Our South Community Bike Workshop will be closing permanently at the end of the day on Sunday June 16th. The shop was consistently bustling, but the building changed hands last year and its new owners were unwilling to sign a new lease without a substantial rent increase. We hoped to relocate nearby, but a search found no suitable affordable spaces. This came during a challenging financial time for Bike Edmonton, and after much discussion and analysis, our Board of Directors concluded that we must consolidate operations out of our downtown shop.
This Sunday, June 5th Pedego Edmonton has partnered with Bike Edmonton to offer ebike rentals and guided rides from Café Bicyclette Are you new to e-bikes? Interested in ditching the car for some of your outings? This guided ride is for you. Book your spot online today. https://bit.ly/3wAKWyd
Interested in a one-hour bike rental without a guide? Book here. https://bit.ly/3LJhnQG All proceeds from ebike rentals on Sunday go to Bike Edmonton.
We’ll be at the Flying Canoe Volant Pimihaw Waskwayosis Festival tonight, Saturday March 5, 2022, 6pm-9pm, the last night of the festival. Our volunteers have set up a light display and information booth in front of La Cité Francophone on Rue Marie-Anne Gaboury. Come and chat about bike programs, bike maintenance tips, and other cycling supports Bike Edmonton offers to keep you rolling. If you cycle to the festival, you can use our pump to fill up your tires!
Flying Canoe Volant is an outdoor event that includes a walk through an urban forest, stunning light and sound art installations, music, dance, food and more. This festival is sponsored in part by WinterCity Edmonton, who also sponsors our free Bike Edmonton and WinterCity Studded Tire Challenge - 2022. For more information about the festival, visit the Flying Canoe Volant, Pimihaw Waskwayosis Festival website
You’re invited to visit us at Elements Outfitters, 8222 Gateway Blvd, tomorrow February 26, from 11am to 3pm. You can enter into a draw for a chance to win fresh gear from Bike Edmonton and Elements Outfitters! While you visit, we’ll be delighted to talk about getting around by bike, bike maintenance, and dressing for cycling comfort. We’ll even come outside and fill your tires up! You can also take advantage of Elements Outfitter’s winter sale to get beautiful functional clothing with a conscience. Elements Outfitters is a 1% for the Planet company, putting people and the planet over profit.
Elements Outfitters is supporting education and advocacy for cycling and sustainable transportation in Edmonton by sponsoring Bike Edmonton through the 1% for the Planet program. We're excited about this new partnership!
Elements Inc. is Western Canada’s leading Patagonia and Filson dealer. They also carry other complementary brands that meet the highest standards of both quality and style. They are proud to be a 1% for the Planet member and actively support conservation and environmental protection efforts. In addition, they are involved and support local communities and youth programs through events and donations. Elements owns and operates Patagonia Banff, Calgary and Victoria, as well as Elements Outfitters at Willow Park, Edmonton (8222 Gateway Blvd NW), Tsawwassen.
We’re looking forward to combining our passion for the environment, for youth, and for the community!
We’re proud to announce that Ever Active Schools has sponsored this season’s youth earn-a-bike program, the Spoke! Thank you to the Edmonton Community Foundation for funding this initiative.
Ever Active Schools is a registered national charity designed to create and support healthy school communities. They address health and education goals to improve the social outcomes of children and youth in Alberta.
Ever Active Schools provides excellent cycling education through their City Cycling Clinics in the spring, summer, and fall. Youth learn bike handling skills, rules of riding, and how to navigate Edmonton’s cycling infrastructure. Bike Edmonton plays a part in delivering the City Cycling Clinics.
The Spoke is a program of Bike Edmonton. It’s a bike repair and adventure program in which youth ages 12-17 years old inclusive learn introductory bike repair skills and on-road skills with the help of our volunteer mentors. This season, the Spoke combines mechanical learning with Ever Active School's bike clinic and riding curriculum to foster even more self-reliance and joy in bike riding.
Learning both mechanical and on-road cycling skills equips youth with the confidence and knowledge they need to embrace cycling. Bike Edmonton is delighted once again to collaborate with Ever Active Schools to produce programming that fosters activity, resilience, independence, health, and fun for youth!
