Upcoming Community Rides |
Sign-up to lead/sweep under "Sign-up for a Shift" in the BL APP . If you are not already a Bike Library Volunteer and want to lead/sweep, tell Walter ([email protected])!
On your first time leading or sweeping, please show up at least 15 minutes early to go over guidelines and get signed up on the BL App. |
Routes
Sycamore Greenway Trail
This trail ride is appropriate everyone, including for families with kids. If you are ready to try the street, the inbound portion of the loop allows you to try the bike lanes on South Sycamore Street. If you are not ready for the street, opt for the wide sidewalk along Sycamore St.
You have the option of a 3-mile loop or a 4 mile out-and-back ride that takes you to Kickers Soccer Park and back.
You have the option of a 3-mile loop or a 4 mile out-and-back ride that takes you to Kickers Soccer Park and back.
eastside
This ride is intended to get the whole family thinking about the possibilities for commuting by bike by familiarizing you with Court Hill Trail and the side-path along Lower West Branch Road. It’s especially useful as a foundation for riding to school! You will get to practice watching for cars at intersections, including a few arterial streets with well-marked crossings. There are a few short sections of on-street riding on very low-volume streets that will allow you to practice transitioning from trail to street and back.
The map below shows a 6-mile loop or a 4 mile out-and-back ride that takes you back between Creekside Park and Scott Park.
The map below shows a 6-mile loop or a 4 mile out-and-back ride that takes you back between Creekside Park and Scott Park.
Clear Creek Trail
The Clear Creek Trail offers a little bit of everything: prairie, woodlands, wetland, even the optional pump-track! There are a few hills between the Ned Ashton Cross Country Course and Camp Cardinal Blvd., but the rest of the trail is pretty flat. The ride ends at Creekside Cross Cyclocross Park! This map is dated--the Clear Creek Trail was extended in 2002, running under I80/380 to Tiffin. From Tiffin, the trail continues west all the way to Kent Park.
On the way back, take the north fork (left) at Ned Ashton to head up 12th Avenue and then back on 5th Street, which is a low-traffic street. There are several great food stops along the way where you can get takeout—doughnuts, smoothies, empanadas, tacos!
From 5th Street, take the Biscuit Creek Trail south just after the old schoolhouse. You will be able to cross under 2nd Street and then ride through the Rainbow Tunnel under the Iowa Interstate Railroad, which leads to a surprisingly nice little wetland area. You’ll be glad you tried this route for future rides!
On the way back, take the north fork (left) at Ned Ashton to head up 12th Avenue and then back on 5th Street, which is a low-traffic street. There are several great food stops along the way where you can get takeout—doughnuts, smoothies, empanadas, tacos!
From 5th Street, take the Biscuit Creek Trail south just after the old schoolhouse. You will be able to cross under 2nd Street and then ride through the Rainbow Tunnel under the Iowa Interstate Railroad, which leads to a surprisingly nice little wetland area. You’ll be glad you tried this route for future rides!
RIDE "AROUND" CAMPUS
This ride circles 6 miles "around" the University of Iowa Campus and Manville Heights, providing a combination of trails, sidepaths, and on-street riding. The street riding will be mostly in bike lanes (Melrose Avenue and Clinton Streets) or on very low traffic streets (Normandy Drive and Myrtle Avenue). If you are still feeling uneasy about riding on the street, consider an early Saturday or Sunday morning ride. Bring a friend or family member along as riding in a pair or groups will help you feel more confident AND make you more visible.
The GOLD route (5 mi.) goes through the Health Sciences campus shown in gold on the map. Remember to yield pedestrians on shared sidewalks and wide paths and/or dismount on the pedestrian bridge over Riverside Drive, if necessary.
The GOLD route (5 mi.) goes through the Health Sciences campus shown in gold on the map. Remember to yield pedestrians on shared sidewalks and wide paths and/or dismount on the pedestrian bridge over Riverside Drive, if necessary.
West SIDE ICE CREAM TRIP
This ride builds on rides 3 and 4—getting you familiar with those west side trails and crossings. Now, let’s think about what it takes to ride safely when the sun starts to set. Yes, even before it is fully set, you need to activate those bike lights. Your front light allows you to be seen and to see road and trail conditions ahead. Your red tail light is equally important, allowing you to be seen by approaching vehicles who you may not see or be aware of as they approach. You may have noticed experienced cyclists using their red blinking tail lights even during daylight hours. That flashing red light announces your presence on the roadway—and motorists pay attention to what they can see. So grab your lights (or get some lights) and let’s get rolling!
From the Far west side you have two options: 1. Ride on the the Melrose Ave. sidepath (wide sidewalk) or the bike lanes. Bike lanes end at Westside Drive so you may want to stick to the sidepath unless you are comfortable riding in traffic—be prepared to signal and transition to the left lane in order to turn left at Westside Drive and hop onto the bike trail. 2. Take the Willow Creek Trail, a pleasant winding route. At the south base of the trail continue onto Willow Creek Court (a very low-volume street) out to connect to the Highway One Trail or Dane’s Dairy.
From University Heights use the Melrose Avenue bike lanes that extend from city limits to the UI Law School. Turn right off of Melrose at the Law School onto the off- street trail that connects through a University parking lot to Myrtle. A short steep downhill to Riverside —make sure your brakes are working before choosing this route. At the base of the hill, position yourself in the lane to cross Riverside Drive to the Iowa River Trail.
From Manville Heights you have two options: Take River Street (a low volume street) downhill and cross Riverside Drive to the trail and head south. You will cross Burlington with the light. Another option is to take the Woolf Avenue Bridge and wind through campus and over Riverside Drive on the pedestrian bridge to connect with the trail. Remember that you are going the right direction when you see the blue MERF building (rhymes with Smurf).
