Throughout May, we host and collaborate with dozens of Oaks and Spokes business members and community partners to bring you a jam-packed month of biking fun! Check out everything we have going on below. Most events are all-ages. Invite your friends and family or chosen family! Let's make this year's Bike Month really special! Bike Month artwork by Claire Shadomy.
For 2024, we are partnering with our friends at Trophy Brewing and Pizza for "Bike It!" Be sure to grab your "Bike It" button at your first Bike Month event. If you attend 5 Bike Month events, you will receive a coupon for a free small cheese or pepperoni pizza at Trophy! Look for the ⭐ on our events page for "Bike It" qualifying events. *"Bike It" buttons and coupons can only be picked up at Oaks and Spokes events.
Every May Is Bike Month!
Bike Month 2024:
Week 1: April 25th - May 5th
Host: Downtown Raleigh Alliance
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Join Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Oak City Cycling Project, GoRaleigh and Oaks and Spokes for a morning of community and fun to kick off Bike Month in style. Complimentary bike check-ups (air in tires, oiled chain, etc.) are provided for all participants along with sweet treats and coffee from some of your favorite local DTR spots.
- May 1
- ALL MONTH LONG
- So & So Books: 719 N Person St, Raleigh, NC 27604
Host: So & So Books, Oaks and Spokes
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Reading: ‘Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities.’
Attend our Book Club meet-up at So & So on Thursday, June 6th at 6:00 PM to discuss this year’s book.
*You have to attend this book club discussion to get a Bike It star.
Host: Oaks and Spokes
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
THIS IS A DROP-IN MEETING. We will be set up at Raleigh Founded at 5:00 PM. Swing in when you can. All are welcome! We will be discussing talking points for public comment at the May City Council meeting on Tuesday, May 14th.
Our primary focus with public comment is to encourage Raleigh’s City Council to remove the language that prohibits funding for standalone bicycle and pedestrian facilities on North Carolina-maintained roadways.
We will also be sharing talking points to encourage the City Council to mandate enforcement when cars are parked in bike lanes.
Finally, we will review the map exercise from our last advocacy meet-up in the winter.
Host: Commute Smart Raleigh, Bike Raleigh
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Visit Pullen Park on Friday, May 3 as we kick off Bike Month! Music, bicycle advocates, safety checks, a bike decoration station, AAA of the Carolinas and a photo booth will all be part of this free family-friendly social event.
Vendors include:
AAA of the Carolinas – Giving away free bike helmets
Oaks and Spokes – Bike decoration station and free bike servicing
City of Raleigh Parks and Recreation Outdoor Recreation – Learn about opportunities to get outdoors in Raleigh this spring and summer
City of Raleigh Bicycle and Pedestrian – Learn about new bike-focused projects in Raleigh
And more!
Host: Marbles Kids Museum, Oaks and Spokes
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: FUN and EDUCATIONAL for KIDS and FAMILIES
Pedal Parade: Parade with your helmet, bike, and bling around Moore Square.
Bike Blast Obstacle Course: Ride, wheel or run your way through the course.
Traffic Garden: Stop, Go, Yield… Practice safety while taking a ride on a pretend city street.
STEAM Play: Explore, build and experiment with gears and wheels.
Bike Bling: Show off your style and bling out your bike and helmet.
Healthy, Active Fun: Try a healthy snack and learn how to fuel your body for maximum play.
Host: Raleigh Historic Development Commission, Raleigh Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission
Ride Vibe: MELLOW, SOCIAL, and EDUCATIONAL
May is Preservation Month and Bike Month! Hop on your bike for a ride into history. The Raleigh Historic Development Commission (RHDC), in partnership with the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC), will be hosting a bike ride that will begin and end at Crank Arm Brewing. The 6-mile route includes stops at five Raleigh Historic Landmarks including:
– Dr. M. T. Pope House
– Lemuel and Julia Delany House
– St. Agnes Hospital
– Mary Elizabeth Hospital
– Seaboard Coast Line Railroad Building
RHDC volunteers at each site will share a brief history of the property. Riders are encouraged to bring their own bikes and helmets. Limited bike rentals will be available through the Bike Library at Crank Arm. A few free Cardinal Share e-bikes will also be available.
Host: Oaks and Spokes
Ride Vibe: Choose your own adventure!