Are you just starting to winter cycle and need studded tires? Or did you try to winter cycle, but found you needed support to be successful? We have some studded winter tires to give away and a number of ways you can embrace winter cycling in our winter city!
The City of Edmonton WinterCity Strategy has donated funds to Bike Edmonton so that we can give away a limited number of studded winter tires to help people start to winter cycle!
To be eligible to receive free studded winter tires, you have to
1. Read and fill out the WinterCity Studded Tire Challenge 2021 form
2. be 16 years of age or older,
3. be new or relatively new to winter cycling,
4. do three winter cycling challenges by December 31, 2021, like attending a virtual winter cycling seminar or sending us pictures of you and your bike out in winter conditions. You can choose from ten challenges that are listed on the form. All challenges help you gain the knowledge and confidence for winter cycling! Six of the ten challenges are free.
5. finally, you'll fill out a questionnaire by January 15, 2022 to tell us if the program helped you.
Pretty easy, right? After filling out the form (step 1 above), we'll let you know if you'll receive free studded winter tires. If you are selected to receive free studded tires, you get the tires first, then you'll work toward your selected winter cycling challenges and email us when you've achieved one of your challenges (or when you decide to switch to a different challenge).
This challenge is generously sponsored by the City of Edmonton WinterCity Strategy. WinterCity works with community groups and Edmontonians to enable and promote positive winter experiences. Bike Edmonton is thrilled to work with the WinterCity Strategy to help Edmontonians embrace the colder season!
Fall and winter courses can teach you how to fix up your summer bike before you put it away or help you enjoy winter cycling. For more information on fall and winter courses, or to register, visit https://apps.bikeedmonton.ca/ We're posting new courses regularly, so check back frequently!
The Edmonton Tool Library is holding a Repair Café on Saturday, Auguast 21, 10am to 3pm and Bike Edmonton will be there!
7308 112 Ave NW, behind the Bellevue Community Centre
What is a Repair Cafe?
The Repair Café concept comes from the Netherlands. It was formulated in 2009 by Martine Postma, who was at the time an Amsterdam-based journalist/publicist. Postma hit on the idea of setting up low-key meeting places nationwide where neighbours could repair their broken items themselves, supported by specialists and in a relaxed atmosphere.
This means on August 21, you'll be able to bring broken items to the parking lot of the Edmonton Tool Library to have them assessed and repaired, if possible, and learn about repair along the way. We will have volunteer experts on site specializing in:
Bicycle care & repair
Sewing & upholstery
Household electronics
Tool maintenance & repair
Why?
The Edmonton Tool Library wants to reduce waste. We'd rather see broken items get repaired than replaced and we know how frustrating it is that the cost to repair is often much higher than buying new. We want to champion a repair culture in Edmonton in addition to our mission to strengthen the local sharing economy, to make the most of valuable resources and reduce our impact on the environment. We also hope that you wish to be part of this culture, by learning from our repair experts and passing on the repair knowledge.
To find out more about the Repair Café, visit http://www.edmontontoollibrary.ca/
Bike Edmonton is providing free minor tune up services at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival on August 13 and 20, 5pm to 8pm. Donations are gratefully accepted.
Two friendly bike mechanics be just South of the Cosmopolitan Music Society, 8426 Gateway Blvd NW on both Friday, August 13 and Friday, August 20 from 5pm -8pm. You don’t have to have a ticket to the Fringe grounds in order to come and get a minor tune up. Stop by to get your bike safety checked and adjusted or just to ask the knowledgeable volunteers about cycling in Edmonton or finding cycling resources.
For more information about the Fringe visit https://www.fringetheatre.ca/festival/
Two volunteers are still needed for August 20, 5-8pm. For more information or to sign up, please visit
Fringe Festival 2021 volunteer sign-up form
If you’re riding to Heritage Fest this weekend, Bike Edmonton is supervising two bike compounds from 9am to 9pm all three days of the festival. Please bring your lock. On each evening between 5pm and 7pm, at compound #1 by Hawrelak Park’s main gate, our volunteer mechanic is offering free bike inspections and adjustments. You don’t need to have a ticket to Heritage Fest to get into compound #1. If you are headed into the festival, you’ll need a free Heritgae Festival ticket, which you can get through their website heritagefest.ca Donations to Bike Edmonton for cycling services are greatly appreciated at either compound.
