Summer is officially here and at MassBike we're dreaming of biking to the nearest swimming hole, curating our rail trail day trip bucket lists, and researching the perfect spots for bike camping adventures.

Whether you're looking to get into bike packing, want to put together the perfect ice cream ride, or just need some biking inspiration, join our virtual MassBike Meet-Up on June 27th at noon. We'll be giving you tips & tricks for summer bike adventures and attendees are encouraged to come with bike adventure suggestions.

We were honored to celebrate Charlie at the Charlie Proctor Memorial Ride on Sunday, May 29th. Over 50 riders and one dog enjoyed the Minuteman bikeway and participants wore special bibs in honor of Charlie. The Tufts Bacow Sailing Pavilion provided the perfect after-ride venue to gather over tacos for conversation. 

Thank you to everyone to who joined the ride and to our volunteers who made the event such a success! We're already looking forward to next year's Charlie Proctor Memorial Ride. If you're interested in participating next year, make sure you are on MassBike's mailing list so you don't miss any updates.

Mass Ave & Appleton with new paint & flex posts

MassBike is proud to work on safer roadway advocacy in Arlington and across Massachusetts with the support of the Charlie Proctor Memorial Fund. Thanks to the generous individuals who have donated in Charlie's memory, MassBike has successfully advocated for short-term improvements at the fatal Mass Ave & Appleton intersection where Charlie was killed and we continue to work towards safer long-term improvements at the intersection. 

We hope you consider making a gift today to sustain us in creating a safer world in Charlie's memory. 

Keep the Bay State Bike Month fun going by joining MassBike & Assembly Connect at our outdoors Bike Bash sponsored by Alta Revolution on Thursday, June 9th from 5:00pm-7:00pm at Mass General Brigham in Somerville (Assembly Square).  

A bike valet will be provided so you can roll on over without worrying about where to lock up your ride. We’ll be joined by A Trike Called Funk, so don't forget your dancing shoes. Free food will be provided for all attendees who RSVP & we'll be raffling off prizes from Kryptonite, your local REI Co-Op, and PUMA. 

RSVP is required- we hope to see you there!

RSVP for the Bike Bash

Our “Carry It With You” Challenge has come to a close and we enjoyed seeing the wide variety of items bicyclists across the state were hauling by bicycle. Congratulations to the winner of a new bike basket from Nantucket Bike Basket Co, we hope you enjoy using it to haul stuff by bike in style. Here are a few of the great entries we received.

May 16-22nd is Bike to Work Week and Friday, May 20th is Bike to Work Day. It's time to plan your routes, find some commute buddies, and mark your calendar with your local bike breakfast. If you work remotely, this is the perfect week to plan a "faux commute" and take a spin before logging in.

We'll be raffling off a few special prizes for folks who log their trips in the MassBike Love to Ride Group this week– including a bike fit from Cycle Life PT and a Minuteman Bikeway Food Tour for Two from Pointz.

The legislative session is moving quickly and it’s time to get our e-bike definition and e-bike rebate bills moving to ensure they pass this session. To provide education & garner support for e-bike legislation, MassBike and the Boston Cyclists Union hosted an E-Bike Briefing and Demo Day at the State House.

Bay State Bike Month has arrived and the MassBike team kicked off the month with the Buzzards Bay Coalition & the South Coast Bikeway Alliance in New Bedford. We had an incredibly clear and sunny day to experience the gorgeous New Bedford views by Fort Taber and along the hurricane barrier. 

Mayor Coogan and his wife, Judi St.Hilaire, joined to kick off our bike ride. We appreciate their support and all their bike-friendly work in Fall River. Jen Carloni, Director of City Planning for New Bedford, joined the ride as we enjoyed some of the infrastructure she helped bring to life. Riders mingled before the start of the event, with groups of cyclists showing up from Dartmouth and Fairhaven thanks to organized rides by the South Coast Bikeway Alliance.

As part of Bay State Bike Month, we're hosting challenges to encourage you to get riding and share your love of bicycling. No matter where you live across Massachusetts, you can take part in our virtual Bike Month Challenges! 

We're hosting a month-long ride tracking challenge to encourage you to get riding this May and two social media-based challenges where you'll share photos for a chance to win prizes.

