May is Bike Month nationwide. The Heights Bicycle Coalition is supporting local celebrations of Bike Month through collaborations with Heights cities, schools and more. All are welcome to participate in free Bike Month activities in the Heights.
This could be the summer that you use your bicycle to get around town for errands, commuting to work, and for fun. To enjoy cycling, however, you need to be confident in your skills, informed about rules of the road and about basic bicycle equipment safety.
Become a confident rider in a class taught by a League of American Bicyclists certified instructor. The Heights Bicycle Coalition (HBC) is offering a Smart Cycling for adults on Saturday, May 4, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Heights High.
Riding with others is one of the great pleasures of cycling.
The Heights Bicycle Coalition is hosting Free Wheelin’ Wednesday group rides in September, to get folks out on their bikes. The August rides were very well attended. Cyclists ride together, chat and visit interesting places in the Heights.
When the City of Cleveland Heights wanted to increase bicycle parking capacity, it wondered where to place more bike racks.
To help the city gather input about this, the Heights Bicycle Coalition surveyed its members and other local cyclists about their bike parking needs.
Thirty cyclists responded and gave suggestions about locations throughout the Heights. Severance Town Center was most often cited as an place that needs bike racks. One respondent noted that the Severance ring road includes a bike lane, but that bike racks are rare.
Ohio law states that bicyclists should ride as close to curb as practicable. What exactly is practical? The Heights Bicycle Coalition suggests that cyclists evaluate each situation and ride in the lane location that provides the most comfortable and safe ride. This is often several feet from the curb because:
Riding a bicycle for transportation, fitness, and fun requires a few pieces of equipment: a well-running bicycle, a lock, a basket or bag to carry purchases, and perhaps a helmet. However, the most important piece of equipment a cyclist needs is the skill and confidence to operate a bicycle safely and predictably in traffic.
If you are new to cycling or returning after many years of car-focused transportation, consider how you will develop the skill and confidence needed to really enjoy cycling.
Joining small group rides offers opportunities for new riders to develop cycling skills. But enrolling in bicycle driver’s classes at the Ohio City Bicycle Coop (OCBC), 1840 Columbus Road, Cleveland, is the best way to learn and practice cycling skills.
With gasoline prices near $4 a gallon, using a bicycle for transportation is more attractive than ever. In addition to the economic advantages, cycling is a great way to exercise while also doing errands or commuting to work.
In city traffic, cycling can be almost as fast as driving a car. The average new-to-cycling woman can ride one mile in 5-6 minutes, which means she can cover 10-12 miles in an hour. More experienced cyclists can ride at 15-18 mph.