RIDE A BIKE TODAY! We have no specific event for this day, but we want to encourage everyone to go out and ride a bike. To sweeten the deal, take a photo or video of your bike ride and tag us (@oaksandspokes). When you tag us, we will re-share and enter you in to a special raffle drawing for some lovely swag!
Week 2: May 6th - May 12th
Host: Oaks and Spokes, Raleigh Brewing Co.
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: STRENUOUS and SOCIAL
Raleigh Brewing hosts a weekly Tuesday night road ride. However, the brewery is in a great location for riding both road and gravel in Umstead State Park. We will be leading a gravel ride from Raleigh Brewing every first Tuesday of the month until it gets too dark in the evenings to ride.
This will be a medium to advanced level ride. Helmets are required.
You do not have to RSVP. Just show up and bring a friend.
- May 8
- Varies Based On School
- Multiple Participating Schools
Host: Safe Routes To School Wake County, Oaks and Spokes, Multiple Schools across Raleigh.
Ride Vibe: FUN for KIDS and FAMILIES
Strap on your helmet and lace up your shoes. National Bike & Roll to School Day is May 8, 2024, and registration is now open.
Bike & Roll to School Day invites participants to celebrate the joy of active commuting while building a sense of community and school spirit. Whether addressing the need to make routes to school safer for active trips or encouraging children and teens to be more active, these events can be powerful tools to inspire lasting change. Of course, they are also fun!
While May 8 is this year’s official date, communities are welcome to celebrate any day in May that best fits their schedules. Register today to join the movement!
Host: Oaks and Spokes, Munjo Munjo, The Bike Library
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: MELLOW and SOCIAL
Critical Mass is the biggest ride in town. Once a month, riders in cities around the world fill the streets with bikes instead of cars. Critical Mass is a movement, a statement, and a peaceful protest all rolled into one – pushing back against the idea that you need a car to get around in a city. It started in San Francisco back in the early ’90s, taking over streets usually jammed with cars to show that bikes are just as viable as cars for urban transit. By riding en masse once a month, we make a claim for our right to the road, flipping the script on urban transit and challenging the car-is-king mindset.
Host: Raleigh Community Kickstand
Our friends at Raleigh Community Kickstand host a bike placement and repair event at Oak City Cares and the Men’s Center on S. Wilmington Street every second Saturday of the month.
These events are great for those with some knowledge about bike repair who want to use that knowledge for good by helping Kickstand provide free bikes and services to individuals experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness.
*This is not a ‘bring your own bike to be repaired’ event. It is a volunteer opportunity to help repair bikes.
Host: Oaks and Spokes, The Platform at West End, Boulted Bread, Raleigh City Farm.
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: MELLOW and SOCIAL
This one is for all of our moms out there! Mother’s Day is a huge event, and since it takes place in May, we wanted to make sure that we could host a ride for our mothers.
Moms, leave the partner and/or kids at home and come for a short morning coffee ride with your friends at Oaks and Spokes! We will be meeting at the Platform Apartments off Cabarrus Rd. From there, we will ride to Dorothea Dix Park and loop back down the hill to Boulted Bread for some coffee and treats. We may even have a special gift for you on your day!
*The whole family is welcome, too.
**You do not need to RSVP in advance. Just show up at 8:30am.
Week 3: May 13th - May 19th
Host: Oaks and Spokes, Trophy Maywood
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: MELLOW, SOCIAL, and CHALLENGING
Our monthly social mountain bike ride takes place every first Monday of the month during the spring, summer, and early fall. We depart from Trophy of Maywood at 6 pm and ride the greenway to Centennial Campus’ mountain bike trails at Lake Raleigh Woods. All ages and abilities are welcome to join! This is a social trail ride with several stops and regroup points.
We strongly encourage all attendees to have a mountain bike and some experience riding single-track mountain bike trails. Helmets are required!
You do not have to RSVP. Just show up and bring a friend!
Host: Oaks and Spokes
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: MELLOW and SOCIAL
Speak in person. If you wish to speak in person during Public Comments, you must sign up in advance using the online forms links. You may also call the Clerk’s office at 919-996-3040 to sign up. You are required to sign up by 3 p.m. on the Friday prior to the meeting. If you intend to utilize a presentation to accompany your remarks, you must submit presentation materials by 5 p.m. on the Friday prior to the meeting. Your presentation file should be emailed to councilpresentation@raleighnc.gov.
