Now that it is June and we’ve found a little breathing room after last month, I wanted to reflect on this year’s Bike Month.
A couple of years ago, I decided that Oaks and Spokes should act as the community bonding agent for all bike-related and bike-supportive organizations in Raleigh during Bike Month. It was important to me that we all came together during the month of May to celebrate our collective love affair with biking in Raleigh.
I know, I know, for some of us, “every month is Bike Month.” But, really, why not pour our enthusiasm into one month. Sure, a lot of amazing bike-related events and rides happen year-round, but May can be special, too! Whether through social rides, volunteering, education, or simply another way to share your hobbies and interests from the saddle of a bicycle, Bike Month presents an opportunity to make something we already love even more exciting and, as Raleigh grows, more connected.
For 2026, Oaks and Spokes made it official: Bike Month Raleigh became its own thing. We took the lead on organizing, building an event resource page, branding and communications, and providing support to our partners through co-leading events, supplying free Bike Month swag to be distributed at no cost to our partners and their participants, and, when needed, providing financial reimbursement to help cover materials, food, drinks, or whatever else a Bike Month host might need to ensure their success.
…and I think it worked!
Bringing together 29 businesses, organizations, government entities, bike teams, and clubs, Bike Month Raleigh featured 30 events in 31 days. We had close to 1,300 participants, with attendees as young as 2 or 3 years old and as old as their late 70s. Bike Month 2026 was a big success!
Some of my favorite moments were the 50+ turnout for Coffee Outside (our biggest yet) with homemade baked goods and coffee candies, sharing one of my favorite movies of all time, Breaking Away, with a packed theater, having 30+ volunteers show up and help clean out Larry the bike shop container, seeing Roary from the Carolina Courage at our bike rodeo, being called a spy by the kids when taking photos of the Intro to Mountain Biking class with TORC, seeing over 300 people on bikes rolling through Downtown Raleigh at Critical Mass (which is, coincidentally, the largest group ride in Raleigh’s history), and the Bike Month finale Gold Sprints… which, if you weren’t there, you missed something so ridiculous, fun, and unforgettable. Might go down as the greatest Gold Sprints bracket of all time.
Thank you to everyone who came out and celebrated with us. Thank you, Bell Lap Cycles, The Bike Library, BikeWalkNC, Black Girls Do Bike, Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BBPAC), Boulted Bread Chavis Park, Commute Smart Raleigh, Dix Park, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Friends of the Raleigh Greenway, Greenway Gear Collective, Le Dive NC Families for Safe Streets, Oak City Cycling, Oak City Cycling Team, Oak City Swim School, Old North Cycling, Raleigh Bike Polo, Raleigh Community Kickstand, Raleigh Critical Mass, Raleigh Historic Development Commission, Rescue Racing, The Rialto, Safe Routes To School – Wake County, Triangle Off Road Cyclists,Trek Holly Park, Trek North Raleigh, and 12th State Cycling.
Thank you to our sponsors, Lime, Spin, Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Veo, North State Bank, Trophy Brewing, Triangle Transportation Choices, GoPerks, and Safe Routes to School – Wake County.
