RVA Bike Month 2020: Bike the Change

Our 7th Annual RVA Bike Month is coming! In this unprecedented time of societal response to the spread of COVID-19, our team of volunteers and we are heavily adapting this year’s offerings to be solo, virtual, informational, and service-oriented. Let’s stay safe, stay active, and celebrate growing the biking movement in the Richmond Region!

The success of RVA Bike Month, new bike/ped infrastructure, and growing the bike movement depends on the breadth and depth of our community; join our email list here!

We can’t wait for you to join. #rvabikemonth #yaybikes

New for this year, submissions

Several experiences this year will be accepting submissions (creative writing like poetry or short stories, photos, etc) or have forthcoming details. Register on our RVA Bike Month Google Form to be updated or to submit your works.

Google Form: event updates and submissions

Bike month events, deconstructed

April 21: Cycling Safely During a Pandemic, Virtual Richmond Urbanism Happy Hour (1 of 4)

An important introduction to RVA Bike Month 2020. Learn from local experts on how to bike safely in traffic and how to bike to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

April 28: Bikes, Buses, + Budget, Virtual Richmond Urbanism Happy Hour (2 of 4)

There’s lots to talk about when it comes to funding transportation in the Richmond region, and we’re in budget season! Learn what’s on the table and how to get involved.

May 5: Regional Bike/Ped Infrastructure and Funding, Virtual Richmond Urbanism Happy Hour (3 of 4)

New regional bike/ped transportation projects and funding are coming. Learn about the Ashland to Petersburg Trail, advancements made at the General Assembly, and more.

May 6: Alternative Bike to School Day (Tara F)

We can’t do a regular Bike to School Day, but you can still bike to celebrate your school and community. More details to come.

May 9: Virtual Cap2Cap ride, #c2cyourway (Claire B)

A mainstay of the RVA Bike Month calendar, the Cap2Cap ride is postponed this year. Enjoy a collective virtual ride on what would have been the day and share your enthusiasm for the Virginia Capital Trail online!

May 10: You Spin Me Right Round Mother’s Day Honor Ride (Laura P)

Ride in honor of your mother (and maybe with your mom – only if she’s a part of your household group). Event link to come.

May 12: How-to: Family Biking, Virtual Richmond Urbanism Happy Hour (4 of 4)

Ending on a lighter note, we’re seeing families spend much more time together in this time of the pandemic. Now is a great time to get into family biking! Learn more about family bikes, cargo bikes, the right seats and attachments for your kids, and tips from the pros.

May 12: Virginia Capital Trail Trivia (Claire B)

The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation will host an online trivia contest. How much do YOU know about the trail? Enter to win some great prizes!

May 14: JROC Virtual Ride (Katie L)

James River Outdoor Coalition knows how to celebrate the river! Join them for their virtual ride via Facebook live at 10am to highlight volunteerism and improvements in the James River Park!

May 15: Alternative Bike to Work Day (Jason J)

Every year we try to celebrate a new bike lane, trail, or project with the mayor for Bike to Work Day. This year, we’ll do just that – with a fresh format. Stay tuned for a solo celebration of Brook Road’s new protected bike lane to show your support for those who helped make it happen.

May 19: Noise sampling ride with the Science Museum of Virginia (Jeremy H)

All volunteers welcome! Let’s ride to various places around the city to take noise readings with a free phone app to contribute to an ambient noise study being conducted by the Science Museum of Virginia! Let’s “science the ****” out of this ride!

May 19: Deadline for Writing submissions, see below!

May 21: Trail Ambassador Training, Virtual (Claire B)

Trail ambassadors are amazing, and training for the next batch of volunteers will go virtual this time around. With the trail so busy, your help is needed!

May 22: Pizza Crawl 11 – deconstructed, solo pizza ride! (Andy S)

A foundation of RVA Bike Month, the Pizza Crawl will go solo this time around. But there’s no reason you can get a takeout pie and eat it in a park with your household group, and that’s still pretty solid. We’ve got some more ideas baking in the oven as we speak, so stay tuned for more.

May 24: Build a Bike Tutorial (Adam S)

Learn the basics of building up a bike from disassembled parts. Bring your questions, too!

May 25: Fourth Annual Kelly Treasure Hunt (Tim K)

This riddle-based scavenger hunt has become part of the backbone of our annual calendar of events. And it’s always been pretty socially-distant, so it’ll feel pretty normal. Put on your thinking caps, learn a bunch about the city, and win a cake!

