May is National Bike Month, and celebrated in communities all over the country. Here in Philadelphia, the Bicycle Coalition and affiliated groups use the month to showcase the benefits of bicycling and encourage more people to get on bikes in their communities around the Greater Philadelphia Region. There are a number of cool events coming up this month, found below. For more information, check out the Bicycle Coalition Calendar.
Bucks County Supporter Social: May 3rd
Come socialize with your fellow Bucks County outdoor enthusiasts. The Steam Pub is right on the future Newtown Rail Trail in Southampton. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia will be there along with other local experts.
Neighborhood Bike Works Pedalpalooza: May 4
Join us May 4th for NBW’s first annual Pedalpalooza Fundraising Party! Crank your pedal power up to 11 and help create more bicycling and bike repair opportunities for youth! A festive, casual event featuring inspiring youth speakers and a silent auction.
NBW will provide beer, wine, and bites from some of Philly’s finest food trucks.
Bike the Broad Street Ride: May 7
Starting at Broad and W. Somerville, cyclists will take over Broad Street at 7:30PM, with roll-out time at 8PM.
Since this is now a night ride, as usual we encourage lights, music, and a party!
Fix a Flat Class: May 8
Our friends from Shimano are coming out to teach a fix-a-flat class. This hands on class will demonstrate the skill and provide time for each participant to practice. We will pair people up for the hands-on work so please make sure to note if you are willing to offer your bicycle for this class (your tire will simple be removed and deflated, then re-inflated).
Cost is $5 donation to the Bicycle Coalition. Get a ticket here.
Urban Riding Basics: May 9
Are you a new urban bicyclist looking for some tips for navigating city streets? A veteran bicyclist who wants to brush up on the basics? Never biked in the city before, but thinking about trying it out? Sign up to attend this 1-hour Urban Riding Basics class taught by Lindsey Graham.
Cadence Criterium Race: May 13
Join our Cadence Youth Cycling teams for their Crit race — please Register to volunteer & support our budding cyclists!
Mother’s Day for Peace Bike Ride: May 13
Early Mother’s Days in the U.S. were rooted in social activism and peace advocacy. Kidical Mass Philadelphia in 2017 will take back the root of Mother’s Day and our streets to ride our bikes together.
Route is TBA.
This ride is intended for children, caregivers and families of all kinds and ages and genders. You are all invited.
The pace will be slow (5-8mph) and lead by families and children. Solo adults are welcome please be preapred to ride slowly.
Explore the Circuit: D&R Canal: May 13
This cycle ride follows an historic portion of the Delaware River, along the Delaware & Raritan Canal Trail in New Jersey from West Trenton to Washington Crossing. From there, we’ll cross into Pennsylvania — if we work up an appetite we’ll stop for refreshments while we’re there! This ride is family-friendly, along flat terrain. It will cover roughly 12 miles, out-and-back.
K&T Trail Opening: May 15
One of our partners and members of The Circuit Trails Coalition, the Delaware River City Corporation, is proud to announce the grand opening of the K&T Trail – Phase One. The DRCC will be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony May 15th on the trail just north of of the Frankford Boat Launch.
Elected officials and community partners will share a few words and they will cut the ribbon on this new 1.2 mile portion of the North Delaware Riverfront Greenway. For more information and a detailed map of the ceremony location.
Ride of Silence: May 17
Since last year’s Ride of Silence, the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia launched PHLtrafficvictims.org, creating a resource and mapping tool to understand, in real time, where Philadelphia’s fatal traffic crashes are taking place. The new site specifies and helps us keep track of every person killed in a motor vehicle crash; whether they were a driver, passenger, pedestrian or bicyclist and tracks their age, gender, and if possible, name.
The annual Ride of Silence is an an international ride that honors bicyclists killed or injured by motor vehicles and highlights the need for motorists to share the road with bicycles. This year we will honor the memory of 3 cyclists killed in the region in the last 11 months:
- 6-14-16 Efrain Mateo-Morales, 36
- 9-2-16 Matthew Matteson 42
- 11/11/16, Ronald Filepp, 64, Hit and Run
Bike To Work Day: May 19
Philadelphia’s annual Bike To Work Day is May 19 — and we at the Bicycle Coalition are excited to lead in this year’s ride with local bike commuters, city cyclists, and city leaders and show the world that Philly bikes!
Hundreds of Philadelphians are expected to participate in this year’s Bike To Work Day. Biking to work saves time, money, lowers stress, is good exercise and—perhaps most importantly—is fun. Click the link below to pledge to bike on May 19.
RSVP Here for a chance to win a new bike
Bike To Work Day Happy Hour: May 19
Join us at Yards Brewing Co. 5pm-7pm for some drinks to celebrate #biketoworkPHL 2017.
Adult Learn to Ride: May 20
Learn to Ride students will be shown how to balance, pedal, start, stop, and steer a bicycle as well as adjust a helmet for proper fit. Most people learn to ride their bicycles while taking this class, but even if they do not they’ll leave with a low-stress way to teach themselves to ride.
Kinetic Scuplture Derby and Arts Festival: May 20
Each Spring more than a hundred local artists come together to peddle their wares and celebration of the rich maker, shaper, industrial history of Philadelphia. Accompanied by the kinetic calamity of people-powered sculpture; plenty of food, hyper-local beer, jugglers, aerialists, games — families, yuppies, crusts, creatives, hipsters, housies, bumpkins, mall rats, coolers, Slytherin, college students, poets, painters, musicians, artists of all kinds, and New Jerseyites too — all our welcomed at KKSDAF 2017.
Discovery Ride-Love Your Park Week Edition: May 21
This Discovery Ride is an easygoing, social ride on a Sunday morning that will roll along the Schuylkill River to one of Fairmount Park’s many appealing sights.
This Sunday, we’ll join the Fairmount Park Conservancy’s “LOVE Your Park Week” and journey to a special destination! Where? … Join us and find out!!
The ride is free for Bicycle Coalition members; non-members pay a $5 donation.
– June –
Rocky Ride: June 3
The Coalition is hosting a fun cycle ride on Saturday, June 3rd from 12-4pm that pays homage to the film ‘Rocky,’ following a route through Philly that was immortalized in its famous training montage.
Jamal Morris Fundraiser: June 11
The world lost Jamal Morris last year when he was killed by a hit-and-run driver. Those who knew Jamal knew that bike was apart of him. He rode his bike to every end of this beautiful city that he grew to love and call home. It’s only right that we give back to a community that was such a big part of his life in his honor.
On Saturday, June 11th there will be a fundraiser at Cavanaugh’s Riverdeck from 3pm-6pm. The donation at the door is $10 and this will get you happy hour pricing for the duration. This is an open event and all are invited!
This event will benefit the Bike and Build Foundation that Jamal’s family generously set up. The fund will focus on improving bike safety and awareness for both bikers and drivers and improving biker’s rights and legal protection.