May will put Ducks on wheels as campus celebrates Bike Month

Ducks will have lots of chances to do more than just waddle during National Bike Month this May.

Beginning with a smart cycle lunch-and-learn event May 1, a slew of biking events and opportunities both on and off campus will try to put Lane County on wheels for the entire month. And on top of all that, Peace Health Rides will celebrate its one-year anniversary with free rides for the entire month of May.

An official kickoff for the local event will take place in Kesey Square on May 3 with bicycle art by local artists, including the unveiling of the Pacific Pub Cycle bike "Mural on Wheels" by local Whiteaker neighborhood artist Wayde Love. More information is available on the May Is Bike Month Lane County Facebook events calendar.

The month will feature a number of bicycle-oriented events, including a river cleanup, social rides, breakfast on the Peter DeFazio Bridge and a ride hosted by the socially driven, grassroots organization CycloFemm.

This month’s events are made possible by the University of Oregon Bike Program, UO Transportation Services, Eugene-Springfield Safe Routes to School, the cities of Eugene and Springfield, Lane Transit District’s Point2point Solutions, Willamalane Park and Recreation District and the Greater Eugene Area Riders bicycling club, known as GEARs.

But the month has more than events hosted by organizations. During the month anyone who wants to host a bike-related event will get the chance by submitting the event to the #WeBikeLane website. From there, the event will be added to the community calendar.

“You could say, ‘I’ve always wanted to have all my friends dress up in Star Wars themes and ride on the river path in circles with our lights on a Thursday night,’” University of Oregon Bike Program Coordinator Kelsey Moore said. “Or it could be super obscure: ‘I’d really like to ride my bike to pick up doughnuts on a Sunday; let’s go do that.’”

May was established as Bike Month nationally in 1956, but organized events didn’t get going in the Eugene-Springfield area until 2014. This year the mayors of Springfield and Eugene will make a proclamation about May as Bike Month, Moore said.

The month also will include the Business Commute Challenge from May 11 to 17, coordinated by Lane Transit District. The challenge encourages Lane County commuters to walk, bike, ride transit, carpool or telework for a chance to win prizes and compete against their peers.

“What sets May as bike month apart is that normally if you wanted to do something bike-related, you have to go find everything that’s happening, you have to find the organization, you have to find the appropriate thing.” Moore said. “It’s a month where everything bike-related in Eugene is right in front of you.”

—By Bryan Dorn, University Communications