Light up the night on our 3rd annual Hampden Holiday ride on December 20!
34th Street Lights, 5 December 2008. Courtesy (BY-NC-ND)
We’re back! After a few months off, the Baltimore Family Bike Party returns for our third annual ride around Hampden and Wyman Park for a hilly and festive evening ride featuring a playground, a cruise down the Avenue, and a visit to the famous Miracle on 34th Street.
Hampden Holiday Lights Family Bike Party
Saturday, December 20, 4:30pm to 6:00pm
Meet at the Wyman Park Playground
3510 Beech Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21211
RSVP on Facebook or the Biking in B’more Meet-Up!
Here are a few special reminders for this month’s ride:
- Don’t forget to light your bike (and your kid)! For this evening ride, children riding independently this month must have lights attached to clothing or bikes to participate. We’ll be bringing along a few extras but do your part and make sure your little ones are well-lit in front and back.
- Invite your kid-free friends and neighbors! Let’s end the year with a celebration for the whole Baltimore biking community – families, friends and neighbors all.
- Dress warmly and stay tuned for weather updates! Warm hats and gloves are essential for riding with children in the winter. If it is snowing or raining on December 20, we will try for December 21 instead.
September Family Bike Party! Ride from Mount Vernon to the Abell Community Street Fair
Join the Baltimore Family Bike Party tomorrow morning for a ride from Mount Vernon to Abell! We’ll start the ride at the Mount Vernon Children’s Book Exchange and end by joining the Greek mythology themed parade of the Abell Community Street Fair.
September Family Bike Party
Sunday, September 21, 10:30am to 12:00pm
Meet at Mount Vernon Children’s Park, 801 N. Calvert Street
RSVP on Facebook
Feel like you’ve read the same 3 books 3,000 times? Come out early for the 3rd Annual Midtown Children’s Book Exchange and Potluck! Bring gently used children’s books (and parenting books) to share and pick up new-to-you books from your friends and neighbors. All books that remain after the event will be donated to the Maryland Book Bank.
Around 11:00am, we’ll start the ride up to the Abell Open Space where we will join the Abell Community Street Fair. This year’s parade theme is Greek mythology, so you can decorate your bike accordingly in advance or at the Open Space. After the parade you can stay and enjoy great music, arts, crafts and refreshments at the Street Fair!
This weekend! Baltimore Family Bike Party Camping Trip to Robert E. Lee Park
Join the Baltimore Family Bike Party this weekend for a special overnight bike camping trip to Robert E. Lee Memorial Park at Lake Roland in Baltimore County. In bikecamping terms, this ride is a sub 24-hour overnight (S24O) leaving Baltimore for Robert E. Lee Park on Saturday afternoon and returning to the city on Sunday morning. Read on for more details about the park and our planned route!
Family Bike Party Camp Out 2014!
Saturday, June 21, 1:30pm to Sunday, June 22, 10:30am
Please sign up online ASAP then you can optionally RSVP on Facebook!
$5 per person payable in cash or check to park staff
Want some inspiration on how much fun bikecamping with kids can be? Check out these posts on family bikecamping trips in Seattle and Portland.
Need advice on what to pack? Check out this gear list and other resources on overnights from the Adventure Cycling Association.
Why go to Robert E. Lee Park?
Robert E. Lee Park is a great place for Baltimore families to try out bikecamping because it is only a 8.5-mile ride from Midtown Baltimore or less if you’re leaving from Charles Village or Hampden. The park includes 415 acres of woodland, wetlands, serpentine barrens, rare plants and rocky plateaus.
We will be able to use the grills at the Pavillion, the fire ring, and wood for a campfire and a brand-new playground a short walk from the campground. We can have between 16 and 40 people in our group. Participants must bring cash or check to pay the group camping fee of $5 per person to park staff. Following park rules, staff from the Baltimore County Department of Recreation & Parks will be camping with us.
How do we get there?
We are planning three short stops (in Midtown, Abell and Hampden) on our way out of town so riders can meet our group at any of those three stops:
- 1:30pm – Leave from Baltimore Bicycle Works – 1813 Falls Road
- 1:50pm – Arrive at Abell Open Space – 305 East 32nd Street
- 2:10pm – Arrive at Twenty20 Cycling Company – 725 West 36th Street
- 2:15pm – Continue on Roland Avenue to Lake Avenue
- 3:00pm – Arrive at Robert E. Lee Park – enter the park at Lakeside Drive
We plan to return on Sunday by the same route leaving the park by 9:00am at the latest. Our planned route to the park is mostly on streets with bike lanes or trails and the hills are long but mostly gradual. If you’re feeling nervous about the length or steepness of the ride, you can also bike to the Light Rail, take it to the Falls Road station, and then bike into the park along the boardwalk.
