Now that the mayor and county executive have proclaimed May to be Bike month in Monroe County, we here at Reconnect Rochester are ready to serve as a central resource to help you enjoy riding more! For starters, check out our Bike scene overview. Monroe County is blessed with an abundance of bike riding groups. On this webpage, you’ll get the lay of the land and find groups that fit your schedule and riding style.
Bike Week spans two consecutive weekends from May 9th to 18th and offers cycling events for all ages and abilities. The event celebrates bicycling in Monroe County, shows newcomers how welcoming our bike community is, and encourages residents to leave their cars at home for short trips in good weather in favor of two or three wheeled devices. Scope out the evolving schedule and get your bike ready.
Next, take some time exploring our ROC Easy Bike map – the easier ways to bike and scoot around Monroe County. New and young riders would do well sticking as much as they can to those lines. As your knowledge and confidence grow, you can begin to stray outside the lines and the possibilities really open up. A big emphasis of the map is the growing Bike Boulevard network: residential side streets that parallel busy roads. These Bike Boulevards are being traffic-calmed and wayfinding signage is being installed for cyclists.
Monroe County has an abundance of trails that not only serve as great places for quiet and recreation, but as low-stress connections to popular destinations as well. Take some time this year exploring the Erie Canal Trail, Genesee Riverway Trail, Genesee Valley Greenway, Lehigh Valley Trail and Auburn Trail. You’ll be richly rewarded.
In partnership with the City of Rochester and EE Pathways, our free Wednesday Ride Series returns starting May 7. These rides showcase Rochester’s neighborhoods while helping you build confidence on the city’s low-stress bike network. Make sure to take time and review our blog series highlighting common destinations that are easy to bike to such as:
If you’d like a customized low-stress bike route from your neighborhood to your workplace or other regular destination, fill out our Multimodal Monroe form. Our Cycling Manager, Jesse Peers, will email you some bike route options and perhaps even ways that RTS can help for part of your journey.
Want to get more comfortable on your bike? Reconnect Rochester is offering *FREE* on-bike classes this year, using the League of American Bicyclists’ Smart Cycling curriculum. The 2.5-hour class incorporates classroom learning, parking lot handling drills, and a short group ride together. It’s designed to impart confidence and is perfect for adolescents and those interested-but-concerned when it comes to biking.
Our Local History Bike Tour is back for its 4th straight year! This leisurely paced 8-mile guided tour will start from the Pont de Rennes bridge at 10am on the following dates: May 17, June 21, August 16 and September 13. The tour lasts about 2.5 hours. Tickets are $20 each and registration is necessary ahead of time as space is limited.
Make sure to sign up for our Cycling Newsletter to stay on top of all the exciting bicycle programming in Rochester! Read our latest issue here. And don’t miss Jesse’s FREE presentation “Getting Back On Your Bike” at the Central Library on May 29th at 5:30PM!
If you want a more walkable & bikeable community, get familiar with the recently adopted Active Transportation Plans by the City of Rochester and Monroe County. Press your electeds to implement those recommendations. For those wanting a deep dive on how bike lanes get built and how to be a good advocate, please subscribe to Reconnect Rochester’s Mobility Action Alerts.