May is National Bike Month, as established by the League of American Bicyclists in 1956, and plenty of suburban events are organized for it.
“As the national sponsor of Bike Month, the bike League provides resources to help you and local organizations in your area plan an event, and each year the number and diversity of Bike Month celebrations continues to grow, accelerating the momentum around bicycling nationwide,” the League says on its web page about the big month. On the page is a national map showing events organized locally, but only one Chicago-area event is noted — the Fahrrad Tour von Schaumburg, which, it turns out, is on June 1.
In reality, a ton of things are going in the Chicago area for National Bike Month. The Active Transportation Alliance has its own page loaded with information and doings. Its biggest program is the Bicycle Commuting Challenge from May 19 to June 15, in which organizations compete for the four weeks to see who can earn the most points by riding their bike. Registration is opening soon. (Schaumburg has its own, similar competitions both for businesses and “friends and family,” but it runs them in June, which the village calls its bike month.)
But first, there’s what the League of American Bicyclists calls National Ride a Bike Day, on May 4. Then there’s Bike to Work Week May 12-18, and specifically Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 16. Many organizations and businesses have taken part in these events over the years — and of course, you can just do it yourself.
There’s also National Bike & Roll to School Day. “While May 7 is this year’s official date, communities are welcome to celebrate any day in May that best fits their schedules,” the website about the day says. The site offers a lot of guidance and resources for planning such a day at your school. The Active Transportation Alliance says schools are participating in Bartlett, Batavia, Berwyn, Carpentersville, Elmhurst, Evergreen Park, Palatine, Schaumburg, St. Charles, Warrenville and West Dundee; those and more, like in Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, Mount Prospect and Plainfield, are noted on the national website’s map and detailed list.
Bike Safety Month, too
The Ride of Silence day, to remember bicyclists killed in a crash with a driver, is Wednesday, May 21, and at least a few such rides are scheduled in the suburbs.
Speaking of, it’s also Bike Safety Month, according to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, and it’s partnering with several organizations to educate about trail safety and etiquette, especially in regard to e-bikes. The forest preserve districts of DuPage, Kane, and Will counties; the McHenry County Conservation District; and the Fox Valley and Naperville park districts also are participating in the effort.
“Participating agencies will distribute pocket-sized handouts with trail safety guidelines and e-bike regulations,” a DuPage forest preserve announcement says. “Social media posts and trail-side signs will remind visitors of key safety messages and trail rules. Participating agencies are also working to align their bicycle ordinances to improve consistency across jurisdictions.” Here are the current rules on e-bikes in the suburbs. And below is the video the DuPage forest preserve district made.
Local Bike Month events
The unedited list of events below comes from the Active Transportation Alliance. See its web page for the most updated list and all the other information and resources it provides about Bike Month.
- May Cycle Brookfield Events: http://cyclebrookfield.com/events/
- 5/2 – First Friday Slow Roll Social Ride
- 5/10 – Spring Tune Up
- 5/17 – Oak to Oak 20m Member Ride
- 5/4 – City of Geneva Bike Rodeo, 12-2 pm @ Wheeler Park north parking lot, 822 N. First St in Geneva
- 5/4 – Highland Park District’s The Empire Bikes Backs Bike Ride, 9:30 – 11 am @ Wayne Thomas Elementary School, 2939 Summit Drive in Highland Park
- Evanston Transit Alliance & Chicago Family Biking/Evanston Kidical Mass adult and family bike ride
- 5/6 – 5:30 pm @ Fountain Square in Evanston
- 5/31 (Kidical Mass) – 10 am @ Raymond Park
- May 2025 Evanston Rides — Evanston Transit Alliance
- 5/7 – National Bike & Roll to School Day
- Towns with schools participating include Bartlett, Batavia, Berwyn, Carpentersville, Chicago, Elmhurst, Evergreen Park, Palatine, Schaumburg, St. Charles, Warrenville, and West Dundee. Use this website to learn which schools in your county or city are participating.
- 5/7 & 5/8 – Illinois Bike & Walk Summit in Springfield
- Ride Riverside Slow Rolls: https://rideriverside.org
- 5/9 – 6 pm @ Riverside Train Station
- Skokie Bike Network’s Ride to the Chicago Fire Game: Community Rides – Skokie Bike Network
- 5/10 – 1:30 pm, Metra to Union Station & group bike ride
- May Elgin Community Bikes Events: https://elgincommunitybikes.org/elginbikecalendar
- 5/10 – Tim-bitious ambitious ride,10 am
- 5/12 – Full Moon Ride, 9 pm
- 5/18 – Far Westside Slow Roll, 11 am
- 5/17-18 – Pedalpalooza in McHenry County, fundraiser for Heart Health and scavenger hunt around the county
- 5/17 – City of Warrenville Bike Rodeo, 9 am to 11 am @ Stafford Place parking lot
28W701 Stafford Place in Warrenville - 5/18 – Bike Walk Niles Ride to the Top of the Niles Leaning Tower, 9 am @ 8030 W Oakton St in Niles
- 5/18 – Project Mobility: 2025 Everybody Rides, multiple rides 6 am – 1:30 pm in St. Charles, Campton Hills Road and Peck Rd
- 5/21 – Ride of Silence
- Friends of Elk Grove, 6:30 – 8 pm @ Al Hattendorf Center (225 E. Elk Grove Blvd): https://www.egvbikes.org/ride-of-silence.html
- Elmhurst, 7-8:15 pm @ First Street in front of Elmhurst Police Station: http://www.rideofsilence.org/main.php
- Skokie Bike Network, Evanston Transit Alliance & Evanston Bicycle Club, 7-8:25 pm @ Wheel & Sprocket (1027 Davis Street in Evanston): https://www.evanstontransitalliance.org/events/2025-ride-of-silence
- Villa Park, 6:45 pm @ Villa Park Police station (40 S. Ardmore)
- 5/31 – Forest Park Bike Safety Carnival, 9 – 11 am @ Roos Center Outdoor Pavilion, 7501 Harrison St in Forest Park
At top: A bike bus heads to Campanelli Elementary School in Schaumburg on May 7 — National Bike & Roll to School Day. A group of families began the bike bus on the southwest side of the village in the spring and will continue it the rest of this school year. (Photo by Stephanie Astige)
