Madison Bike Week 2020

It’s the best biking event in town, but this year, we’re doing things a little differently.

Madison Bike Week has a history going back over twenty years. Despite the challenges of COVID-19, we are excited to put on a socially-distanced celebration of biking. Bike Week celebrates riding to work, to the grocery store, to a park, to the library—or biking just to feel the warm wind blowing through your hair. We’re working with local hosts to bring you a safe, fun week.

Head straight to the calendar of events!

To keep up with the latest details join Madison Bikes. It’s free!

Calendar of Events

Week-long discounts and activities

Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison bike donation week

Have a bike you’d like to donate to someone who can’t afford one? Drop it off at one of our participating bike donation locations around the city during Madison Bike Week!

During Madison Bike Week, September 12-20, Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison is partnering with some local organizations to collect bike donations. If you have a gently used bike that you no longer need and want it to have a new owner that wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford one, please consider donating it to Free Bikes 4 Kidz!

Each year, Free Bikes 4 Kidz Madison gives over 1,000 bikes to low income and underserved communities throughout Dane County. We’ve set a lofty goal of giving away 2,000 bikes in 2021 but we need your help to make it happen!

FB4K MADISON BIKE DONATION STATIONS

Just South of the Beltline at Rimrock Road

Delta Beer Lab, 167 E. Badger Road, Madison, www.delta.beer

Delta is supporting FB4K by offering Beers for Bikes! Donate a bike and get a pint of their locally brewed craft beer! Drop off your bike donation anytime during Bike Week and the hours of 2pm-6pm at Delta Beer Lab on Madison’s south side.

East Side

Slow Roll Cycles, 4118 Monona Drive, Madison, slowrollcycles.com

Slow Roll is supporting FB4K by hosting a bike donation station during Bike Week! Drop off your gently used bikes at their east side location between the hours of M-F 10am-6pm; Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 11am-4pm. You’ll receive 10% off any regular price in stock item (except bikes & car racks).

North Side

Madison Mallards Duck Pond at Warner Park, 2920 N. Sherman Avenue, Madison, MallardsBaseball.com

Drop your bike donations off 12-5pm Monday-Saturday or by appointment by emailing . You’ll receive a complimentary Mallards hat when you donate your gently used bikes!

West Side

Keva Sports Center, 8312 Forsythia Street, Middleton, KevaSports.com

Drop your bike donations off between 9am-11pm Monday through Friday at Keva.

Fitchburg

Race Day Events and Griessmeyer Law, 2995 Sub Zero Parkway, Fitchburg, RaceDayEvents.com GriessmeyerLaw.com

Drop off your gently used bikes anytime between 9am–4pm Monday-Friday. You’ll get a free water bottle and a Hop Haus Beer with your donation!

Schwinn Swag Rides

Ride a Schwinn Route in Ride Spot to Win a 125th Anniversary Schwinn Beanie (picture below)

  1. Download the Ride Spot app and create an account

  2. Complete any of the three Schwinn challenges USING THE APP

  3. Once completed, your information will be sent to Schwinn through the app and you’ll be contacted about your beanie!

PHILANTHROPIC EVENT – Schwinn is participating in the Pedal for Good Community Food Drive and will have a food donation bin to combat food insecurity in our region. Please bring a toiletry or non-perishable food item to drop off before you ride one of the Ride Spot Challenges! The donation bin will be at the front door of the Pacific Cycle building and can be accessed during normal business hours (8am-5pm Monday through Friday). Feeding America predicts food insecurity will affect 12% of the Dane County population. That’s an increase of 63%, meaning 24,620 more people will need help this year!

   

Bike Benefits Blitz

The photo challenge starts on the 1st of September. Look at the www.bicyclebenefits.org map of all the unique places around the area and plan on visiting a new place EVERY day in September. Every unique place where you use Bicycle Benefits and post a photo counts. Prizes will be sweet and the bike rides will be even better!

  1. Pick up a $5 Bicycle Benefits helmet sticker at a local business

  2. Use it at bike-loving places and post photos of your adventure.

  3. Win gift cards based on how many spots you use it during September.

 

Love to Ride – Cycle September

Cycle September brings the National Bike Challenge to a close. Your rides will help your club/group continue to climb the leaderboard and finish the NBC on a high note. For September you can also take part with your workplace and compete against others worldwide. If you want to show your support for Madison Bikes, join the Madison Bikes group on Love to Ride

Individuals and workplaces will compete locally, nationally and worldwide to earn the most points by riding and encouraging others to do the same.

You can ride anywhere, anytime during September – just a 10 minute ride is enough to take part.

