***
Sat 3/1 | 7pm
The BFF is a curated screening of award-winning short films that has been celebrating bicycles for 25 years, and event proceeds help support the Bicycle Alliance's work throughout the year. Join us at the Michigan Theater! (Tickets are available here.)
On the Regular
Repairs and Volunteer Opportunities
Common Cycle Community Workspace — Sundays, 11am - 3pm.
Volunteers at Common Cycle will help repair your bike.
Bike Park Work Days — Sundays, 12:30 - 2:30pm.
Volunteer for trail maintenance work at Tuebingen and Bandemer Bike Parks.
Rides
There are regular weekly rides every day of the week in Washtenaw County, for all surfaces, lengths, and skill levels. Check the ride calendars below for the complete list.
Thanks for reading, and feedback is always welcome. Here’s to a beautiful month on the streets, paths, trails, and jumps all over Washtenaw County, and we’ll see you at the Bike Summit on February 2!
The Bicycle Alliance of Washtenaw