– If a speaker wishes to present information in electronic format, the sign-up procedures remain the same; however, the electronic information must be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Friday before the Council meeting.
Host: Oaks and Spokes, NC Families for Safer Streets
Ride Vibe: MELLOW and RESPECTFUL
On Wednesday, May 15th, 2024, at 6:00 PM, the Ride of Silence will traverse and unite the globe as never before. Cyclists will take to the roads in a silent procession to honor cyclists who have been killed or injured while cycling on public roadways. Although cyclists have a legal right to share the road with motorists, the motoring public often isn’t aware of these rights and sometimes not aware of the cyclists themselves.
We will be partnering with NC Families for Safer Streets to have a shoe memorial on the Capitol grounds for quiet reflection before and after our 4.3-mile ride. The significance of 4.3 miles is to honor the 43 cyclists who were killed on North Carolina roads in 2023.
We will have markers and poster board available if you want to share your story and/or use this event as an opportunity to demand safer roadways for vulnerable road users. If you are a survivor and would like to say some words after the ride, please reach out to Jared@oaksandspokes.com.
Host: City of Raleigh
Bike It Event!
(at Oaks and Spokes location)
Ride Vibe: Choose your own adventure.
Host: Oak City Cycling, Oaks and Spokes
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: MELLOW and SOCIAL
Every third Thursday of the month, Oak City Cycling hosts what’s known as ‘the slowest ride in town.’ The Third Thursday Cruiser ride has been a social ride staple of Downtown Raleigh for years. For this year’s Bike Month, Oaks and Spokes is taking it over. We’ll lead the group on a special route, highlighting some of the crucial connectivity corridors the city aims to improve with the upcoming Active Transportation Plan update. We might even have some of our city’s transportation staff present to highlight their work and field questions along the ride.
You do not need to RSVP to attend. Just show up and bring a friend!
Ride Vibe: Choose your own adventure.
COMMUTE BY BIKE TODAY! We have no specific event for this day, but we want to encourage everyone to go out and commute by bike. You don’t have to commute to work. You don’t have to commute during traditional commuting hours, either. You just need to commute wherever you need to go by bike. To sweeten the deal, take a photo or video of your bike ride and tag us (@oaksandspokes). When you tag us, we will re-share and enter you into a special raffle drawing for some lovely swag!
Host: The Bike Library, Oaks and Spokes
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: MELLOW and SOCIAL
Join us and our friends from The Bike Library for a ride/run event early this Saturday morning. Meet at The Bike Library’s new shipping container at Lake Raleigh. The group will embark on a brief ride to Lake Raleigh Woods for a trail run and then return to The Bike Library afterward, where coffee and snacks will be available.
Host: Oak City Cycling
Ride Vibe: STRENUOUS and COMPETITIVE
Ever wish the vibes at a road race were better, but maybe your remount is too miserable to have fun at a cyclocross race? Want to experience the spirit of gravel without committing your entire weekend and a small fortune in registration fees for custom socks and a burrito? Oak City Cycling Race Team is here for you.
OCCRT presents GRIT – a gravel criterium, 30 to 45 minutes of racing on the Wake Med Cross Country course just outside downtown Cary. The course is a blast. It is a 1.6 mile loop of surprisingly punchy, twisty, gravel road around the Soccer Park. This won’t be your average crit. The technicality of the terrain and limited line choice in several spots will make for what we expect to be a selective finish.
Week 4: May 20th - May 26th
Host: Oaks and Spokes and the Cary Bike Advocacy Coalition
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: MELLOW and SOCIAL
Cary Safety Ride starts at 5:30 PM at Fresh Ice Cream near Academy and Chatham.
Ride with the group to different locations throughout Cary to better understand upcoming/new infrastructure, and understand where bike/ped serious injuries/fatalities have occurred, and how to prevent them.
Ride will be on road, but short – Less than 3 miles total in the downtown core area.
Host: Oaks and Spokes, The Rialto Theater
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: Choose your own adventure.
Oaks and Spokes, in collaboration with the Rialto Theater, is VERY excited to present, for one special Bike Month night only, E.T.!
Grab your Reese’s Pieces and ride your BMX bike (if you have one) over to the Rialto on Tuesday, May 21st.
