10 Tools to Make Your Bike Month Better!

Whether you bike to work or school; ride to save money or time; pump those pedals to preserve your health or the environment; or simply to explore your community, National Bike Month is an opportunity to celebrate the unique power of the bicycle and the many reasons we ride. 

Established in 1956, National Bike Month is a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling – and encourage more folks to giving biking a try! Here are some important national dates for May this year:

• May 7: Bike to School Day 
• May 11: Cyclofemme 
• May 12-16: Bike to Work Week 
• May 16: Bike to Work Day   
• May 21: Ride of Silence 

Tell us what you’re doing in your community and we’ll showcase your event, too!  

Here are the 10 free tools to make your Bike Month even Better:

BIKE MONTH GUIDE

To get things rolling in your community or improve longstanding events with new ideas, the League created a step-by-step guide that will help you in creating a successful Bike Month event in your organization, workplace, city, or state. While we commonly refer to Bike to Work Day events, because they’ve been the most popular historically, the tips and techniques will help you plan any Bike Month event, from a citywide ride to a small gathering within your own company or organization. Click here to download it.

BIKE MONTH POSTERS 

We want everyone to feel the excitement of  gazing over the handlebars, no matter their riding style or destination. So this year’s posters put the viewer in the saddle and emphasize that May is Bike Month, an opportunity to, not only Bike to Work, but participate in a growing variety of events that celebrate the full spectrum of people on bikes. We’ve left room for you to add information about your event — and invite you to download one of the four distinct posters (including a bike share bike!) to help promote your events.Click here to download.  

WEBSITE BANNERS AND BUTTONS

Whether you’re organizing an event, work at a Bicycle Friendly Business or have your own blog, show your love for bicycling by adding a web button or banner to your website that shares your excitement that May is Bike Month. We have both square buttons and horizontal banners depending on your web needs. Don’t forget to link tobikeleague.org/bikemonth so everyone can access our promotional resources as well! Click here to download. 

JOIN THE NATIONAL BIKE CHALLENGE

The 2014 National Bike Challenge has its sites set on being bigger and better than ever before. The fun, free online Challenge is aiming to unite 50,000 bicyclists to pedal 30 million miles from May to September. With a new-and-improved system, the Challenge allows you to easily synch your miles with apps MapMyRide, Endomondo or Moves. Challenge your workplace, community and state to get up and ride! Join the Challenge today!

EDUCATION VIDEOS 

In 2013, the League debuted 19 new videos addressing key topics in bicycle safety, from shifting to stopping to what to wear. Link to these FREE professionally produced videos on your website or events page to make sure your riders feel comfortable and confident out on the roads. Click here. 

ANSWERS TO COMMUTING CONCERNS 

I’m out of shape. It takes too long. I have to dress up. The roads just aren’t safe for people on bikes! You’ve probably heard these laments from friends and family who want to commute by bike but have legitimate concerns about whether it can fit into their lifestyle. To address these common worries about whether biking to work is possible, we created an easy-to-understand list that shares insight and tips that tackle safety, weather, gear, bike parking, attire, multi-modal solutions and more. Perfect for sharing on social media! Click here to download.

USER-FRIENDLY BIKE COMMUTE DATA   

In our 2013 report, Where we Ride: An Analysis of Bicycling in American Cities, we take a look at bicycle commuting throughout the nation, looking at broad trends (such as the three states that have had a more than 100% increase since 2005) and more particular analyses (such as top bike commuter rates in cities of various sizes). We’ve crunched the numbers so information on your community is easy to share and easy to find. A key resource for cyclists, policy makers and the general public for media relations and outreach for Bike Month events! Click here to download.

PLAY BIKE MONTH BINGO  

Last winter, we were inspired by the Chasing Mailboxes blog, which challenged bicyclists to complete at least seven different errands by bike: the Errandonnee! That great idea got us thinking about National Bike Month — and all the different ways we enjoy biking in our daily lives. So we created a Bike Month Bingo card to challenge YOU to pedal somewhere new or use your bike in a different way. Download the Bingo card and stick it on your fridge or wall — and check the boxes as you ride. Challenge your friends and family — or play in your workplace. Click here to download. 

INSPIRATION FOR YOUR WORKPLACE

Just this week, the League announced 80 new and renewing Bicycle Friendly Businesses, growing the total number of BFBs to nearly 700 nationwide. How can you help inspire more riders in your company or get your business interested in becoming more bicycle friendly? Playing on the drab OSHA posters you commonly see in your break room, we created a vibrant poster that highlights the key steps to and many benefits of becoming a BFB. Bike Month is the perfect time to post this vibrant poster in your break room and start the conversation! Click here to download.  

START PLANNING A WOMEN’S FORUM!  

The Women Bike movement is taking root across the country and, with CycloFemme on May 11, National Bike Month is an opportunity to start or increased your efforts to increase female ridership in your community. Increasingly, individual leaders and bicycling organizations are kickstarting that conversation with a gathering of female riders and bike-curious residents. To help make these events as successful as possible, we created our latest guide, How to Host a Women’s Bicycling Forum, with insight and lessons learned from national and local events!  Click here to download.   

Stay tuned for additional resources, including a social media promo kit and more, soon!