Last year the inaugural Woodlands Bike Month consisted of about 20 events. Now, co-chairmen Fernanda Suarez and Randall Cade have more than 40 events confirmed throughout May.
“We’re having more rides focused on different groups of people,” Suarez said. “Since last year was the first bike month, it was a big endeavor. Now that [we know] what worked and what we’re missing, we’re targeting more, different groups of people—beginners, advanced riders, kids.”
This year marks the second year for biking events to take place throughout the whole month. Previously, there was one day in May when cyclists would gather to bike to work in The Woodlands.
“For the first three years, it was more or less a two-hour event on a Friday morning in May, and it was just promoting the idea of biking to work,” Cade said.
The main event during bike month—Bike The Woodlands Day—will begin in Hughes Landing at Restaurant Row, Suarez said. The May 20 event will include refreshments, exhibitors and other activities.
Bike month will also include public art rides May 7 and 21, during which cyclists will ride to various places throughout The Woodlands to view sculptures and other public art. There will also be a bike art event May 20, which will be similar to the Houston Art Car Parade, Cade said.
“We’re very excited about this year’s bike month,” Cade said. “It’s going to be the biggest yet.”
Neighborhood rides during bike month will take place throughout The Woodlands, Suarez said. Some parks that will serve as meeting points for rides include Terramont, Ridgewood and Bear Branch parks.
“We want everybody to be able to ride their own neighborhoods if they want to, or know some other neighborhood that they haven’t been in,” Suarez said.
The ultimate goal of bike month is to encourage residents to stay active and use the amenities The Woodlands has in place for cyclists, Suarez said.
“We want to promote cycling as healthy [and] as part of the commute for work and school because we are very lucky to live in a town [where] there are so many ways to use the paths to connect to a place,” Suarez said.
Where to Ride
Cyclists can enjoy several events during The Woodlands Bike Month. Workshops and events for children can be found at www.bikethewoodlands.org.
ADULT RIDES
Rides for cyclists older than age 16
May 4, 11, 18, 25: TXTRI Village Ride, 9 a.m., locations vary May 4, 18: Social ride, 7 p.m., locations vary May 7: The Woodlands Cycling Club 30-mile ride, 7:30 a.m., Gold’s Gym at 6503 FM 1488 May 7, 14, 21, 28: Bicycle World 30-mile ride, 8 a.m., Bicycle World May 7, 21: Public art ride, 2 p.m., South Regional Library May 12: Bike kayak bike, 9 a.m., Shadowbend Park May 12: 55+ moonlight ride, 8 p.m., The Woodlands Township building May 13: Neighborhood rides, 8:30 a.m., locations vary May 19: Bike to Work Day, 6:30 a.m., Whole Foods and Black Walnut Cafe May 20: Bike The Woodlands Day, 8 a.m., Restaurant Row at Hughes Landing May 20: Sun and Ski relaxed ride, 9 a.m., Hughes Landing May 20: Bike art, 8 p.m., location TBD May 29: Bikeland ride, 8 a.m., Whole Foods in Hughes Landing
WOMEN’S RIDES
Rides for women only
May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Pathway riders, 8:30 a.m., Panther Creek Shopping Center May 2: The Woodlands Cycling Club women’s ride, 6:30 p.m., Whole Foods in Hughes Landing May 14: Mother’s Day ride, 8:30 a.m., Whole Foods in Hughes Landing May 16: Women’s ride, 9 a.m., Sterling Ridge Shopping Center
OFF ROAD
Rides on non-paved trails
May 6: Bikeland trail ride, 8:30 a.m., Rob Fleming Park May 8: Sun and Ski trail ride, 6 p.m., Rob Fleming Park May 20: GHORBA Women Mountain Bike Ride, 9:30 a.m., Flintridge Loop Trail
RELAXED RIDES
Rides for beginners or leisurely riders
May 10, 17, 24, 31: The Woodlands Cycling Club, 6:30 p.m., Terramont Park May 20: Sun and Ski relaxed ride, 9 a.m., Hughes Landing