 

Pedal for Good Community Food Drive

Help us meet a growing community need by donating food and supplies at participating bike shops throughout September! Donations will benefit the Community Action Coalition, which delivers to over 80 sites in Dane, Jefferson, and Waukesha Counties.

Post a Story with a photo of yourself donating and hashtag or to be entered into a drawing for a Saris bike rack at the end of the month!

  

Madison BCycle Free Membership

We’ve created a promo code: bikeweek2020 which can be used by riders at the kiosk or on the mobile app as long as they don’t have an existing membership with BCycle. This code offers a free one-month membership with unlimited 60-minute trips! Usage fees will still apply for any rides longer than 60 minutes @$3/30minutes. To avoid these fees, riders can check bikes into a dock and re-check out a bike immediately.

  1. Visit any Madison BCycle station

  2. Download app or find nearest station at madison.bcycle.com

  3. Go through steps at the kiosk to select ‘Monthly Pass’

  4. When asked ‘Have a Promo Code’ select ‘Yes’ and enter bikeweek2020

Note that using this code will enable auto-renewal every month, so if you don’t want to auto-renew, be sure to turn that off in your BCycle profile after applying this code.

 

UW-Madison Bike Scavenger Hunt

A month-long, campus-wide bike scavenger hunt open to UW-Madison students, faculty, and staff. Event runs September 2 – 30. Download the free GooseChase app (Apple App Store or Google Play), search for “UW-Mad Bike Scavengers,” and get started on your first mission. You’ll have the chance to learn more about campus and Madison and even compete to win prizes!

 

Fitchburg Cycles Bike Week Discount

20% off in-store for bike week. Limitations apply on discount offer, contact shop for further details. (No discounts on bikes, labor, car racks, trainers, or special order items.) Discount applies to any individuals who ride to the shop and show their helmet.

Cycle September Trails and Parks Clean Up

Pedal for Good is a month-long celebration of biking in Madison. Activities include a trail and park cleanup, a food drive, an online class and more.

Help Madison Parks and the City Traffic Engineering Division by cleaning up a trail or park. Before you head out for a bike ride, grab a few supplies, plot your course and stop at a park or trail – picking up trash along the way. Use the online interactive maps to find a trail or park near you.

Bike Trails: Search by address or place

Parks: Search by address and amenity

Place your filled trash bags at the edge of the park, near a paved path or in the trash can, if available. Be sure to follow up with an email to to alert us of the location and work completed. We request all volunteers complete and submit the Volunteer Release Form. Send any photos along as well. We love photos to share! Thank you in advance for keeping trails and parks clean!

Volunteers are reminded of the following:

  • This is a solo project or done with members of your household only.

  • No group projects.

  • Bring your own bags.

  • Use gloves and hand sanitizer.

  • A cloth face covering is recommended.

Bike Rides

While group rides aren’t possible while social distancing, we’ve created fun routes across town. Explore themed routes and more of different lengths. Strava and Ride Spot integration, as well as GPX files, are available so you know where to go. We’d love to see your pictures of exploring the city on these rides!

Bike to a Food Fight Restauant!

Jump on your bike and stop by any Food Fight restaurant (dine-in or carryout), and show your bike helmet and you’ll get $5 off your bill of $20 or more.

**Carryout orders must be placed and paid for over the phone. Please mention “Madison Bike Week $5 off” when ordering.

Visit foodfightinc.com to check out our roster of local restaurants.

Beers for Bikes

Bring in a gently used bicycle 2-6pm during Madison Bike Week, September 12-20th and receive a free pint! N/A options also available.

[up]

Friday, September 11

“Pick Me Up At The Border” Bike Ride (*Bike Week Preview Night!)

Join Bike Fitchburg for their annual “Pick Me Up At The Border” bike ride, September 11th to celebrate the start of bike week! The ride begins at 7:00pm and riders will travel 80 miles round trip along the Badger State Trail to the Illinois border and back.

If you prefer a shorter ride, you can do the round trip 50 mile round trip from Monticello, or 25 mile round trip from Belleville.

Registration fee required – see site for details.

 

[up]

Saturday, September 12

No events announced (yet!)

[up]

Sunday, September 13

Bicycle Brunch with Dream Bikes

Bike, brunch and do a little good. Grab the family and pedal over to Everyday Kitchen for Sunday brunch where Dream Bikes will be offering free bike washes and safety checks from 8 am to noon. Reservations can be made at OpenTable.

Cargo Bike Family Hour!

A bike themed family-friendly event

 

[up]

Monday, September 14

Women, Trans, and Femme Bike Chat

Throughout the U.S., women* bike less than men* for transportation, recreation, and sport. Why? Even in Madison, which has a better record than many cities, the disparities are very noticeable. What keeps you from biking? What keeps your friends, family, or colleagues from biking? There has been a lot of academic research and discussion on this topic, but we want to hear from you.

