Bike Month Kicks Off with Neighborhood Ride and Festival

May is National Bike Month, and the Knoxville region has many free rides, classes and events to celebrate it. To kick off local activities, two keynote events are scheduled ? I Bike KNX Festival and Neighborhood Bike Ride. They will be held Sunday, May 6 at Market Square from 1 ? 5:30 p.m. Festivities begin with helmet and bike decorating and free safety checks. The Neighborhood Ride commences from the Square at 2 p.m. for a tour of South Knoxville and returns to downtown for the Festival.

After 11 years of holding the Neighborhood Bike Ride in the fall, this year's ride has moved to the spring to be part of Bike Month. One of the community's most popular cycling events, the Neighborhood Bike Ride hosted several hundred participants at its previous outing. This family-friendly ride of less than 10 miles tours nearby neighborhoods at a casual pace, accommodating riders of all skill levels. Helmets are required ? festive attire is encouraged! Bike ride participants will enjoy free mini-cones from Cruze Farm and lemonade from Mast General Store.

The I Bike KNX Festival, now in its second year, showcases local bicycle resources, including area clubs and bike shops. Participants can make fruit smoothies using pedal power, learn how to change a flat tire, hear stories of traveling by bicycle, and get free bike stickers by taking the I Bike KNX safe biking pledge.

Many more Bike Month events, including other rides and classes, are listed online at www.knoxtrans.org/bikemonth. All are welcome to join the fun and celebrate National Bike Month.

Posted 5-02-2012, written by Kelley Segars