May is Bike Month, and here’s how you can participate in and around OKC

If cycling is your thing — or you’ve been wanting to get into it — there’s no better time than during Bike Month. And, lucky you, there are several bike-centric events being held throughout the month in the Oklahoma City metro area.

Hosted by the Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG), the events throughout central Oklahoma aim to “to educate people about the benefits of bicycling, while teaching safe riding practices and providing resources available to bicyclists.”

So, grab your helmet, your water bottle and some fix-a-flat, and check out these Bike Month events.

BikeFest, May 7

This free festival kicks off Bike Month festivities available in the metro. From noon to 3 p.m. at the Wheeler Ferris Wheel, 1701 S. Western, guests can mingle with other cyclists, local organizations and bike shops, while listening to live music and enjoying food options served up by local food trucks.

Bike to Work Week, May 15-21

One of the goals of Bike Month is to bring attention to the benefits of cycling: it’s fun, it’s cheap transportation and it helps boost overall health.

So, why not bike to work if you can? National Bike to Work Week is the third week of May, so it’s time to give your bike a tune-up to make sure it’s roadworthy.

Cyclist and pedestrian safety are always of utmost importance, not just during Bike Month. That’s why ACOG and the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office teamed up to create Watch for Me OK, a public awareness campaign to educate the public on rules of the road in hopes of reducing the number of pedestrian and bicycle injuries and deaths in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma City ranks fourth highest in vehicle-involved fatality rates, and leaders have a plan to combat that uneasy statistic: The Vision Zero Action Plan.

Oklahoma City was recently awarded $800,000 from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help prevent roadway deaths and injuries to drivers, transit riders, pedestrians and cyclists. The Vision Zero Action Plan is expected to take 18 months to develop and will solicit input from residents over the next year.

To top it all off, $22 million of MAPS 4 funding will be used to construct more bike lanes and bicycle facilities as part of bikewalkokc.

Edmond Ride of Silence, May 17

The Ride of Silence is an annual event that is recognized internationally to honor and remember cyclists who have been injured and killed in crashes.

Cyclists are asked to meet at 6:15 p.m. at Mitch Park for a short ceremony before heading out for a slow, silent ride on a 7.1-mile loop.