It’s a beautiful month for a bike ride — and luckily for us in the Big Tomato, May is Bike Month.

The event is an extension of the national campaign sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists, which asks cyclists from all over the country to collectively pledge to ride their bikes + log their miles all while reducing their CO2 emissions.

Since Sacramento began its official campaign in 2005 as a collaboration between the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, and the Sacramento County Department of Transportation, 4,000+ bikers in our region have racked up a collective 1.2 million miles across 76,815 rides.

This year, the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates, online platform Love To Ride + others have partnered to encourage all residents to trade in their steering wheels for handlebars and explore our city on two wheels. Oh, and did we mention you can win prizes?

That’s right – win bikes, bags, shirts, and gift cards while you ride. Here’s a quick breakdown of how the competition works:

Rally your squad of up to 10 friends — the creator of the team is the “Captain”
You’ll then compete against 10 other teams in a randomly selected pool
Teams score points by the day, by the mile + by encouraging their pals to join in.
Score as many points as you can to climb the leaderboard
More points means more chances to win
Score double points for any new riders on your team.

You can also select an organization to ride for, such as UC Davis Health, to score additional goodies + gain access to extra events.

For riders who are just now removing their training wheels — SABA has plenty of resources available, from the rules of the road to properly locking your bike. Or if you hit the road on two wheels more often than with your two feet, there are tips for regular riders + notes on how to saddle up if the weather is keeping you inside. Pro tip: Don’t forget to use the city’s bikeway map to plan the perfect route for you + your crew.

Hopefully you’re not two tire-d from riding around, because in addition to the ongoing competition, bike-themed events will take place across the city all month long. These are just a few that spoke to us.

Filmed by Bike Film Festival | Wed., May 4 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Serna Plaza | Free | Portland’s bike-themed film festival comes to town where you can bring a blanket + snacks to watch films “bike-in movie” style.
Jibe Bike Swap | Sun., May 15 | 9 a.m.-2 p.m. | North Natomas Aquatic Center, 2601 New Market Dr. | Free | Pick up a new bike, sell your old one or donate it to someone in need.
Tireside Chats | Thurs., May 26 | 8 a.m.-3 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Dr. Thomas Crouch of the Smithsonian Institute tells the story of the Wright Brothers journey from bicycles to biplanes.