Your Bike Month Week +

As you have no doubt come to expect, this week (plus a couple of days) of Bike Month has LOTS off possibilities for riding, socializing, and enjoying RVA in the process.  Here’s the official page.

And in case you missed the coverage, Mayor Stoney took a ride on Bike to Work day last Friday to announce that the city is committing to figuring out how to build what insiders know as the “missing link,” a path that will connect the southern end of the Potterfield Bridge to the rest of the trail system on the south side of the James!

May 23

Bryan Park Summer Race Series
Joe Notarnicola – josephj1964@gmail.com

May 24

Strava Art Ride
Kate Drake and Amy Waters – amy@sportsbackers.org

May 25

Breakaway RVA / Bike Walk RVA Collaboration Ride
Josh Son – joshnokson@gmail.com

May 26

RVA Critical Mass
Marina Kharitonova – roxette521@gmail.com

May 27

Bon Secours East End Bike Party
Brantley Tyndall – brantley@sportsbackers.org

RideRichmond Bike Swap and Scavenger Hunt
Michael Gilbert – gilbertmj2@gmail.com

Stonewall Court Kids Fundraiser for Bike Walk RVA
Jay Paul – JPaul@rcmd.com

May 28

RABA / BWRVA Bike Month Wrap Party and Ashland Clunker Ride
Andrew Mann – Rabamann@aol.com

Richmond BMX: Race for Life
Bud Higgins – budmanh@aol.com

May 30

Women’s Multisports of Richmond Bike Month Shuffle
Lorene Davidson – lorenepyt@aol.com

Bryan Park Summer Race Series
Joe Notarnicola – josephj1964@gmail.com

May 31

Zen Bike Ride
Jamie Pham – jamieluvstea@gmail.com

The State of Biking in Richmond

Photo from Scott Elmquist, Style Weekly.

A nicely detailed piece in Style Weekly about the future of bike infrastructure in Richmond. I appreciate the emphasis on making connections between bike lanes and paths. It’s sometimes for understandable reasons, but there are too many places where a bike lane just ends and you’re thrown back into traffic. Not so inviting for people less comfortable on the road.

 

Using a bike messenger as a source for gauging the safety of Richmond’s streets is misleading for the same reason that it kind of makes sense: they spend more time than anyone else on Richmond streets on a bike, so the odds of something happening are just greater. That said, I came away from a recent trip to Minneapolis feeling sad about the culture of driving in Richmond. People there were so courteous and cautious around pedestrians and people on bikes I could hardly believe it. How can we change the culture of driving in Richmond???

Take Your Pick! Fun Bike Month Stuff Every Day this Week!

Riders getting ready to start the Northside Family Ride April 29.  

May 15

Exploring Church Hill Ride
Rachel Jordan – heyracheljay@gmail.com

Henrico Co. Bike Safety Lunch Conversation
Brantley Tyndall – brantley@sportsbackers.org

May 16

Bryan Park Summer Race Series Season Opener
Joe Notarnicola – josephj1964@gmail.com

May 17

Ride to Agecroft Hall
Katie Reynolds – kreynolds@agecrofthall.com

UR President’s Bike and Breakfast
Rob Andrejewski – randreje@richmond.edu

May 18

Carytown Bicycle Company: Thirsty Thursday Ride
Andy Stites – andy@carytownbikes.com

May 19

*Bike To Work Day*

Dominion Riverrock

May 20

Dominion Riverrock

Special Olympics Wheelin & Dealin Ride on Capital Trail
Mark Runac – artwarejewelers@hotmail.com

May 21

Dominion Riverrock

Belle Isle Pump Track Kids Ride
Christopher Long – vtchris89@gmail.com

Iron Bridge Ride
Melinda Aileo – meaileo@hotmail.com

Center of the Universe Criterium Bike Race
Chip Goble – cgoble@naturespath.com

More Bike Month Fun

The Northside Fun Ride stops to regroup.  Organized by Bike Walk Northside.

More Bike Month fun this week:

May 9

“Crossings of the James” History Ride
Andrew McRoberts – andrewrmcroberts@gmail.com

May 10

*Bike to School Day*
Bike to School Day at Holton Elem
Jason James – jjames@umw.edu

After work downtown Capital Trail Ride
Susan Ann Glass – cycle.babe13@yahoo.com

May 11

Scavenger/Treasure Hunt
Tim Kelly – timkelly@timkelly.org

City of Richmond Bike Safety Lunch Conversation
Brantley Tyndall – brantley@sportsbackers.org

May 12

8th Annual Pizza Crawl – *Pre-registration required!*
Grant Fanning – grant@carytownbikes.com

Chesterfield Co. Bike Safety Lunch Conversation
Brantley Tyndall – brantley@sportsbackers.org

Bike Commuter Morning Coffee Meetup
Kate Drake – katedrake7@gmail.com

May 13

VCTF Cap 2 Cap Ride
Beth Weisbrod – beth@virginiacapitaltrail.org

May 14

Outpost Richmond 200k Adventure Ride
Braden Govoni – braden@outpostrichmond.com

Kids Introduction to BMX
Sean Yeager – csyeager@gmail.com

Only 3 Days til Bike Month!

Bike Month in RVA just keeps getting bigger and more fun every year.  Check out the schedule on the Bike Walk RVA blog.  There’s something almost every day of the month!  LOTS of opportunities to get out on two wheels, have fun, enjoy spring, and meet people.  There are even events this weekend, starting with the Lakeside Pedal and Gears festival and an organized family ride from Bellevue to the festival.