Make Every Month Bike Month!

The yearly celebration known as Bike Month has come to an end, but don't let that get you down.

The League of American Bicyclists first designated May as Bike Month in 1956, and we've been celebrating it as a time for all things bicycle ever since. And while it's been fun, we don't want to see all that energy disappear!

Did you try riding to work during May? Great! Keep at it-- even if only once a week or once a month, that's one day you can arrive at work with that same feeling of accomplishment, plus you'll already be alert and have those creative juices flowing from your ride.

Did you ride other places, like the supermarket, the library, or a restaurant? Fantastic! Don't stop just because May is over-- see what other neighborhood gems you can find on your bike.

Did you ride just as much as you normally do during May, bike month or no bike month? Excellent. Every month is already bike month for you!

However much you chose to ride during May, keep the celebration rolling by riding all year long. If you need some extra motivation, the National Bike Challenge (NBC) continues until September 30! Get your coworkers, your friends, your family, or anyone you can find to form a team with you and get yourselves onto the NBC leaderboards.

Image: Bike to Work Day images shared on Twitter. Clockwise from top left: Cycletrack opening in Austin (BikeTexas images); Rocket Electrics Energizer Station (photo courtesy of Rocket Electrics); Dallas Energizer Station at Akard Station (photo courtesy of BikeDFW); Zachary Ford (top, photo used with permission); Laura Underhill's bike (bottom) and Laura Underhill with her riding partners (both used with permission).

Busy Weekend at BikeTexas

Bike to Work Day is Friday and we couldn't be more excited. In addition to the communities who have already Biked to Work and back again, at least seven Texas cities are hosting Bike to Work events. We hope you are planning to participate!

Here at the BikeTexas office, we'll be hosting an afternoon Bike to Work station for folks to drop by on their way home. In the morning, we all plan to head over for the ribbon cutting on Austin's newest cycletrack on Barton Springs Road.

But the fun doesn't stop after Bike to Work Day! BikeTexas KidsKup at The Warda Race, our final race of the spring series, happens Saturday.

We'll round out our weekend on Sunday as sponsors of Viva Streets!, Austin's answer to the ciclovia. The route winds right past our door, so we'll have bike rentals, a bicycle course for the kids, and a chance to demo our new game, Jenny's Neighborhood! Stop by and see us before you head for home on Sunday.

Austin Bike Buddy

A new website is available to help Austin cyclists get around, but this one doesn't include the usual bike routes or repair station icons. Instead, Austin Bike Buddy is all about connecting new riders with experienced riders, to make the transition to bike commuting easier.

The website is easy to use, allowing anyone to sign up as a new or experienced bicycle commuter in just a couple of minutes. With an interactive map, users will be able to visually see where other cyclists are starting and ending their trips. The website also makes it easy to connect with other registered users in order to coordinate a ride together.

“Many Austin commuters are interested in cycling, but concerned about the safety of riding to work,” Council Member Chris Riley said. “We also have many experienced bike commuters who are ready to help others discover how safe and enjoyable riding to work can be. This website offers a bridge between those two groups, enabling anyone to feel more comfortable by riding in with an experienced commuter who can suggest good routes, address questions about equipment and clothing needed, and provide guidance about the rules of the road.”

We all know that meeting new people and developing a sense of community are two of the best parts of riding our bikes, and this website is designed to help forge those connections. But hurry-- the website is only live during Bike Month (May), so take advantage of this trial run while you can!

Open Streets and Bike Share in Texas

Texas is always packed full of exciting events for the whole family to enjoy getting outdoors. In the past few of months, a handful of Texas cities have worked extra-hard to make sure their residents have a chance to get outside and be active!

Open Streets

Brownsville's CycloBia, Lubbock's Let's Play! LBK, San Antonio's Síclovía, and Fort Worth's Open Streets have closed off city streets to traffic for a few hours so people could get out and enjoy their streets! All of these activities give city residents and visitors a chance to spend time with family and friends, be active, and enjoy the outdoors!

Bike Share

Bike sharing continues to expand in Texas. In addition to San Antonio B-cycle opening new stations earlier this year, Houston B-cycle celebrated a new partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield and expanded to 21 stations in the city. Houston celebrated this new launch on April 3rd, and has since reached another great milestone: 2,000,000 calories burned by Houston B-cycle users.

The newest member of the Texas Bike Share family, Fort Worth B-cycle, is also up and running. Fort Worth launched on April 22 with volunteers riding the 300 bikes to their new homes at 30 stations across Fort Worth. See photos from the launch event here.

All three of Texas' B-cycle programs are participating in the B-connected initiative from B-cycle, which allows members from any participating city to use their B-cycle membership in other participating cities. Fifteen B-cycle cities across the country have joined in, making the B-cycle membership even more valuable, especially for regular travelers.

Exciting things are happening in Texas every day to make this a great state to walk and bike! Check out the BikeTexas Events Calendar so you don't miss out on any events near you.