The Capitol BikeFest drew several hundred cycling enthusiasts and commuters to the west steps of the State Capitol on Thursday. 40 vendors, representing bicycle shops, cycling clubs, advocacy groups, transportation providers and health awareness, kept up with the steady stream of BikeFest attendees. Bike Month T-shirts and snacks were given out to cyclists registered at the May is Bike Month website. Over 7,700 cyclists have registered and pledged to ride over 1.4 million miles in May. To date, nearly 500,000 miles have been logged. Free bicycle valet parking was provided by Park-a-Bike with over 140 bicycles securely parked in a corral at the center of the festivities. Raffle prizes i

(Click on above photos for larger view.) May is Bike Month officially opened today with a ceremony along the riverfront promenade. Organizers handed out t-shirts and bike safety information to the 100 people who attended. A bike ride through downtown Sacramento followed the kick-off event. The co-chairs of the Bike Month campaign are West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon and Mercy San Juan Medical Center Safe Kids Coordinator Sonja Atkins. Cabaldon opened the event by announcing the May mileage challenge has been doubled to two million miles for the Sacramento region. He said the previous one million mile challenge had been met the last three years. Cabaldon said 43% of commutes and

The weather should be perfect this weekend as May is Bike Month kicks off in the Sacramento region. Get your bike tuned up and ready to ride this weekend and then ride to work on Monday, May 2, and come out for a lunchtime ride led by the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates. The kick-off will start at 11:30 a.m. along the Sacramento Riverfront Promenade, located at 1800 Front Street in Sacramento, just south of O Street. The low-speed bike ride will start at noon, traveling through downtown and midtown and ending by 12:50 p.m. Bicycling has taken off in the Sacramento region as an easy way for people to get to work or school, run errands, or just ride for fun. Sacramento was recently ranke

After attending the May is Bike Month kick off press conference and ride last Saturday, I rushed home to register and log my bicycling miles online. I found the May is Bike Month website to be quick and easy. It also has a lot of cool features like commuter clubs, an employer directory, programs for schools, and you can even challenge a friend! If you live in the Sacramento region, please visit www.mayisbikemonth.com and help make this a Million Mile May. I especially appreciate the May is Bike Month effort because it encourages people to actually use their bikes to commute and get things done. Since America's love affair with the automobile and subsequent addiction to cheap oil, bikes ar

The weather should be perfect this weekend as May is Bike Month kicks off in the Sacramento region. Join us on Saturday, May 1, at 1 p.m. for a kick off event and a ride led by the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates. The kick-off will be at River Walk Park, 651 2nd Street in West Sacramento, right next to the Ziggurat and CalSTRS buildings. Bicycling has taken off in the Sacramento region as an easy way for people to get to work or school, run errands, or just ride for fun. Sacramento was recently ranked fourth in the nation for bicycle commuting and the region is a prominent part of the Amgen Tour of California, racing through cities from Auburn to Winters. May is Bike Month is a campa

Spandex and helmet-wearing cyclists dominated the Capitol as they circulated from booth to booth after valeting their bikes at BikeFest 2009. As part of a monthlong celebration of bicyclists and Bike to Work Day on Thursday, bike vendors, transit companies and biking teams from around the area set up shop on the steps of the Capitol to inform and encourage both avid and potential cyclists of the benefits of biking and how to get involved in Sacramento's growing bike scene. "Bike Fest is a great way to promote health and wellness in the community and I'm always happy to see so many cyclists adding up their miles...," said Jennifer Lemos, a representative for Sacramento County Parks and Re

 On Wednesday, May 14, Hot Italian gave out free slices of pizza. On Sunday, May 17, Chipotle gave out free burritos during a four-hour period. And through the end of the month, Lucca Restaurant and Bar is giving out dessert with a purchase of any entree and Morgan's Bar & Grill will be selling Pabst Blue Ribbon for only a buck and pitchers for $5. But wait...there's a catch. All of these offers are only valid if you arrive at the eatery or bar via bicycle. As part of Bike Month, local businesses have come together to encourage riding on two wheels instead of driving on four. The month is about to end but cyclists still have a chance to don their helmets and partake in the festivities; o

Dozens of bikers braved the pouring rain and biked from West Sacramento through downtown and midtown, ending their soggy ride at the Bicycle Kitchen on 20th and I. Ed Cox, City Bike and Pedestrian Coordinator led this group ride Friday, May 1 to kick off Bike Month, a month-long event which encourages Sacramento-area residents to try bicycling as a mode of transportation. The ride followed a press conference in which Davis Mayor Pro Tem Don Saylor and Roseville Councilmember Jim Gray, co-chairs of the event, spoke about the importance of cycling. This event, sponsored by Sacramento Area Council of Governments and various transportation management associations and organizations, also encou