The eighth annual C-U Bike Month kicks off with Bike to Work Day on May 2, 2017. That day, ten Welcome Stations located across the community will be open from 7-10 a.m. offering free snacks, coffee, and Bike Month 2017 t-shirts to cyclists. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, all cyclists are invited to participate in this fun event. Residents are encouraged to register online at cubikemonth.org and to check in at one of the Welcome Stations on May 2.

Welcome Station locations are listed below and also available on a convenient online map.

Downtown Champaign (Champaign City Building, 102 N. Neil St., Champaign)

Champaign Public Works (702 Edgebrook Dr., Champaign)

Wolfram Research (100 Trade Center Dr., Champaign)

U of I Research Park** (Corner of First St. & St. Mary’s Rd., Champaign)

Campus Bicycle Center** (608 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Champaign)

Alma Mater** (1409 W. Green St., Urbana)

Campus Recreation Center East (CRCE) ** – rear of building (1102 W. Gregory Dr., Urbana)

University Laboratory High School** (1212 W. Springfield Ave., Urbana)

Downtown Urbana (Busey Bank, 201 W. Main St., Urbana)

Brookens Administrative Center (1776 E. Washington St., Urbana) **Denotes University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Location

Organized by Champaign County Bikes, the City of Champaign, the City of Urbana, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, Bike to Work Day is a community-wide event which encourages residents from all over town to celebrate the fun of biking to work.

Bike to Work Day isn’t simply about enjoying a nice bike ride. It’s also a way to give back to the community. In past years, Bike to Work Day participants raised money for the Kickapoo Rail Trail and a fleet of 25 bicycles for youth cycling education events. This year participants have the opportunity to donate to Champaign County Bikes’ Earn-A-Bike Program. This program is designed to support individuals in our community who need a bicycle for basic transportation by supplying a new, reliable bike, bicycle lights and locks, basic maintenance lessons, and on-road safety instruction.

Bike to Work Day is one of more than a dozen bicycle events being held across the community during C-U Bike Month. A calendar of events is available at http://CUbikemonth.org/calendar.html.

Contacts:

Jeff Yockey, Champaign County Bikes, jeff@champaigncountybikes.org, 217-565-1785

Leo Covis, Champaign County Bikes, covis.leo1@gmail.com, 510-387-7609

Ben LeRoy, City of Champaign, ben.leroy@champaignil.gov, 217-403-8800