City of Austin holds free Bike Month events, releases new bike map

AUSTIN, Texas - Get There ATX, a City of Austin Transportation resource that helps residents and visitors discover transportation options throughout the area, is celebrating Bike Month this May with several events and helpful tips. 

Austin Public Works helped celebrate Bike Month with the little ones on May 4 with a Bike to School Day group ride in Northeast Austin. Next up is Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 20. 

For National Bike to Work Day, the city will hold a free breakfast event at the City Hall outdoor plaza from 8-9 a.m. Free breakfast tacos and coffee will be available, along with swag giveaways from local bike groups. Members of the Austin bike community will also be at the event for a meet and greet.

If you want to participate in Bike to Work Day, but you don't own a bike, the city says free MetroBike rentals will be available on May 20. Use the code B2WD2022 in the B-Cycle app.

The nonprofit Ghisallo Bike Initiative is also holding We Bike Wednesdays every Wednesday of Bike Month. It is a weekly community event with coffee and snacks held from 7:30-9 a.m. at Texas Coffee Traders, located at 1400 E 4th Street.

Get There ATX recommends those attending these events, and all cyclists in the city, check out the new 2022 Austin Bike Map. The map is online and interactive, featuring Route Comfort Ratings to show viewers which roadways include bike lanes, lower volume speeds, trails and more. The map will be available in print form beginning next week and can be found in some libraries, bike shops and recreation centers in Austin. 

To celebrate Bike Month safely, the city encourages cyclists to follow these safety tips provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA):

• Wear a properly fitted bicycle helmet: Helmets protect your brain, and can save your life. Check out easy steps to properly fit a bicycle helmet here.
• Adjust your bicycle to fit: 1-2 inches should be between you and the top tube bar if using a road bike, and 3-4 inches if using a mountain bike. The seat should be level and the height should be adjusted to allow a slight bend at the knee when the leg is fully extended. The height of the handlebar should be at the same level of the seat.
• Check your equipment! Inflate tires properly and check your brakes prior to riding.
• See and Be Seen: You always need to be seen by other, whether it is daytime, dawn, dusk, foul weather or nighttime. Bikes should have headlights and taillights when riding after sunset. Wearing white has proven to make riders more visible. Always wear neon, fluorescent or bright colors when riding day or night. Also wear something reflective, such as reflective tape or markings, or flashing lights. Just because you can see a driver does NOT mean the driver can see you.

View more information on biking in Austin at GetThereATX.com/bike.