Volunteer with us on September 26 and 27! No knowledge or experience of casinos, gambling, or bicycles is needed. By volunteering at this event, your 4-8 hour shift is equivalent to a donation of thousands of dollars to Bike Edmonton.
Bike Edmonton uses licensed charitable casino events to raise funds for our activities. Approximately once every 22 months, we provide volunteers to help staff a casino event. Pooled funds from several casinos over several months is shared by charitable organizations: we generally receive over $70,000. Faced with significant financial impacts from the pandemic, this coming casino is critical for Bike Edmonton's financial stability.
Date: Sunday September 26, and Monday September 27, 2021
Location: Starlight Casino (West Edmonton Mall), 8882 170 St NW
To volunteer, and to see more details (including volunteer roles, perks, schedule, and transportation), please click here.
From August 26 to September 6, 2021, Bike Edmonton is providing supervised bike parking at Symphony Under the Sky in Hawrelak Park so staff, musicians, and festival attendees can bike and park securely. We need volunteers to help monitor the bike parking.
No prior experience or knowledge needed. On-site training is provided. This role involves sitting at the bike parking compound, greeting people and answering questions relating to the bike parking and Bike Edmonton, and ensuring that bikes aren't stolen. Bring a snack, a book or volunteer with a friend, and enjoy. You can often hear the music from the compound.
Each volunteer will receive a pair of complimentary tickets to another day of Symphony Under the Sky. Two volunteers are required for each shift. Priority is given to existing volunteers and volunteers who have helped at other events, especially those who have previously volunteered for roles without ticket or cash incentives like this year’s Heritage Festival or Casino events.
For more information, including schedule, and to sign up for the bike monitor role, please visit the volunteer sign-up form.
Do you love gardens and cycling?
Help out with the Community Garden Tour on Sunday, August 15! This easy paced on-street bike tour is organized by Sustainable Food Edmonton (SFE). Bike Edmonton is an enthusiastic partner in this unique urban adventure, which is also an opportunity to connect with people who have little or no urban cycling experience. It's a beautiful way to find out about communities, gardens, and how to get places by bike! By volunteering, you'll help participants get to each community garden safely and you get to share the joy of easy cycling to fun destinations.
Be a ride marshal! Five volunteers are needed. The route is not physically challenging for someone who rides their bike fairly regularly. Bike Edmonton staff will lead the tour and you'll help ensure that the group stays together as much as possible. If you haven't done this role before, all the training you need will be provided in an email sent to you before the ride, and at the volunteer check-in just before the ride.
Date: Sunday, August 15, 2021
Location: Millwoods area
For more information about the Community Garden ride marshal role and to sign up, please visit the volunteer sign-up form.
This year the Up+Downtown (UP+DT) Festival is moving outside with the one-day Purple City festival in Hawrelak Park on Saturday, August 7! Since 2013, the festival has transformed Downtown Edmonton into the grounds of a massive music festival, featuring bands, DJs, and comedians. This year they are moving outdoors to the amphitheatre in the park for one glorious day of local independent entertainment outdoors!
Bike Edmonton is providing supervised bike parking so festival attendees can bike and park securely. Volunteers will receive a free ticket to the festival!
No prior experience or knowledge needed. We provide training on-site. This role involves sitting at the bike parking compound, greeting people and answering questions relating to the bike parking and Bike Edmonton, and ensuring that bikes aren't stolen. Volunteer with a friend and enjoy!
For more details and to sign up, please visit the volunteer sign-up form.
Bike Edmonton will be joining Pedego Electric Bikes Edmonton for a day of e-bike rentals and guided e-bike tours this Thursday, July 29, 2021 just outside Café Bicyclette (8627 91 St). Pedego is generously donating all proceeds from this event to Bike Edmonton.
One or two volunteers are needed to stay at the Bike Edmonton table and answer questions about Bike Edmonton and cycling in Edmonton. Volunteers will receive a gift card to buy food and drinks from Café Bicyclette, and enjoy live music. You don't have to be an expert to fill this role. We provide tips for answering the most common questions.
For more information and to sign up to volunteer for this event, please visit the volunteer sign-up form.
