It’s the fifth month, and I’m still finding it difficult to wrap my head around the fact that this is my final year with you. I see that I’ve been confessing a lot to you in 2025, so let’s keep that pattern going: for 25 years, May has always been my easiest column to write!
Of course you know why! May is National Bike Month, and there is always so much to try to squeeze into a single column. Click in and let’s roll…again!
May 1-31: Try to make the entire month bicycle-centric! Visit bikesiliconvalley.org and bayareabiketowork.com for ideas.
May 3: The Tierra Bella, perhaps the greatest event ride in South County, takes off from Gilroy’s Christmas Hill Park. Ride organizers, the Almaden Cycle Touring Club, wrote the book on hosting a bike event. Their TB Challenge features rides of 73 and 100 miles, while the TB Fun & Fit offers 29 and 49 mile options.
May 4: The first Sunday of May is always National Ride a Bike Day! Have fun!
May 8: Don your helmets and participate in Walk, Bike and Roll to School Day! Teach your kids and grandkids the joys of bicycle commuting. (walkbiketoschool.org)
May 15: Sure, Bike to Wherever Days are all month, but the official Bay Area Bike To Work Day takes place on the third Thursday of May. Register and ride! (bayareabiketowork.com)
May 16: Enjoy Ride the Gilroy Gardens! (eventbrite.com)
May 17-18: The El Camino Real Ride takes off from the Santa Clara CalTrain Station on Saturday, while the Strawberry Fields Forever pedals out of Aptos on Sunday!
Save the dates
Anytime: Gilroy/Morgan Hill Bike Match, https://bit.ly/BikeMatch
May 3: Tierra Bella, Gilroy, tierrabella.org
May 17: El Camino Real Ride, Santa Clara, bikesiliconvalley.org
May 18: Strawberry Fields Forever, Aptos, strawberryfields.org
Curt “Cycle Guy” Hentschke is a cyclist, seeker, song farmer and scribe. Send your cycle celebrations and cerebration to he*********@***il.com
