Summer (Bike) Fun: Biking to the Ballpark!

Bikes + Baseball = A strong partnership?

More and more Major League Baseball stadiums are catching wind of the growing number of baseball fans riding their bicycles to games. From San Francisco to Chicago to Washington, D.C., baseball franchise leaders are recognizing the benefits of bicycling for their fans and their local communities.

The stadiums for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs and Washington, D.C.’s Nationals all provide free, secure bike valet during all games. The San Diego Padres offer free bike valet for Sunday games.

The Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers both provide fans with explicit information on how to get to their stadiums by bike, explaining the best trail routes and paths.

The San Francisco Bicycle Coalition runs the Giants’ free bike valet for fans. They rely on the generosity of volunteers, like Miguel and Anakaren.

“When we got there we saw that the line was huge, and that they were running out of space for more bikes,” Anakaren, in a Q&A on the Coalition’s blog, said of her first trip to the stadium. “I realized that a lot of people really depend on this service for peace of mind, knowing that their bikes are safe during the game.”

Photo by San Francisco Bicycle Coalition

Plus, Miguel says, you see some characters.

“Something really cool about doing Valet Bike Parking is that you keep talking with all these people who come, and they’re all bike enthusiasts,” he said in the Q&A. “You see some really cool custom bikes. I remember a bike that a guy had with a front space for his dog.”

Learn more about the SF Bike Coalition’s valet program at www.sfbike.org