May is "Celebrate Bike Month!"

New York Bicycling Coalition Presents the 5th Annual Capital Bike Month 2008

May 1st-31st: “Let’s Celebrate Bike Month!” Poster Contest for kids.
Submissions accepted 5/1/-5/28; awards ceremony 5/31 during bicycle safety education class at Guilderland Public Library (see 5/31, below). Co-sponsored by the Guilderland Public Library and Altamont Free Library. Free and open to all children ages 4-17 throughout the Capital District. Prizes & giveaways sponsored by Plaine and Son and the Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club.

Friday, 5/2: 5:30-9PM: Urban Ride & Grand Opening of “Dream Wheels”
exhibit at UAG Gallery, 247 Lark St., Albany.
http://upstateartistsguild.org/DreamWheels (show runs 5/2-5/23).
Proceeds benefit NYBC and the Albany Bicycle Coalition (ABC). Urban ride departs at 5:30pm from Civil War Memorial in Washington Park (intersection of Henry Johnson Blvd. & State St.). 12 mile route featuring ABC’s Albany Bike Map and proposed bike routes; returns to UAG gallery for Grand Opening Gala.

Sunday, 5/4: 10:00A.M.-3:00PM: Free “Open House” Day and BBQ at Saratoga Mountain Bike Association (SMBA) Trails. Team LUNA Chix of Upstate NY and the SMBA will be co-hosting several mountain bike rides throughout the day for various ability levels on the SMBA trails in Saratoga Springs. [NOTE: you are not required to be a SMBA member to attend this event.] Beginners, intermediates, and experts are welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information, visit www.saratogamtb.org or contact john@saratogamtb.org or treesawmtb@yahoo.com.

Monday, 5/12: Mohawk Hudson Cycling Club presents “Warm up for Bike to Work Day” Ride. Check your legs and practice your commuting route with the added benefit of increased safety in numbers that fellow cyclists can provide. Meet at 5:30pm at CDTA Delmar Park & Ride (intersection of Route 32 & 52, Delmar) for 13 mile round-trip venture from Delmar to Empire State Plaza in downtown Albany. Ride departs at 5:45pm. See www.webmhcc.org or contact kjempie@earthlink.net for more details.

Tuesday, 5/13: 9AM-10:30AM: Legislative Breakfast. 10:45AM-11:30AM Ride around the Capital. Legislative Office Building, Room 211A. Similar to the League of American Bicyclist's National Bike Summit, this is an opportunity to learn about the latest state legislation pertaining to bicyclists and pedestrians, voice your concerns, and interact with your local and state representatives. Following the breakfast, there will be a short ride around the State Capital and downtown Albany area. Co-sponsored by CK Cycles. RSVP to nybc@nybc.net by Friday, May 9th

5:00-8:00PM: “Tune Up Your Bike Night” and Free Repair Clinics at Troy Bike Rescue, 15 Trinity Place, Albany, NY 12202. For more information, call 518.986.2256, email troybikerescue@gmail.com, or visit www.troybikerescue.org.

Wednesday, 5/14: 5:30pm-8:00pm: Bicycle Rodeo for Kids and Families.
Free bike safety checks and helmet giveaways for children; one child’s bike will be donated to recipient of “Citizen’s Award,” chosen by Boys & Girls Club (B&GC). Location: Boys & Girls Club, 400 Craig Street, Schenectady. Co-sponsored by Plaine and Son and the B&GC of Schenectady.

Thursday, 5/15: 5:00pm: Commuter Contest: car vs. bus vs. cyclist.
Location: Starbucks to Starbucks (downtown Albany to Stuyvesant Plaza). Fabulous prizes & swag courtesy of Steiner’s Sports. For more information, visit www.nybc.net or email nybc@nybc.net.

Friday, 5/16: Bike to Work Day. 6 staging areas with mapped routes and bicycle escorts to downtown Albany; 3 rally points with designated bicycle parking; and a “commuter buddy” program offered to cyclists who choose not to ride alone. Co-sponsored by Downtown Albany BID, CDTA, O.G.S., Sports Signup, Sandwiches to Go, Steiner’s Sports, The Downtube, Elevate Cycles, EMS, Steuben Athletic Club, Capital District YMCA and Bruegger’s Bagels. For more information, visit www.nybc.net.

7:00pm: Film showing of “Contested Streets” at Guilderland Public Library (2228 Western Ave., Guilderland, NY 12084). Brief discussion to follow. Free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by GPL & NYBC.

Saturday, 5/17: 10am-3pm: LCI “Savvy Cyclist” Road I Class. Location:
University at Albany, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany, College of Arts & Sciences Bldg. Room 123. Instructors: Claire & Bert.
This course is offered free of charge and brought to you by NYBC and a grant from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. RSVP to nybc@nybc.net by Thursday, May 15th to reserve a space.

Wednesday, 5/21: 6pm: Ride of Silence (Albany). Start location: Corning Preserve (downtown Albany). 12 mile route will pass ghost bikes commemorating the deaths of 3 local cyclists. For more details, visit www.rideofsilence.org or email Claire Nolan
(cbnolou@yahoo.com) or Sue Troll (trollasko@aol.com).

Saturday, 5/31: 10:30am-12:30pm: Safe Cycling for Kids (and Their
Parents) Workshop. Guilderland Public Library. Winners of Bike Month poster contest announced and prizes distributed. Fun for the whole family! For more information, contact Jennifer Ogrodowski, Guilderland Public Library, at (518) 456-2400, ext. 34, ogrodowskij@uhls.lib.ny.us or Judith Wines, Altamont Free Library,
(518) 861-7239, winesj@uhls.lib.ny.us .