Join us for a casual discussion of what keeps women, trans, and femme folks from biking more, or at all. Bring your ideas, gripes, solutions, concerns, and encouragement for others. Based on this discussion we may schedule future sessions on more specific topics, such as errands, biking with kids, male culture in recreational biking, biking groups for WTF, or other topics that come out of this.

*Women and men here are used as a shorthand, and not meant to be binary or exclusive. For this event, we are asking that only people who identify as female, trans, or nonbinary. We want to be able to speak freely amongst ourselves.

Madison Bikes board members Heather Pape and Robbie Webber will be joined by Zia Brucaya from the Madison Area MPO as hosts, but this discussion is for you, not us.

Monday, September 14 at 6:00 pm

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88097800488

[up]

Tuesday, September 15

Edward Jones Financial Services Bike Station

Bike stop/station with pre-packaged snack, water, Gatorade

 

Tuesday Night Meander

A socially distanced Tuesday casual evening ride, starting at Slow Roll Cycles and ending at the Muskie Lounge. Please wear a mask, behave in a COVID-safe manner – and join for as much or little of the ride as you like. Any bike, any person, any pace is welcome.

“Bicycle Flat Fix” Virtual Class

“Bicycle Flat Fix” virtual class – September 15, 7-8:30 p.m. Class taught by India Viola, local bicycle advocate and educator. Learn what you need to fix flat tires with confidence in this in-depth flat fix clinic for front wheels. Pre-registration is required at Bicycle Flat Fix Class – WebEx online registration.

Limited to 12 attendees, with a waitlist available. Once you are approved by the host, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions for joining the session.

[up]

Wednesday, September 16

Edward Jones Financial Services Bike Station

Bike stop/station with pre-packaged snack, water, Gatorade

 

Slow Rolling to Nowhere?

Don your mask, bike to Slow Roll Cycles and Cafe Crema, and enjoy donut muffins, coffee, bike checks, and long distance conversations outside.

 

Cargo Bikes & Business

The 2015 Bicycle Plan recommended increasing the use of bicycles by city agencies and providing support for local businesses to use bicycles for freight, cargo and other uses. Join us during Bike Week to learn more about how cargo bikes are being used right here in Madison by City departments as well as by local businesses. Learn more, ask questions and discuss how you and your business could make use of this environmentally friendly, healthy mode of transportation.

Zoom Registration:

[up]

Thursday, September 17

No events announced (yet!)

[up]

Friday, September 18

Edward Jones Financial Services Bike Station

Bike stop/station with pre-packaged snack, water, Gatorade

 

CamRock Women’s (trans inclusive) ride

Social-Distance Singletrack Ride, open to W/T/F identifying mountain bikers ages 18+

[up]

Saturday, September 19

No events announced (yet!)

[up]

Sunday, September 20

Bicycle Brunch with Dream Bikes

Bike, brunch and do a little good. Grab the family and pedal over to Everyday Kitchen for Sunday brunch where Dream Bikes will be offering free bike washes and safety checks from 8 am to noon. Reservations can be made at OpenTable.

1st Annual Madison Brewery Bike Race

Join us for the 1st annual Madison Brewery Bike Race! There is no marked course – just get from one brewery to the other and back as fast (or slow) as you can.

Race for time or ride for fun. Riders must obey all traffic laws, wear face masks and practice social distancing.

Registration fee required – see site for details.

 

Pop Up Wheel Spots

Do you think there should be mountain bike facilities on the north and east sides of Madison? So do we, and here’s a good chance to let the right people know. We’re teaming up with Madison Parks and the Madison Skatepark Fund to build enthusiasm for more and better amenities for our sports by hosting pop-up Wheel Spots, where people can get an idea of the possibilities. We’ll have our mobile features there, and the skaters are bringing something for the small-wheel crowd. Get on your self-propelled wheeled conveyance of choice and join us!

[up]

Calendar last updated Sep 16, 2020, 1:01:09 PM

Want to Host an Event or Offer a Deal/Discount?

There are many ways to host events, even while promoting social distancing. Some ideas include:

  • Host a COVID-19 safe event! Do you have a great route suggestion to/from your place of business – want to show off a cool new bike rack? How about an idea for a virtual event?
  • Offer deals and benefits to people riding during this week! Everyone loves a reason to jump on the bike and visit a new (or old) favorite store, restaurant, etc.

Learn more below if you want to be a part of this great event. Whether you’re a long-time host or partnering with us for the first time, we’re excited to have you on board.