Check your tires, lube up your chains, and strap on your helmets: Rochester Bike Week starts Friday.
The pedestrian, cyclist, and transit advocacy group Reconnect Rochester holds the event each year to celebrate bicycling in Monroe County. The organization and many local cycling advocates see it as an opportunity to showcase the Rochester area's cycling community and to encourage people to try cycling instead of driving for short trips.
Bike Week's official kickoff is the 10-mile Light Up the Night Ride, which begins at 7:15 p.m. Friday at the city's Genesee Valley Park Sports Complex, 131 Elmwood Ave. Participants are encouraged to deck their bikes out with glow sticks, bike lights, or other forms of lighting.
There are additional events and rides scheduled for every day through May 17, when Bike Week ends with a 2 p.m. Queer History Tour led by the Rochester Rainbow Riders. The 13-mile ride starts at Three Heads Brewing, 186 Atlantic Ave.
A schedule of events and other information is available on Reconnect Rochester's website.
