Safety first: Kids can learn biking skills at various events in the suburbs
With May as National Bike Month, it’s not surprising how many suburban biking events are already scheduled. Just check Active Transportation Alliance listings or suburbanchicagobicycling.com's event calendar.
What is surprising are the numerous activities dedicated to youth safety skills: rodeos, workshops and annual Bike to School Day (May 6), when more than 60 Chicagoland schools participated, according to Walk and Bike to School’s national website.
Starting May 19, Elk Grove Township Youth Services hosts its monthly Bicycle Safety Program for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade at the township office, 600 Landmeier Road. One-hour indoor workshops highlight basic bike handling skills, helmet-fitting, hand signals and rules of the road.
Afterward, youth can practice their skills riding the Bike Safety Course, a kid-sized village with miniature buildings, a working traffic light, and paved intersecting paths behind the township office. Community members are also welcome for the two-hour open ride.
Register for Bike Safety Classes on May 19, June 13, July 15 and Aug. 15, free for township residents. Open ride sessions are also available on June 3 and July 28, with no registration/fees required.
Cycle Safe Saturday
Batavia’s Unity of Fox Valley Church hosts Cycle Safe Saturday from 9-11 a.m. May 16 at 230 Webster St., in partnership with Batavia's Active Transportation Advisory Commission, Prairie Path Cycles, BOJ-E-BIKES, and the city.
The free event is open to all cyclists, families, and community members who use local bike paths or want information about safe riding practices. Local businesses have responded positively with giveaways and coupons, according to church member Susan Renard. New helmets, maps, and used bikes will be available in limited quantities.
“Our joint goal is to bring the community together to share practical information that makes bicycle and e-bike riding safer,” said the Rev. Michael Korpan in the event’s news release. “We also hope to improve safety for pedestrians who share these spaces.”
Bike rodeos
Buffalo Grove, Elmhurst, Geneva and Warrenville will host bike rodeos in May, with Aurora and West Chicago having already held theirs April 25. Bike rodeos include various skill-focused stations such as braking, navigating figure eights and straight-line riding.
Warrenville Bicyclist & Pedestrian Advisory Commission and Warrenville Park District will hold its rodeo from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, May 16, at 28W701 Stafford Place. The rodeo includes a skill station course, bike safety checks, proper helmet fittings and giveaways.
In Buffalo Grove, Sgt. Meghan Hansen, public information officer, said the police have sponsored rodeos for about two decades. The event is from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at Mike Rylko Community Park, 1000 N. Buffalo Grove Road. New this year: nonprofit Bikes & Music is collecting used bikes.
Elmhurst YMCA hosts its Bike Rodeo from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 17, at 211 W. First St., per fitness director Beverly Davis-Schuller. Activities cover seat adjustments, helmet fittings, essential safety rules, zoned skill stations, and a short bicycle ride.
Geneva's bike rodeo is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, May 17, at the Wheeler Park north parking lot, 822 N. First St. This free event is sponsored by the City of Geneva Bike & Pedestrian Committee. The Geneva Police Department and local experts lead bike education for young participants.
Elmhurst named Club of the Year
What better time than National Bike Month to celebrate Elmhurst Bicycle Club's national recognition, just one of the League of American Bicyclists’ annual Advocacy and Education Awards.
The club was honored at LAB’s National Bike Summit in late March as 2026 Club of the Year, “one of the largest, most active cycling clubs in the Chicago region and one of the most advocacy-driven,” according to a LAB news release. LAB president Bill Nesper presented the award, noting the “exceptional job at integrating advocacy into club activities or supporting organizations, while creating exceptional events for new and experienced bicyclists.”
Advocacy co-chairs Armaline Mirretti and Kim Messina accepted the award, crediting club members for supporting local, state and national advocacy efforts. They especially recognized the efforts of publicity chair Kelli Morgan and former advocacy chair Bob Hoel.
Both Mirretti and Messina are LAB League Certified Instructors. Mirretti serves as Elmhurst University Bike Program chair and vice chair of Elmhurst’s Walk and Rollers Working Group. As Illinois state coordinator this year, Mirretti organized visits with congressional representatives in Washington, D.C., during the National Bike Summit.
Club president Jason Jarrett underscored his members’ impact.
“In recent years, Armaline, Kim, Kelli and others have worked tirelessly to advocate for infrastructure improvements for all vulnerable road users,” Jarrett said. “Having certified league cycling instructors has allowed our club to host/assist with cycling safety events in Elmhurst and nearby suburbs.”
Major Taylor Honors
Elmhurst Bicycle Club wasn’t the first organization in Illinois awarded LAB’s Club of the Year. Major Taylor International Cycling Alliance earned that national honor in 2024. While strictly not a club, MTICA “was created to unite all the Major Taylor bicycle clubs globally and to advocate for the Major Taylor brand within the cycling community,” President Bill Gaston said.
“We held our first international convention in 2022 in Indianapolis, where Major Taylor was born,” Gaston said. “In 2024, we hosted our third annual convention here in Chicago, where Major Taylor is buried.
“Currently, there are about 90 Major Taylor cycling clubs worldwide, including clubs in Taiwan, Canada, Europe, Nairobi, and soon Belize. Altogether, an estimated 10,000 members! We are the only cycling club in the country named after an individual.”
Marshall Walter “Major” Taylor raced professionally in the late 1890s and early 1900s and was the first Black American to become a cycling world champion.
• Join the ride. Contact Ralph Banasiak at alongfortheridemail@gmail.com.