All Oaks and Spokes members can get a free small popcorn when they show their membership card!
Additionally, The Rialto has granted us permission to set up temporary bike parking inside the theater’s orchestra pit area. That means you can walk your bike inside and keep it in sight during the whole movie!
Host: Crank Arm Brewing Co, Oaks and Spokes
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: MELLOW and SOCIAL
Light Up The Night is the brightest ride in town! Grab all the lights you own, your brightest apparel, and join us for a ride as the sun goes down. Together, we will LIGHT UP THE NIGHT!
Light Up The Night will take place as part of Crank Arm’s weekly Wednesday night ride. We’ll be leaving a little later than usual to ensure we have the maximum effect with our lights.
You don’t need to RSVP for this ride. Just show up and bring a friend!
Host: Downtown Raleigh Alliance
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Downtown Raleigh Alliance is thrilled to present our first Green Market and Bike Brigade, featuring some of our most sustainable DTR businesses in celebration of Bike Month. Did you know that multiple Downtown Raleigh retailers have cargo bikes that they use for mobile retail? Swing by on the 22nd for a complimentary treat with a coupon from DRA for a free popsicle from Raleigh Popsicle or an iced cold brew from Left Hook – both of which use their cargo bikes for mobile retail. We think that’s – wheely cool!
In addition to a sustainable market with dozens of vendors, participants can attend a rotating group of “Pedal Primer” courses for those new to cycling or stop by one of the many adjacent downtown shops featured as part of our emerging sustainable fashion district in Downtown. Grab your bike and get ready to roll over for a family friendly, fun-filled evening.
Host: Cary Bike Advocacy Coalition, Oaks and Spokes
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: MELLOW and SOCIAL
Our friends and members in Cary want to bring some of the excitement of Bike Month to Cary! So, we will also be hosting a Light Up The Night ride around Downtown Cary!
Light Up The Night is the brightest cruiser ride in town. Grab all the lights you own, your brightest apparel, and join us and the Cary Bike Advocacy Coalition for a social ride as the sun goes down. Together, we will LIGHT UP THE NIGHT!
Host: Oaks and Spokes, Safe Routes To School - Wake County
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: FUN and EDUCATIONAL for KIDS and FAMILIES
It’s never too early (or too late!) learn to ride a two-wheeler! Kids of all ages and grown-ups, too, can Learn to Ride a bike using the tried-and-true “balance bike” method. It’s easy, it’s fun, and it’s a skill that will last a lifetime! Join the fun, and this FREE opportunity to Learn to Ride!
Host: No Kit Club
Ride Vibe: MELLOW and SOCIAL
Cycling has historically been a male-dominated sport. No Kit Club is here to change the status quo.
Our mission is to empower womxn riders by building confidence in their cycling knowledge, and comfortability riding on the road and greenways. No Kit Club is focused on introducing cycling to womxn riders, no matter their skill level.
Host: Oak City Cycling
Ride Vibe: MELLOW, SOCIAL, and CHALLENGING
Oak City Cycling is going to San Lee! And they’re going to campout! And then ride mountain bikes! It’s exciting! We’re excited! So come hang!
Driving out to San Lee after Oak City closes on Saturday at 5pm. If you want to caravan, meet at the shop around 4:45 and be prepared to drive out at 5pm. If you want to just meet us at San Lee that’s fine too! We’ve reserved some campsites where we can hang out that evening and sing around the campfire. If you get there before sundown you might be able to squeeze a jump line ride in! Next morning, we’re riding bikes!
Mountain bike and helmet required to attend. Mountain bike experience recommended.
$5 to reserve a spot, if you reserve a spot and can’t come let us know! Someone else might want to at
Host: Cary Bike Coalition, Oaks and Spokes
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: MELLOW and SOCIAL
Ride your bike to Downtown Cary Park on May 26 to meet with other bicyclists and learn all about cycling in Cary. Ride on your own or join a family-friendly guided ride from surrounding neighborhoods. Representatives from Bike Cary, Oaks and Spokes, BikeWalk NC, and the North Carolina Bicycle Club will be stationed on Park Street from 1:00 to 3:00 PM to discuss family cycling, bike commuting, bike repair, safety, and the future of the Cary Bike Plan.
