May is bike month in Park City, see what the city has in store | ParkRecord.com
YOUR AD HERE »

May is bike month in Park City, see what the city has in store

It’s almost May – national bike month – which means plenty of opportunities to get out and ride. According to the latest Mountain Trails report, Round Valley was “Trailiriffic” last weekend. With the exception of trails running across man-made snow, lower elevation trails around Summit County are ready to ride. Charlie Sturgis, executive director of the Mountain Trails Foundation, added that, because the town is experiencing a pronounced shoulder season after a dry winter, it’s a great to get out and enjoy the trail system while it’s still uncrowded.

There are also a handful of social events to celebrate bike month, starting with the Young Riders Bike Swap on Saturday, May 12 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., which will provide riders a chance to sell and buy bikes and equipment. The Young Riders Bike Swap raises money for the Young Riders, a youth mountain biking program – but that doesn’t mean the bike swap is all about the kids. First off, the swap is at The Yard Event Space – so swappers can enjoy a frosty adult beverage while checking out the selections. Those interested can check bikes in for sale at JANS and White Pine from April 28 to May 9. All the required paperwork and further information can be found online at http://youngriders.com/bike-swap/.

The Summit Bike Share is now active until the next winter. On May 15-16, Park City will celebrate Bike Share Fare Free Day – a joint effort between electric bike service Bewegen, Summit County, the Park City Chamber of Commerce and Park City. The promotion allows riders to stop in at any of the nine bike share stations around the greater Park City area and take a free 45-minute ride. But before cyclists set out on a breezy trip around town, they should register at SummitBikeShare.com by entering the code “bikemonth” to get a free trip, or log into the Summit Bike Share app.



On May 18, the greater Park City area will celebrate Bike to Work, School and Play Day, when the city and other local organizations will support Park City citizens in embracing pedal power. The Park City High School parking lot will serve as the event’s main hub, where there will be breakfast, bike tune-ups, a bike wash and information on bike safety between 7:30 and 10 a.m.

Students biking to school can gather with classmates at the PC MARC, Aspen Villas, Arches Park or PC Heights at 7:50 a.m. and ride to school together with a bike police escort. There will also be helmet fittings, a barbecue and safety demonstrations behind Parleys Park Elementary from 1 to 3 p.m. McPolin Elementary will have a similar event from 11 a.m. to noon.



According to Julia Collins, senior transportation planner at Park City, the event is meant to encourage biking by showing how easy and convenient biking or walking to work around Park City can be – which is healthy both for cyclists and the city’s often-congested roads.

For cyclists that missed the Young Riders Bike Swap, there’s always May 19 and 20, when Cole Sport will host a bike swap to benefit the Mountain Trails Foundation. Like the Young Riders swap, all kinds of bikes for all ages are welcome and available. The swap charges $20 for each bike sold.

On May 23, the Mountain Trails Foundation will finish the month with the Mountain Madness Open House, where members of the organization present plans for the season.

“It’s kind of ‘Everything trails,’” Sturgis said. The event starts at 5 p.m. at the Double Tree Hilton in Park City and will provide an opportunity to meet local riders, sip fancy drinks from a cash bar and talk about biking. More importantly, it will provide info on what’s going on with Mountain Trails – plans for building and maintenance, the latest news on Bonanza Flats, and more. It’s the organization’s last event before June, when it will start hosting its summer races, and when the local resorts reopen their lift services.

There’s plenty to do out there for May, just one request from Sturgis: don’t trash the trails by riding in bad conditions or leaving garbage around. That way, June will be just as good.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Park City and Summit County make the Park Record's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.