It's Time to Ride a Bike
Tag: Blog • Shopping & Leisure
Downtown Tempe loves bicycles and those who ride their bikes to work, class, or just for a leisurely ride. Since 2003, Tempe has been considered a Bicycle Friendly Community by The League of American Bicyclists. That means that Tempe “welcomes bicyclists by providing safe accommodations for bicycling and encouraging people to bike for transportation and recreation. A bicycle-friendly place makes bicycling safe, comfortable, and convenient for people of all ages and abilities.” That’s a GREAT national distinction for our downtown!
Spring 2022 is packed full with bicycle awareness campaigns - April is Tempe Bike Month and it is also Bike Month Valley-wide. Bike to Work Day in Tempe is April 20. Ride your bike to work and from 6:15 - 8:00 am stop in at one of the parks listed below to get a free T-shirt - just for riding your bike to work or school (you can even join the Mayor's ride which will start at 7:30 a.m. at Kiwanis Park and travel along College Avenue to Daley Park):
- Kiwanis near the batting cages (6005 S. All America Way)
- Daley just east of College in the parking lot off of Encanto
- Jaycee near Westside Multi-Gen Center entrance (715 W. 5th Street)
- Escalante near Senior Center entrance (east of River; south of University)
- Evelyn Hallman in parking lot (west of College Avenue south of McKellips)
- Waggoner at Lakeshore and Carver
New for 2022 is Tempe Bike Month Bingo. Through April 30, players can complete the tasks found in the squares of the bingo card. Once a player has completed all the tasks in a row, they can claim BINGO by posting pictures on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Posts must tag Tempe and use the hashtag #TempeBikeMonth. Get your Bingo Card HERE under Bike Bingo.
If you are in need of some new wheels to celebrate Bike Month, you must check out The Bicycle Cellar located on the first floor of the Tempe Transportation Center. The Bicycle Cellar is a unique facility for all bike lovers - you can ride in to get top-notch service, gear up from the store, rent some wheels, or stow your ride and get fresh for the workday.
Fun Bike Tip: Tired of riding alone? Want to ride with someone who already knows the ropes? Find a bike buddy by registering at ShareTheRide.com and selecting “Find Commuting Partners.” You can also use the site to map out commuting routes.
So once you've arrived downtown on your bike, where should you put your bike once you’ve reached your destination downtown?
Do you use one of these?
What about these?
Please tell me you aren’t one of these! Fences, flower pots, and trees are NOT acceptable fixtures to use as bike racks.
Just along the Mill Avenue corridor alone there are 214 racks for public use.
You can also use the Bike Corral near the entrance to Tempe Beach Park to park your bike. The Bike Valet was the project for Tempe Leadership Class XXX and is the perfect place to park your bike for Tour de Fat on April 9, 2022, IRONMAN Arizona in October & November and other events at Tempe Beach Park.
Like they say, you just can't be sad when you are riding a bike - so get out there this month and every month!