May 2024: Get ready for Bike Month!
Saddle up! Our first-ever issue of "Wheelie Good News!" celebrates Bike Month and Ann Arbor's 200th birthday with a long list of bike-related fun.
Welcome to the first official issue of Wheelie Good News!, published by the Bicycle Alliance of Washtenaw! Below, you’ll find a list of bike-related events throughout the month of May in Washtenaw County, which includes Bike Month and Ann Arbor’s 200th birthday, on May 25.
Many of these events originate in Ann Arbor, but we’re always eager for submissions from the surrounding areas. If we’ve missed something, you can email us at bikewashtenaw [at] gmail, or just leave the information (with a link, please) as a comment below. We’ll add them here and post them to our Instagram feed.
Thanks for reading, and happy cycling!
Sun 4/21 | 12:30 - 2:30pm
Join GIVE 365 for a workday at the Bandemer Bike Park. Volunteers are needed to help reshape and maintain the dirt bike course using hand tools (shovels, wheelbarrows, etc.). GIVE staff will lead this workday and provide everything needed including hand tools and instructions. For more information, reach out to bikeparks@a2gov.org.
Common Cycle Community Workspace
Sun 4/21 | 11am-3pm
Come on down to Common Cycle in Ann Arbor and join in on our dedicated workspace with volunteers and the tools you need to care for your bike. Everyone is welcome: the only requirement is that you must be willing to get your hands dirty! (Note: This event repeats on April 28, May 12, May 19, and May 26.)
Also: Common Cycle is hiring an Education and Operations Coordinator! Click the button for details.
Fri 4/26 | 7-9pm
Join us at Ann Arbor Farmers Market for a slow, guided, 8- to 10-mile bike ride through Ann Arbor neighborhoods and streets. Post-ride fun with friends, neighbors, and visitors around the community. Helmet and lights encouraged. Tonight’s theme: Lipstick and Lumberjacks.
Sat 4/27 | 11am-4pm
Head to Ypsilanti for a bike sale to benefit the PEAC Summer Cycling Program. They’ll be selling refurbished 2-wheel bicycles and used gear. All bicycles have been refurbished by professionals and our mechanics in training.
Sun 4/28 | 12:30 - 2:30pm
Join GIVE 365 staff and volunteers in working on Tuebingen Bike Park! We will be doing trail maintenance work with hand tools (shovels, clippers, etc.). We will provide the tools, guidance about each task, and some background music.
Wed 5/1 - Fri 5/31
The Commuter Challenge runs May 1-31, 2024! The goal of this fun competition is to encourage people who work in the greater Ann Arbor area to commute via walking, biking, carpooling, vanpooling, and taking the bus and continue to do so even after the competition has finished.
Sat 5/4 | 9am - 1pm
Does your bike need some work? Bring it down to the Ypsilanti Farmers Market in Depot Town, and they’ll have the volunteers and tools to help you get it sorted. (Note: The event repeats on May 11 and May 18.)
Sun 5/5 | 3pm
Fundraising effort to support safe mobility in Livingston County. All cyclists, walkers, runners, etc. are welcome in Brighton! This event is free to attend, although we ask that you make a donation to support Dan’s legacy.
Wed 5/8
Bike and Roll to School Day celebrates the joy of active commuting while building a sense of community and school spirit. Check the Bike to School website above for a list of participating schools.
Walk Bike Washtenaw Board Meeting
Wed 5/8 | 6:30-8:30p
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.
Tues 5/14 | 8am-2pm
Join The League of Michigan Bicyclists in Lansing to advocate for better cycling for Michigan by meeting with lawmakers.
Wed 5/15 | 7pm
Join us at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market for the the Ride of Silence, a nine-mile ride that commemorates bicyclists killed or injured while riding. This ride is part of a world-wide event the urges everyone—cyclists and motorists, to share the road.
Cancelled - Yoga For Cyclists
Wed 5/15 | 5:30-6:30pm
A donation-based class at Bløm Meadworks, held in honor of Bike to Work Day. Cash donations will be gifted to Walk Bike Washtenaw!
Wed 5/15 | 7-9:30am
Organizations throughout the greater Ann Arbor Area will set up Bike Commuting Stations with food, drinks, minor bike adjustments, and free giveaways for cyclists. If you’ve ever been curious about what it takes to bike to work, today’s the day to ride!
Sun 5/19 | 12-4pm
Huron River Day is hosted by the City of Ann Arbor, the Huron River Watershed Council, the Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner, and Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation. The event has moved to Island Park Island this year while the Gallup Park bridge is under construction.
Enjoy the beautiful Huron River with free, family-friendly river activities. Learn, explore, and have fun celebrating Ann Arbor's wonderful freshwater with discounted boat rentals, children's activities, river exhibits, music, food trucks/carts, and more!
Sat 5/25 | 12-2pm
Bikeapalooza is an annual free, family-friendly educational event celebrating downtown Ann Arbor's protected bikeway network, and this year the event will be hosted by the DDA on the City’s 200th birthday! There will be cargo bike demos, giveaways, face painting, fun activities, and more!! Join us on the surface parking lot at the corner of William and Fifth Streets (across from the library)!
Sat/Sun 5/25-26 | 2pm
Join us at Sic Transit Cycles for an overnight bike/camping journey from downtown Ann Arbor to nearby campgrounds. Check our website for updates and info for first-time riders, including bike and camp gear sharing. The ride will be around 30 miles, over mostly dirt roads.
Sun 5/26
The BLØM ride will be the first Trilogy Ride for 2024! You’ll have routes of 50k, 100k, and 100 miles to pick from, and they’ll all start and end from Bløm Meadworks in downtown Ann Arbor.
Bike Alliance of Washtenaw Meeting
Wed 5/29 | 7-8:30pm
Come to HOMES Brewery - Campus and meet your local bike enthusiasts, hear about our ongoing efforts, and get involved!
Fri 5/31 | 7-9pm
Join us at Ann Arbor Farmers Market for a slow, guided, 8- to 10-mile bike ride through Ann Arbor neighborhoods and streets. Post-ride fun with friends, neighbors, and visitors around the community. Helmet and lights encouraged.
Thanks for subscribing, and feedback is always welcome. Here’s to a beautiful month on the streets, paths, trails, and jumps all over Washtenaw County!
The Bicycle Alliance of Washtenaw
