Photo courtesy Innovate Memphis' Facebook
There are plenty of ways to make the most of National Bike Month here this May.
One way is by participating in the citywide Commute Challenge 2019. The initiative challenges employees at workplaces to use sustainable transportation options, while tracking their daily commutes.
Those who walk, bike, carpool, or use public transportation will be rewarded and eligible to win prizes.
And if you’re biking to work on a Tuesday, you might not be alone.
Each Tuesday (and the first Friday) morning in May, you can bike to work alongside a few dozen of your closest friends on Bike Train Tuesdays. A caravan of bikes will roll through Midtown, Crosstown, and Downtown, where anyone can join in and make there way to work.
No bike? No problem. The caravan will make stops at Explore Bike Share stations to make it easy to rent a bike and jump in. Check out the stops and routes.
Bike Train Tuesday is organized by Explore Bike Share, in partnership with Innovate Memphis’ Commute Options program.
Later in the month, join Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris for a three-mile bike ride through Downtown and along the River Line trail at Move it With the Mayor on Wednesday, May 15th. This event is a part of the mayor’s healthyShelby ’19 campaign, meant to encourage the adoption of healthier lifestyle choices that improve well-being.
Finally, on Friday, May 17th, nearly 20 local organizations are working together to make National Bike to Work Day special in Memphis.
That morning there will be bike trains wheeling through Downtown, Midtown, the Medical District, and Crosstown picking up riders and stopping at various breakfast stations offering free fruit, coffee, and sandwiches.
Things get even better that evening with the Bike From Work Happy Hour Train.
As the name suggests, the train will make its way to Cooper-Young for drinks and snacks at Memphis Made Brewing.
National Bike Month, which was established in 1956 by the League of American Bicyclists, is dedicated to informing people about the health, environmental, and community-building opportunities of biking. This is toward the ultimate goal of encouraging communities to ditch their cars and consider biking as a viable method of transportation.
Here’s a full list of Memphis’ National Bike Month Festivities:
May 1st: New Explore Bike Share station to open at Shelby County Health Department
May 3rd: Bike Train
May 7th: Bike Train
May 11th: Knowledge Quest South Memphis Glide Ride
May 14th: Bike Train
May 15th: Move With the Mayor
May 17th: Bike to Work Day; Bike From Work Happy Hour
May 21: Bike Train
May 28th: Bike Train