Questions? Suggestions? Please get in touch or email ride organizer Patrick McMahon at patrick@mcmahon.com.
Registration for Baltimore “Bikes Rule at School” Week now open!
Photo courtesy Streetsblog, 2010.
This May, we’re not just taking a day to Bike to School — we’re celebrating a whole week of how bikes rule at school! Why a full week? Each school community can choose its own best day and way to celebrate, while promoting biking and rolling all week. Whether you’re trying to get to school in the morning, get home at the end of the day or hang out with family and friends riding on local trails, biking is a fun, safe and sustainable transportation option for many local families.
We need your help to organize “Bikes Rule at School” events at your school and in your community! Every volunteer organizer will receive an “Organizer Toolkit” and we’re working on a few fun prizes for participating schools and families. Don’t feel like you can organize an event? You can still sign up to help out with another event or just to learn more about “Bikes Rule at School” news this spring.
Registration for participants, volunteers and event organizers is now open. Sign up today!
Spread the biking love! Get your school involved with Bike to School Day this spring
Image courtesy Robin Urban Smith/Streetfilms, May 2010.
The first-ever National Bike to School Day took place on May 9, 2012, in coordination with the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Month. Almost 1,000 local events in 49 states and the District of Columbia joined together to encourage children to safely bicycle or walk to school.
The event builds on the popularity of Walk to School Day, which is celebrated across the country – and the world – each October. Many communities and schools have been holding spring walk and bicycle to school events for years. National Bike to School Day provides an opportunity for schools across the country to join together to celebrate and to build off of the energy of National Bike Month.
Learn more about Bike to School Day today!
Oh no, snow! Ride a bike & read a book with the Baltimore Family Bike Party rescheduled for March 15
Rescheduled due to snow & ice! A chilly spring morning is perfect for settling in to read a good book… after you have warmed up on a fun ride with the Baltimore Family Bike Party, of course!
Book Thing Family Bike Party
The Book Thing, 3001 Vineyard Lane, Baltimore, MD 21218
Saturday, March 15, 9:30am to 11:00am
RSVP on Facebook or on the Biking in B’more Meet-up Group
The Book Thing is a special destination for families (and people of all ages!) who love books and love a good deal because the Book Thing gives books away for free! Join us next weekend on a gentle “Tour du Charles Village” starting from the Book Thing at Vineyard Lane and 30th Street and cruising on quiet neighborhood streets past local parks, playgrounds and family-friendly coffee shops. Weather permitting, we’ll be sure to stop at a playground before returning to the Waverly Farmer’s Market for a snack.
Special thanks to Baltimore Bicycle Works for hosting our indoors DIY Balance Bike Workshop last month! We are always looking for volunteers to get involved with planning future rides. If you’re interested in learning more or helping out, please get in touch through our website.
Photo courtesy: Coral Olive & Gold
What winter? Jones Falls Family Bike Party + free DIY Balance Bike Workshop
FYI: No bike required for our DIY Balance Bike Workshop
No polar vortex can stop us from riding this month but we will find a nice warm bikeshop to host! Join us at Baltimore Bicycle Works for a pedal parent brunch and a free fun workshop on how to turn a 12″ kids bike into a DIY “balance bike” perfect for any knee-high novice cyclists that you have at home.
DIY Balance Bike Workshop + Jones Falls TrailFamily Bike Party
Baltimore Bicycle Works, 1813 Falls Rd, Baltimore, MD 21201
Saturday, January 18, 9:30am to 11:00am
RSVP on Facebook or on the Biking in B’more Meet-up Group!
The Baltimore Family Bike Party is headed over to the Jones Falls Trail for a friendly get together at Baltimore Bicycles Works. We’ll bring coffee and a few snack but anyone is welcome to bring something to share.