May 29: Pride Ride, A Solo History Tour Ride (Sera E)

Ride around Richmond on a self-guided tour of Richmond’s LGBTQ history!

Choose your own adventure

Bell Joy Ride Bike Month Bingo

Adult ladies, only. Complete challenges from this amazing women’s mountain biking club to complete BINGO cards and enter a prize raffle!

PhotoTag RVA virtual bike tag (Katie M)

Join in on this game of “tag” in which you find an obscure place within city limits where a previous tagger shared the latest photo, making it your turn to find another cool location to share for the community to find. It’s amazing, and you’ll learn so many cool places.

Bike Walk Hanover Bike Bingo! (Judy M)

Bike Walk Hanover is developing a “bingo card” of things to do to celebrate RVA Bike Month. Some places to go, some things to do, some bike skills to practice, and more. More to come!

Treesure Hunt! (Daniel K)

Visit 12 tree sites in Richmond, show us with selfies and/or a Strava route posted on social media and tagged #rvabikemonth, and we’ll plant a tree in your honor!

3Peat Trail Challenge (Sports Backers)

To be released shortly, Sports Backers has a new virtual biking challenge to complete three major trail loops in our region to earn your prize. Leakes Mill, Pocahontas, and the James River Park System. Explore, be safe, go fast, have fun!

Virginia Capital Trail Scavenger Hunt (Claire B)

A fun interactive scavenger hunt to test out your detective skills. Look for key objects along the Trail, each time you find one perform a fun activity for 8 seconds.

RABA Distance Challenge (Wes S)

Richmond Area Bicycling Association will be hosting a riding mileage challenge for the month of May. Stay tuned for how to get registered.

Creative options

Creative Writing Contest (Georgiana B)

One of our wonderful Bike Walk Champions from Henrico County, Georgiana, is hosting a creative writing contest. Use some of that free time to stoke your creative side, and submit your best essays, poems, or article via the Google Form.

– Winners announced!

Bike selfie photo collage of all tagged #rvabikemonth photos (Rebecca S)

Tag your #rvabikemonth photos online, and let’s see how great of a collage former RVA Bike Month Committed Commuter winner Rebecca can make!

RVA Bike Month Awards

Best #rvabikemonth photo

Best #rvabikemonth meme (!)

Service

Do a bike lane or sidewalk cleanup! (see how-to below)

Help someone get their bike fixed!

Positive placemaking (sidewalk chalk messages, yarn-bombing)

Bike delivery for a needy neighbor. Check in on your people!

How-to’s!

Coffee Outside (Outpost Richmond)

Indoor riding, Zwift, and more (Brandon at Carytown Bikes)

Family Biking (coming May 12)

Virtual Bike Maintenance (VCU RamBikes)

Adopt a Bike Lane or Sidewalk (Louise LG)

Build up a bike from the frame (Adam Steinman)

Join Adam for a live video tutorial about how to build a bike up from parts! Sunday, May 24 at 5:30

Bikepacking (Mattie at Carytown Bikes)

Disclaimer:

I know that running or walking in an event that is organized as a virtual activity where I bike on my own, at a date and time of my choosing, in a location and running route of my choosing, which will not have any support or security measures in place by the Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers, is a potentially hazardous activity. I will not enter and run or walk unless I am qualified, in good health, medically able, and properly trained. I assume all risks associated with this virtual event including, but not limited to: falls, contact with other people, the effects of weather, including high heat and/or humidity, traffic, and the conditions of the road, all such risks being known and appreciated by me. I acknowledge that if I believe event conditions are unsafe, I will immediately discontinue participation in the virtual event. I further agree to abide by the Center for Disease Control (CDC)’s recommendations for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19 and will also follow any stay-at-home orders or other guidelines set forth by my local government officials when completing this virtual event. I fully accept and assume all responsibility for losses, costs, and damages I incur as a result of my running this virtual event. I agree to abide by any decision of a race official relative to my ability to safely complete the virtual event. Having read this waiver, knowing these facts, and in consideration of accepting my entry, I for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, discharge, waive, and release the Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers, Bike Walk RVA, any other sponsors, along with their officers, directors, agents, volunteers and employees from all claims or liabilities of any kind arising out of my participation in this virtual event.