Bike Month 2026
This May, we celebrate all the ways people ride during National Bike Month.
There are so many ways to celebrate Bike Month: sharing ice cream with your community on First Friday, your commute during Bike to Work Week (and Day!), riding/rolling to school on May 6th, or learning how to take care of your bike.
First established in 1956, National Bike Month is a chance to proudly ride or give it a try. The Coalition has a long history of Bike Month celebrations – from ice cream rides and movie screenings to parades and pizza – the bike has been, and will always be, a tool for bringing us together.
Harrisonburg City Parks and Recreation has teamed up with the Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition to present you with various activities to celebrate Bike Month. All events are free, and are open to all.
Group Rides to Join:
May 1: Kline’s First Friday Ice Cream Ride
We are kicking off Bike Month with a First Friday Ice Cream Ride to Klines! This will be a casual, around-town bike ride designed for the whole family. Before enjoying the rest of your evening downtown, this will be a mellow and gentle ride through town. All are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Date: Friday, May 1st
Time: 6p-7p
Location: We’ll meet in the parking lot next to Kline’s on E. Wolfe St. in Downtown Harrisonburg
Route: 2 mile loop in Downtown Harrisonburg
Bring your helmet and bring your kids! (And if you’re under 18, bring a parent or guardian and money for ice cream!)
May 2: Hillandale Bike Rodeo
Date: Saturday, May 2nd
Time: 10:00am-12:00pm
Location: Hillandale Park
Come out to Hillandale Park to get your bikes ready for summer riding! We will help you adjust your bike, inflate your tires, and make sure helmets are fitting well. This activity is open to all ages.
We will also be hosting a DIY Bike Maintenance Clinic at 11a, free to join.
Learn bike safety, test your riding skills, enjoy prizes, and learn about biking opportunities in the Harrisonburg area. Participants can ride through different obstacle courses, ride the trails, or take on the pump track.
Representatives from local bike organizations, Harrisonburg Fire and Police will all be at this event! Helmets are required by law in Harrisonburg for anyone 14 years of age or younger. This event will run rain or shine. We will cancel for severe weather.
May 2: DIY Bike Maintenance Clinic
Date: Saturday, May 2nd
Time: 11:00 PM – 12:00 PM
Location: Hillandale Park Shelter (next to the Bike Rodeo)
Dust off your wheels and learn essential bike maintenance skills to keep your biking riding well. Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or just starting out, this FREE event offers invaluable knowledge to keep your ride in top condition. This workshop will be presented by Ben Wyse, coordinator of the Bikes for Neighbors program at the Coalition.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn from the best and confidently maintain your bike at home! Admission is FREE, but space is limited sign up online and grab your bike to join us for a fun and informative session.
Find us at the Shelter at the back of Hillandale Park next to the Bike Rodeo.
May 6: Walk, Ride and Roll to School Day
Ever seen a Bike Bus?
Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day provides opportunities for children to interact and socialize with their peers, teaches pedestrian and bicycle safety skills, and creates positive experiences that encourage active and independent transportation later in life.
Most of all, it’s a party parade..all before school even starts! This is a partnership with Harrisonburg City Safe Routes to School Program. However, we hope that wherever you are, you will join in on the fun!
To protect the safety of kids, routes will be shared with the families through each of the schools.
*If you would like to lead a “walk or bike bus” on May 6th, please contact vog.avgrubnosirrah@reyorT.aerdnA
May 15: Bike Anywhere Day
We are reimagining what was formerly “Bike to Work Day”/ “Bike Everywhere Day.” Why stop at biking to work? We want to celebrate biking ANYWHERE!
In partnership with Harrisonburg Parks and Recreation, we will host a complimentary breakfast on Court Square from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. for all riders and walkers. We will have Mole Hill Bikes, Rocktown Bikes, Park View Credit Union, Renew Rocktown, Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley, and Virginia Clean Cities joining us on Court Square to kick off the day.
Date: Friday, May 15th
Location: Court Square, Downtown Harrisonburg.
Time: 7a-10a
Stop by on your way to work, school, or wherever you are heading. Join us for coffee, fruit, bagels, and pastries, and start your day the best way we know how – on the bike, with friends!
May 20: The Ride of Silence
For 20 years, the Coalition has participated in the Ride of Silence to honor those who have been injured or killed while riding bicycles on our public roads, raise awareness that we are people, and to value our personal safety.
Although cyclists have a legal right to use the road along with motorists, the motoring public often isn’t aware of these rights and is sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves.
This is a FREE ride, but you are REQUIRED to sign a Waiver: Click to Sign.
What to Expect: For the Ride of Silence, cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. The ride is FREE and will go no more than 12 miles per hour.
Date: Wednesday, May 20
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Harrisonburg, TBD (register for address)
May 29: Staunton Ice Cream Ride
Let’s wrap up the end of Bike Month with a Staunton Ice Cream Ride!
Join us for an easy-paced, family-friendly bike ride around town — perfect for all ages and abilities! Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.
Date: Friday, May 29th
Time: 6:00–7:00 PM
Meet: By the Duck Pond at Gypsy Hill Park, Staunton
Route: 2 miles, one-way
We’ll do a quick loop through the park, then ride together into Downtown Staunton via Churchville Ave → Central Ave → Beverley St, ending with ice cream at Split Banana! 🎉
This is a one-way group ride — feel free to hang out downtown or head home on your own afterward.
✅ What to bring:
- A bike & helmet for each rider
- A parent or guardian if you’re under 18
- Money for ice cream!
Other Campaigns
We’re increasing personal freedom with the help of bicycles.
Safe routes to schools, work, stores, and home create connected communities.
We’re building accessible, beautiful, and adventurous National Forest Trails.
Public-private partnerships elevate Trail opportunities for all.