Once everyone has something warm to drink, BBW’s talented worker-owners will offer a short workshop on how to turn a regular 12″ kids bike into a DIY balance bike. What is a balance bike? One of best ways to teach a kid to ride! If you have young children and you are interested in teaching them how to bike, don’t miss this program. Stick around after the workshop and (if weather allows) we’ll enjoy a short ride up and back the Jones Falls Trail – another family friendly destination for cyclists in Baltimore.
P.S. Sorry for the late notice this month! Help us spread the word to your bike-curious friends with kids by using the social share buttons below.
Photo courtesy: groundtruthtrekking.org.
Join us in Hampden for a Festival of Bikes & Lights on December 21!
Photo of 34th Street courtesy Kevin B. Moore.
In what may be a new annual tradition, the Baltimore Family Bike Party is headed back to Hampden and Wyman Park for a hilly and festive evening ride featuring a playground, a cruise down the Avenue, and a visit to the famous Miracle on 34th Street. As always, we welcome everyone from toddlers in bike seats or trailer to kids on two wheels to join us on our monthly family-friendly rides.
Hampden Holiday Lights Bike Party!
Saturday, December 21, 2013, 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Meet at the Wyman Park Playground
3510 Beech Avenue, Baltimore, MD
RSVP on Facebook or the Biking in B’more Meet-Up Group!
Here are a few special reminders for this month’s ride:
- Don’t forget to light your bike (and your kid)! For this evening ride, children riding independently this month must have lights attached to clothing or bikes to participate. We’ll be bringing along a few extras but do your part and make sure your little ones are well-lit in front and back.
- Invite your kid-free friends and neighbors! Let’s end the year with a celebration for the whole Baltimore biking community – families, friends and neighbors all.
- Dress warmly and stay-tuned for weather updates! Balaclavas and serious gloves are essential for riding with children in the winter. We’re planning to keep our monthly rides going all the way to spring but if the temperature dips below 40 degrees Fahrenheit or we can expect precipitation (snow or rain) we will likely cancel the ride. Winter biking can be fun (see last year’s winter riding update for a few helpful resources) but we’re going to proceed cautiously for now. You can always check Facebook or here on our website for information about ride cancellations or weather updates.
Ghostly Greenmount Family Bike Party on October 19! Featuring a spooky cemetery, scary books and fun costumes
Thanks again to everyone who came out last month for the ABCs of Family Biking. Take a look at our last post for photos but if you did attend – please help us keep organizing bigger and better family biking events by answering four quick questions in our 2-minute follow-up survey. Please join us again this month for Baltimore Family Bike Party Halloween fun!
Ghostly Greenmount Family Bike Party!
Saturday, October 19, 2013, 9:30am to 11:00am
Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School
1600 Guilford Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21202
Meet at the school playground on E. Lanvale Street.
RSVP on Facebook or the Biking in B’more Meet-up Group!
The Baltimore Family Bike Party is back with another fun, family-friendly ride including some spooky stops for Halloween! Starting from the Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School in Greenmount West, we’ll ride through Green Mount Cemetery along quiet paved paths past many handsome quiet graves.
When we get back onto neighborhood streets, we’ll ride south down to the Baltimore Reads Book Bank where each accompanied child on the can pick out up to five books (hopefully a few scary ones!) to bring home. Baltimore Reads also accepts donations of all kinds of books (for kids and adults) so feel free to bring any books you’re done with to trade in – we’ll get a trailer to haul books there and back.
We’re encouraging everyone to come in costume this month – especially if you can come as a character from the scary book of your choice! If can volunteer to bring snacks to share, let us know – some healthy (or even sweet) treats are always welcome.
Thank you! We had a blast sharing ♥ for family biking at Baltimore’s first ABCs event
Thanks so so much to everyone who came out and joined us for Baltimore’s first ABCs of Family Biking this past Saturday! We had a blast – all thanks to support from many volunteers and partners with the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance, Bikemore, Bike Maryland, Greater Homewood Community Corporation, The Village Parents, Baltimore Montessori Public Charter School, Kasper’s Cargos, and Baltimore Bicycle Works.
Photos by Suz Kasnow, Suzanne Michelle Photography.
For everyone who attended – please help us keep organizing bigger and better family biking events by answering four quick questions in our 2-minute follow-up survey! Special thanks to photographer Suz Kashnow of Suzanne Michelle Photography who took a great set of photos (that we made into the GIF above and posted in the gallery below). Don’t forget to save the date for our next Family Bike Party on October 19 – details coming soon!