From areas east of Emerald and Denbigh and West of Greenwood, Sunset Street, with its wide pavement and striped parking lane (south of Benton St.) serves as a comfortable on-street route. The Iowa City Bicycle Plan calls for the parking lane to be converted to Ride #5 bicycle lanes in 2023.
From the Far west side you have two options: 1. Ride on the the Melrose Ave. sidepath (wide sidewalk) or the bike lanes. Bike lanes end at Westside Drive so you may want to stick to the sidepath unless you are comfortable riding in traffic—be prepared to signal and transition to the left lane in order to turn left at Westside Drive and hop onto the bike trail. 2. Take the Willow Creek Trail, a pleasant winding route. At the south base of the trail continue onto Willow Creek Court (a very low-volume street) out to connect to the Highway One Trail or Dane’s Dairy.
From University Heights use the Melrose Avenue bike lanes that extend from city limits to the UI Law School. Turn right off of Melrose at the Law School onto the off- street trail that connects through a University parking lot to Myrtle. A short steep downhill to Riverside —make sure your brakes are working before choosing this route. At the base of the hill, position yourself in the lane to cross Riverside Drive to the Iowa River Trail.
From Manville Heights you have two options: Take River Street (a low volume street) downhill and cross Riverside Drive to the trail and head south. You will cross Burlington with the light. Another option is to take the Woolf Avenue Bridge and wind through campus and over Riverside Drive on the pedestrian bridge to connect with the trail. Remember that you are going the right direction when you see the blue MERF building (rhymes with Smurf).
From areas east of Emerald and Denbigh and West of Greenwood, Sunset Street, with its wide pavement and striped parking lane (south of Benton St.) serves as a comfortable on-street route. The Iowa City Bicycle Plan calls for the parking lane to be converted to Ride #5 bicycle lanes in 2023.
Coralville mountain biking
Raise it up ride
This movement starts with a movement of mind. Stories change minds.
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Race, Place, and Space
What role does race, place, and space play in terms of mobility justice, housing equity, economic opportunity, and beyond?
The Raise It Up Ride Series is an opportunity for cyclists to take on inequities in our community by utilizing the self-guided ride resources-- digital StoryMap, audio companion podcast, along-the-route interactive exercises, and next-step guide-- to educate themselves on element of systemic racism and injustice as they came to be and as they continue to exist today.
We believe that when hard truths are shared, when an unknown history is shared, when people are confronted with experiences that are different than their own, new perspectives arise. New ways of moving through the world are sparked.
What is the Purpose of The Raise It Up Ride?
So many rides are about riding; what if we rode for another reason? Like a protest? Like a bike march? Like an act of solidarity, of tribute, of respect? During this ride, the hope is that both sets of wheels will be spinning.
- How often do you ride past a place, monument, a line drawn, that established or expounds upon that inequity?
- This ride uses the power of the bike to share experiences, to open spaces, to lift voices. And, unlike many rides, this ride asks you to stop (often!)... so that you can listen. To hear what has been silenced, we need to do just that.
- If this prompts riders to acknowledge issues, confront their role in these systems, and then step up and do the work, we've accomplished our goal.
What is an Audio-Guided Ride?
This ride meets you where you're at-- in more ways than one.
Our ride companion podcast will share stories of Black lives here and now(!) by blending interviews with Black community members with significant checkpoint information, contextual narratives, and interactive questions for riders. Then, we'll go a step further by providing a guide for riders to advocate for change in tangible ways.
Our ride companion podcast will share stories of Black lives here and now(!) by blending interviews with Black community members with significant checkpoint information, contextual narratives, and interactive questions for riders. Then, we'll go a step further by providing a guide for riders to advocate for change in tangible ways.
Online Cycling Resources
Black Cycling Orgs + Businesses: A list of Black cycling organizations and businesses. Be sure to support, follow, and share.
Basic Maintenance & Gear - Great resource for bicycle maintenance and gear from our friends up North.
Anatomy of a Bicycle Quiz: Look to the green Click On text for instructions on naming the parts of a bike.
Sheldon Brown - A great online resource for learning about bicycle repair, maintenance, and more, from the late, great Sheldon Brown.
Park Tool - Great videos. Find Repair Help by searching, selecting categories, or clicking on the "View Bike Diagram" button (Tablet or Desktop).
BicycleSafe.com - Practical information about safe cycling alongside motorized traffic.
ibike.org - Lots of information about bicycling and connections to community bicycle shops and programs around the world.
The League of American Bicyclists - They have an expansive resource on their site here.
Bicycling Street Smarts - A good guide to safely riding in traffic.
Lovely Bicycle - An eclectic bicycling weblog featuring stories, reviews and miscellanea, with an emphasis on the classic and the handmade.
Basic Maintenance & Gear - Great resource for bicycle maintenance and gear from our friends up North.
Anatomy of a Bicycle Quiz: Look to the green Click On text for instructions on naming the parts of a bike.
Sheldon Brown - A great online resource for learning about bicycle repair, maintenance, and more, from the late, great Sheldon Brown.
Park Tool - Great videos. Find Repair Help by searching, selecting categories, or clicking on the "View Bike Diagram" button (Tablet or Desktop).
BicycleSafe.com - Practical information about safe cycling alongside motorized traffic.
ibike.org - Lots of information about bicycling and connections to community bicycle shops and programs around the world.
The League of American Bicyclists - They have an expansive resource on their site here.
Bicycling Street Smarts - A good guide to safely riding in traffic.
Lovely Bicycle - An eclectic bicycling weblog featuring stories, reviews and miscellanea, with an emphasis on the classic and the handmade.