5 Ways to Bike More This May
By Lace Thornberg, Communications Director
Bike infrastructure improvements throughout Bend are making travel by two wheels all-the-more appealing, accessible, and safe—just in time for great spring goings-on around town!
“I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride it where I like.”
There is great wisdom in these words. Luckily, the thaw of springtime means it’s time to live more life on two wheels. Central Oregon is known far and wide for its plethora of pedaling possibilities—generous gravel to grind, manicured single track thrills, bikepacking backwoods, and scenic paved byways.
No matter your preferred cycling surface, we can all find unique and rewarding opportunities to opt for bike-travel more often in our day-to-day lives. Whether it’s gear shifting to the grocer, cruising to coffee, or taking a spin to spin class, it’s surprising how efficiently a bicycle can get you where you need to go. Plus, Bend’s recent cycling infrastructure upgrades can make the experience all-the-more accessible, safe, and enjoyable.
Here’s a round-up of some local goings-on, community events, and locales to bike to in May—starting off with a back-to-back-to-back bonanza this very week.
MAY 5 – RIDE TO A REVEAL
5:00–7:00 p.m. | Meet at City Hall
Be the first to experience some of Bend’s newest cycling infrastructure improvements! Join the City of Bend and its Bend Bikeways Project for a Tuesday night community ride showcasing newly installed traffic diverters and wayfinding signage along the City's designated bikeways in the Old Bend and River West neighborhoods.
Meet at City Hall at 5:00 p.m. to pick up route maps, project information, and swag, before the ride departs promptly at 5:30 p.m.
Fresh local produce on display at the Bend Farmers Market.
MAY 6 – FREEWHEEL TO THE FARMERS MARKET
11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. | Brooks Alley
The Bend Farmers Market reopens for the season on Wednesday, May 6. Few springtime delights are better than pedaling downtown with the promise of overloading your panniers with fresh produce, flowers, goods, and the general joy that comes from participating in our local food system.
Whether you opt for a backpack, a basket, or a rear rack to haul it all, plan to make the weekly veggie run a two-wheeled ritual all season long.
MAY 7 – CRUISE TO A CAUSE
5:30–7:30 p.m. | The Star Bar at Worthy Brewing
Cycling can really work up a thirst, so roll on over to Worthy Brewing on May 7 for a refreshing beverage and a special event hosted by Central Oregon LandWatch and Advocates for the West. A Partnership for the Future will highlight how these two organizations are working together to defend public lands, clean water, and wildlife across the region.
Space is limited, so be sure to RSVP.
MAY 21 – BIKE TO THE BEAT
5:00–8:00 p.m. | Alpenglow Park
This summer, make a habit of biking down to Bend's newest outdoor concert series. Alpenglow Nights will bring free live music, local food and drink, and family-friendly fun to Alpenglow Park in SE Bend every Thursday evening through June 25. The series kicks off May 21 with a mix of rockabilly, blues, and soul, and the weeks ahead promise eclectic genres spanning Gypsy jazz, Latin funk, reggae, soul, and more. Admission is free—just bring lawn chairs, blankets, and your crew.
Alpenglow Park is an eminently bikeable destination from most neighborhoods in the city.
MAY 30 – ROLL TO ECOCHELLA
3:30–7:30 p.m. | Drake Park Amphitheater
Community justice never sounded so good. An afternoon of music, aerial silks, and celebration in Drake Park is the perfect occasion to bike to. Connect with organizations doing important work, find ways that you can get involved, and meet like minded people motivated to make Central Oregon a better place for all of us.
This is an event for all ages, so bring your kids and your friends.
WHY BIKING MORE MATTERS
May is National Bike Month, and this particular spring in Bend feels different because of our multimodal momentum: new bike lanes, a growing calendar of community events worth riding to, and a city that is genuinely becoming more navigable on two wheels.
Every bike trip that replaces a car trip is a small act for cleaner air, less congestion, more chance community encounters, and more folks embracing bicycles as a perfectly normal way to get around.
The infrastructure is improving, the springtime reasons to ride abound, and the only thing left to do is show up on our bikes! So pump us those tires, strap on your helmet, and add a little extra stoke-via-spoke to your daily errands, get-togethers, and springtime merriment.
City of Bend bike event in Northwest Crossing.
