Montco Bikes 31
To celebrate National Bike Month, the Montgomery County Office of Public Health wants to encourage all Montco residents to bike every day for the entire month of May. That’s right, 31 days of biking safely in your neighborhood, town, or at your local park or trail.
Join us for Montco Bikes 31 and check out our Ride Guide (to the right) in which you can check off each of your rides. Even if you can’t ride every day, see how many rides you can complete in May! Remember, always wear a helmet, closed-toed shoes, and check your tire air, brakes, and chains before riding.
Send your Ride Guide to walkandbike@montgomerycountypa.gov by June 7 showing us how many rides you completed in May to be featured on our social media pages. (No identifying information will be collected or shared.)
For more fun, try these Tic Tac Toe boards!
Facebook Event
Check out our Facebook Event for participation details, tips, and activities for Montco residents of all ages throughout the month. Be sure to also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for additional activities and information about all of our Health Promotion programs. Use the hashtag #MontcoBikes31 when sharing about your rides! Happy biking!
Questions or concerns about the event? Please feel free to email walkandbike@montgomerycountypa.gov.
Why Bike?
Montco Bikes 31 is a new initiative to encourage residents to get out and explore their community through biking. Biking is great for your health, your community, your planet, and your life!
Trail Challenge
Looking for safe places to ride your bike? Check out the Montco Trail Challenge for new trails in Montgomery County to complete your Ride Guide (Spanish).
Bike Montco
Click here to learn more about Bike Montco: The Bicycle Plan for Montgomery County, which features an interactive map that highlights the thousands of miles of local streets throughout the county that are considered low-stress and which can be used comfortably by bicyclists and pedestrians. Check out the new app, entitled Low-Stress Streets for Bicyclists and Pedestrians, at www.montcopa.org/GetOutAndGoStreets. Before you start pedaling, remember that the bicycle is considered a vehicle, so check out the Pennsylvania Bicycle Driver’s Manual.
Helmets
- PennDOT Helmet Law: Anyone under the age of 12 must wear a helmet when riding a bicycle. This applies to anyone operating the bicycle, riding as a passenger, or riding in an attached restraining seat or trailer. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation strongly recommends that all bicyclists wear helmets whenever they ride.
- Helmet Certification Bicycle helmets sold in the U.S. must meet the standards issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Look for the CPSC certification label inside the helmet to make sure yours is safe and certified.
- Be sure your helmet is fitted properly for the best protection. Check out these helpful helmet-fitting videos.
Bike Prep
• The ABCs of Bicycle Safety: Check Before You Ride [YouTube]
Riding on the Roadway
When you're commuting on your bike, you're likely to share the road with cars and other vehicles. Read the Pennsylvania Bicycle Driver’s Manual for more information.
National Bike and Roll to School Day
Celebrated every year on the first Wednesday in May!
National Bike & Roll to School Day encourages students and classrooms to celebrate National Bike Month. Bike & Roll to School Day allows participants to celebrate the joy of active commuting while building a sense of community and school spirit. The event also brings attention to the importance of creating safe routes to school. For more information about the Safe Routes to School Program, please visit, Safe Routes Info and Safe Routes Partnership.
This initiative is brought to you by the Montgomery County Office of Public Health Community Traffic Safety Program. For more information about our program offerings, including, bike, pedestrian, and school bus safety education, please contact us at walkandbike@montgomerycountypa.gov.