If you want to rent an e-bike and participant, please visit the Eventbrite page.
Volunteers are needed to help monitor bikes at the Heritage Festival supervised bike parking compounds this Saturday, July 31 to Monday, August 2, 2021 in Hawrelak Park.
No experience is needed: as a bike monitor, you’ll be welcoming people to lock their bikes up and answering questions.
We also need a few volunteer mechanics. Mechanics will be be safety checking bikes and performing minor adjustments. We also need help transporting portable bike racks to and from the site.
The Heritage Festival has been one of our most effective outreach and fundraising events in the past. Many people who arrive on bicycles over the course of the weekend are fairly new to cycling. By volunteering, you get to enjoy seeing many new riders who are learning that cycling in the city is fun and rewarding!
For full details, please visit the volunteer sign-up form.
In our hands-on Bike Repair 101 workshop, our most popular class, you will gain confidence and save money by doing simple repairs yourself as well as preventing expensive parts from wearing out. Bring your bicycle so you can learn techniques specific to your components, or you can work on one of Bike Edmonton's bikes. This is a great place to start if you have little or no experience working on bikes, and will cover:
drivetrain cleaning and lubrication,
flat tire repair,
basic brake and gearing adjustments, and
how to spot small problems before they become big problems.
Registration is required. These classes tend to fill up, so register early to reserve your spot. For more information and to register, please visit https://apps.bikeedmonton.ca
Bike Edmonton members receive a $10 discount. Masks are required during our courses. #yegbike
Are you looking for cycling education for your children, grades 4 to 12? We’re partnering with Ever Active Schools to make cycling a fun and an effective, safe transportation option for students.
BRINGING CITY CYCLING STRATEGIES TO LIFE FOR EDMONTON STUDENTS
PROJECT OBJECTIVE:
To support active transportation and acknowledge Edmonton's emerging cycling infrastructure,
Ever Active Schools is recruiting students to participate in our Bringing City Cycling Strategies to
Life for Edmonton Students project. This initiative aims to make cycling fun and an effective, safe
WHAT PARTICIPANTS CAN EXPECT:
Free one day cycling clinic that will cover: helmet and bike knowledge, bicycle handling, signals and safe, secure locking methods, navigating intersections, signage, and routes, cycling etiquette, basic bicycle maintenance, on-road guided riding
Program perks: bicycle checks by a certified bicycle mechanic, connecting young cyclists with knowledgeable, experienced, enthusiastic members of Edmonton’s cycling community, small session sizes, with a lead and sweep, 2.5 hour guided on-road riding to practise skills, visits to interesting and informative bike stops, certificate of course completion, free snacks and lunch!
PLEASE NOTE: This is not a learn to bike program. This program is intended to teach students
about the cycling infrastructure in Edmonton and we will be doing a 10km on road ride.
CLINIC DATES, LOCATIONS, AND REGISTRATION LINKS
July 11, 10am - 4pm, John A. McDougall School: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/161039382127
July 18, 10am - 4pm, Parkdale Cromdale Community League: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/161039783327
July 25, 10am - 4pm, Parkdale Cromdale Community League: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/161040112311
August 22, 10am - 4pm, John A. McDougall School: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/161040359049
Funded by: Edmonton Community Foundation
Ever Active Schools, in partnership with Bike Edmonton, is running free City Cycling Strategies Clinics for Grades 4-12 Students in Edmonton communities!
This initiative aims to increase the cycling knowledge, community awareness, safety, and confidence.
To register or find out more about the upcoming clinics, please visit the registration links for various dates:
Clinic Registration
Ritchie Community League is hosting Bike Edmonton’s free live presentation, Cycling In the City, Getting Around Comfortably this Saturday, June 12, 2021, 10am - 11pm. We'll cover the ABCs of basic bike mechanics, and what to do to safely venture beyond our neighbourhoods and multi-use paths. The presentation is 45-minutes, leaving 15 minutes to answer your questions. While the presentation is geared to people relatively new to cycling, it is an excellent refresher for experienced cyclists who who are asked for advice by family and friends. To register, visit the Ritchie Community event webpage https://ritchie-league.com/special-events/2021/6/4/cycling-secrets-a-bike-edmonton-online-presentation….