by Ellen Wanamaker

Rodeo fans! Swap out your cowboy hat for a bike helmet and come on over to Ames Public Library for the Bike Fair and Rodeo this Saturday, May 31.

The Bike Fair will be held from 10:00 to 1:00 in front of the library. Learn more about biking in our community by meeting local bike-friendly organizations. You can also learn how to load a bike onto a CyRide bike rack. Skunk River Cycles and other community volunteers will be on-site providing free maintenance and basic repairs. Bike locks will be available for free to those who need them (while supplies last).

The Bike Rodeo will be part of the festivities, from 10:30 to 12:00. Join Safe Routes to School Iowa, who will teach kids the basics of cycling skills and road rules in a safe and supervised environment. All you need is a bike and a helmet. Helmets will be provided to those who need them (while supplies last). This event is presented in partnership with Ames Public Library, Iowa Bicycle Coalition, and Safe Routes to School Iowa.

This rodeo on two wheels event follows the mayor’s bike ride, held in Ames on May 10. Mayor John Haila and City Council members joined community members on a 10-mile ride around Ames, starting and ending at City Hall. Approximately 100 people of all ages participated.

If you need bike-related inspiration, Ames Public Library has many books about adventures on two wheels. “On Bicycles: 50 Ways the Bike Culture Can Change Your Life” by Amy Walker has chapters on gear, safety tips, and bike-friendly cities. “Live to Ride: Finding Joy and Meaning on a Bicycle” by Peter Flax celebrates the unifying power of the bicycle. DK Eyewitness’ “Ride: Cycle the World” features maps and photos of 100 epic worldwide trips. Whether you’re seeking an all-out 2700-mile pedal from San Diego to Florida, or a picturesque 47-mile ride between islands in Japan, this book has all that you need to know.

Ames can join the rest of the world next week for World Bicycle Day, celebrated annually on June 3. Adopted through a UN General Assembly resolution in 2018, World Bicycle Day recognizes the uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle. Advocates of this day of the bike point to bicycling as an affordable, reliable, clean, and environmentally sustainable means of transport. Biking is also a fun and exhilarating way to get around.