Learn more about Bay State Bike Month at www.BayStateBikeMonth.org

Ride Tracking Challenge

This May, track your rides with the MassBike Love to Ride Group, and each week you log 3+ trips, you'll be entered to win the weekly prize. At the end of the month, everyone who logged trips throughout the month will be entered into a grand prize drawing.

This year's grand prize is a $500 gift card from Priority Bicycles, which is enough to get yourself a new bike!

How to Participate:

1. Join MassBike's Love to Ride Group
2. Fill out the Bay State Bike Month Ride Tracking Challenge Entry Form to be eligible for prizes 
3. Log your bicycle rides on Love to Ride 
4. Watch your rides and miles add up!

Social Media Challenges

Carry It With You Challenge - May 1st-15th

Bicycles are a great form of recreation, transportation, and a sustainable, self-powered way to haul stuff around town. Whether you’ve loaded up panniers, made use of a rack, or found another inventive way to carry something by bike– we want to know about it for our Carry It With You Challenge!

This challenge runs from May 1st to May 15th and one lucky winner will receive a basket from Nantucket Bike Basket Co. 

How to Join the Challenge:

• Take a ride where you carry something on your bicycle & snap a pic of your carrying setup
• Share your story about what you carried with you by bike with us! Either post your photo and story on social media and tag @MassBike or email your photo and story to [email protected]

–

Be a Bike Buddy Challenge - May 21st-31st

Everyone knows that bikes are better with friends! Be a bike buddy with our second bike month challenge and share a ride with a friend!

This challenge runs from May 21st to May 31st and one lucky winner & their bike buddy will each receive a set of MassBike socks in either black or green, a MassBike Buff, and a 2022 Bay State Bike Month T-shirt so they can be bike-twins.

How to Join the Challenge:

• Take a ride with your bike buddy (bonus points if it’s a new rider) & snap a ride selfie of the both of you
• Share your story about your ride with us! Either post your photo and story on social media and tag @MassBike or email your photo and story to [email protected]

This year, MassBike was awarded grant funding through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s (MassCEC) new Accelerating Clean Transportation for All (ACT4All) Program to conduct a 2-year program to distribute electric bicycles and track their usage amongst select populations in Worcester. The new program means MassBike’s team has grown to include our new E-Bike Grant Manager, Alex Salcedo. She will be leading our e-bike program and forging community partnerships throughout Worcester.

Alex was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and relocated to Worcester, MA, in 2010, to pursue her graduate studies. Not being familiar with Massachusetts, biking allowed her to get out of her comfort zone and start building community, by getting familiar with neighbors and neighborhoods. This translated throughout the years into establishing working relationships with organizations and businesses that contribute to the community’s well-being. For her, opting for a bike instead of a car is a win for everyone: cleaner air, less traffic, and a healthier world.

We asked Alex three questions to learn a little more about her.

Belmont is currently considering installing parking-protected bicycle lanes on Concord Avenue. Your support is needed today to ensure these lanes can be installed with the planned repaving of Concord Avenue.

The bicycle lanes that currently exist discourage inexperienced riders from biking on Concord Avenue. They leave people on bikes between parked cars and the busy travel lane with buses. Right now, students who may be biking to school could experience blocked bike lanes, car doors opening into their bike lane, and other hazards as they are left unprotected. Parking protected bike lanes reduce the risk of dooring, eliminate the risk that vehicles can block the bike lane, prevent bicyclists from being passed too close, and invite riders of all ages and abilities to cycle. 

Progress on these plans was held back by neighbors concerned with the minimal parking loss these new lanes would create. The process is now starting again, but we need your support to make sure these lanes can be installed this year with the planned repaving of Concord Avenue. 

Take Action

• Attend the remote meeting on Monday April 25th at 7PM, to make sure that Belmont knows that there is strong support for these safer bike lanes. 
  • Learn more about the public meeting here: https://www.belmont-ma.gov/select-board/agenda/select-board-revised-24 
  • The zoom link for the public meeting is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84245176834
• Email the Select Board in support of this here: [email protected].
  • Write about how these separated bicycle lanes would improve your safety. A few personalized sentences can go a long way.