Bike to Work Day: Everything you need to know

May is officially Bike Month in much of the country, and Bike to Work Day—happening in Austin tomorrow, May 17—is the focal point of this annual push to educate residents about the personal and civic benefits of riding.

By participating, the city hopes to raise awareness and encourage more use of bikes for pleasure as well as commuting in order to promote health, the reduction of traffic and pollution, and improvement of the city’s bicycling infrastructure.

Major bike routes

Advocacy group Bike Austin will host tomorrow’s citywide event, now in its ninth year. Local youth-focused group Ghisallo Cycling Initiative has contributed a new feature to help things go smoothly by setting up three main routes for leader-led bike trains. The Bike Austin page describes these routes in detail:

North Central

7 a.m. – leave from Little Deli

stop at Thunderbird Coffee

stop at Quack’s Bakery

stop at Shoal Creek Conservancy fueling station at Duncan Park (Live Music Station)

end at City Hall Plaza

Northeast

7 a.m. – leave from Reagan High School

stop at Mueller Neighborhood Association fueling station at Aldrich St. roundabout

stop at Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity Center

stop at Texas Coffee Traders **LIVE MUSIC STATION**

end at City Hall Plaza

South

7 a.m. – leave from Dittmar Recreation Center

stop at St. Elmo Elementary School

stop at Twin Oaks Library

stop at Bicycle Sports Shop fueling station at Pfluger Bridge (Live Music Station)

end at City Hall Plaza

Bus backup

If your commute takes you far past the central city, don’t forget that Capital Metro has bike racks on its busses and its train. Anyone who pledges to bike to work on Friday, May 17 (and bikes to or from work),

Fueling stations: free stuff

Businesses and organizations throughout the city support and encourage Bike to Work Day participants in the form of free food and drink (and promotional swag) at designated fueling stations.

Be sure to get a “passport” at the first fueling station and get stamped at participating stops. A stamped passport will get you free admission to the afterparty at Cheer-up Charlie’s, and each stamp you get enters you in a separate door-prize drawing.

Live Music

There will be live music acts performing at some fueling stations as sell as at other places throughout the city for morning commutes. Performances are 7–9 a.m.:

Shoal Creek Conservancy Ninth and Shoal Creek Trail: Lesley Reynaga

Bicycle Sport Shop at the Pfluger Bridge: David Beck’s Tejano Weekend

Texas Coffee Traders at TCT: Marcus Morales

Kickoff and afterparty

There will also be music, refueling, and more to kick off the day at City Hall. Musician SaulPaul will start the day with a performance at 7:30 a.m. and cap an 8 a.m. press conference with another performance at 8:45 a.m. City Hall will also play host to a variety of special stations, including CLIF Bar, Austin Transportation Department, Lime, AARP, Regions Bank, CapMetro, Austin B-Cycle, and Austin Energy. Tacos from Pueblo Viejo and Taco Deli will also be provided.

Bike to Work Day concludes with a Bike After Work Party with music by Chulita Vinyl Club, treats from Gemelli Gelato, and drinks at popular downtown club Cheer Up Charlie’s, 5-8 p.m. Admission is free with a stamped Bicycle Passport, which also enters you into a door prize drawing, featuring prizes from the event’s sponsors.