Please park your bike at provided racks around the periphery of the park; no bicycle riding is permitted inside Downtown Cary Park.
Host: Raleigh Bike Polo, Oaks and Spokes
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: Either MELLOW and SOCIAL or STRENUOUS and COMPETITIVE (Choose your own adventure).
Raleigh Bike Polo will host this year’s Bike Month alleycat. Come out to the Tarboro Road Community Center tennis courts for a fun, challenging, and possibly silly scavenger hunt on bikes. Show up early and play a couple of rounds of bike polo too!
You can participate in the alleycat competitively or just for fun! There’s no need to sign up in advance; just arrive on time and bring a friend or two!
We will also be grilling some hot dogs, other meats, and plant-based substitues. That way, you can participate in the alleycat with that dog in ya.
Week 5: May 27th - June 2nd
Host: Raleigh Transportation
The Downtown Mobility Study is a City-led initiative to streamline multimodal planning and policy recommendations for the downtown area. The study will be community-driven and will consider the competing needs of stakeholders, advocates, and business owners downtown. The Downtown Mobility Study will serve as an update to the 2019 Downtown Transportation Plan.
Host: Oaks and Spokes, The Cary Theater
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: Choose your own adventure.
Bike film screening in partnership with The Cary Theater.
PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE!
When Pee-wee Herman’s idyllic world is destroyed by the theft of his fire-engine red bicycle, the pre-pubescent adult sets out on a manic cross-country odyssey to recover his most valued possession. Director Tim Burton makes his feature-film debut with this comic masterpiece.
Host: Oaks and Spokes, TORC, Triangle Trails Initiative, and Triangle Land Conservancy
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
Ride Vibe: Mellow, SOCIAL, and CHALLENGING
June 1 is National Trails Day!
The 286 mountain bike trails have been open and legal for a year and a half without any official opening ceremony or activation. We want that changed, so we, along with TORC, Triangle Trails, and the Triangle Land Conservancy, are going to do it!
Come ride mountain bikes with us, check out vendors, demo a bike from a local bike shop, or just grab a beer and some food from a food truck after your ride.
We are also teaming up with our friends on the Crank Arm Brewing Cycling team as well as NC Adapted Sports to have led trail rides for different levels of riders to experience 286 in a group and to not get lost!
Stay tuned for more info!
Host: Oaks and Spokes, So & So Books
⭐ Bike It Event! ⭐
We’ve been reading ‘Inclusive Transportation’ all month long. Now, let’s get together and discuss our thoughts on the information we’ve learned from the book. Come prepared with some topics to discuss!
Recurring Weekly Events
- Oak City Cycling’s Monday Mountain Bike Ride: Mondays, 6:00pm @ Lake Raleigh Woods Trailhead. RIDE VIBE: SOCIAL and CHALLENGING
- Espresso Express with The Bike Library: Every Tuesday, 7am from Trophy on West Morgan Street. RIDE VIBE: MELLOW and SOCIAL
- Raleigh Brewing Team of Draft: Every Tuesday, 6pm @ RBC.
- RIDE VIBE: STRENUOUS and SOCIAL
- Crank Arm Brewing Social Ride: Every Wednesday, 6:30pm @ Crank Arm.
- RIDE VIBE: MELLOW and SOCIAL
- 12th State Cycling Umstead Ride: Every Wednesday, 6pm @ Trenton x Reedy Creek Rd.
- RIDE VIBE: STRENUOUS and SOCIAL
- Old North Cycling Team Umstead Ride: Every Thursday, 6pm @ House of Hops Glenwood Ave.
- RIDE VIBE: STRENUOUS and SOCIAL
- Oak City Thursdays – Events every Thursday at 7pm @ Oak City Cycling.
- RIDE VIBE: MELLOW and FUN
- Jubala Fridays – 6am ride from The Village Harris Teeter to Jubala Coffee Lafayette Village. RIDE VIBE: STRENUOUS and SOCIAL
- Oak City Spring/Summer Road Ride – Every Saturday morning at 8 am @ Oak City Cycling.
- RIDE VIBE: STRENUOUS and SOCIAL
- Raleigh Bike Polo Pick-up Games: Every Thursday, 6pm and every Sunday at 3pm, @ Tarrboro Community Center Tennis Courts.
- RIDE VIBE: FUN and SOCIAL
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