The Signal

Hit the trails! It’s bike month

Commuinity-wide cycling event encourages residents to explore area’s many miles of scenic paths

- MIRANDA CITY VOICES Bill Miranda is a member of Santa Clarita’s City Council and can be reached at bmiranda@ santa-clarita.com.

AFor years, the city of Santa Clarita has been recognized as a bicycle-friendly community by The League of American Bicyclists. We are proud to offer cyclists more than 100 miles of off-street trails to ride throughout the Santa Clarita Valley. During the month of May, we encourage you to grab your bike and join us in celebratin­g National Bike Month. Whether you are a beginner or an avid cyclist, there are more than 60 miles of picturesqu­e multi-use trails to choose from throughout the city. In honor of National Bike Month, we are hosting a variety of events to encourage residents to hit the trails.

Mark your calendars for a city-wide community bike ride on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Be sure to invite your friends and family for a free, self-guided bike ride along the city’s trail system. The ride will begin shortly after 10 a.m. from four different starting points throughout the city of Santa Clarita. The starting points are Central Park, Iron Horse Trail and the Sports Complex. Additional­ly, a fourth starting point will be available at Lost Canyon Trail to accommodat­e riders seeking a more challengin­g trail.

Each of the routes will have markers that lead riders to Bridgeport Park. Riders are encouraged to enjoy compliment­ary water to hydrate once they get to the park before continuing their journey back home. The first 200 riders to arrive at Bridgeport Park will receive a bag with free giveaways as a bonus.

Another popular bike event in Santa Clarita is the Bike to Work Challenge, allowing residents to participat­e by biking to work, not just for a day but an entire week. The challenge will begin on Monday, May 16, and end on Friday, May 20. On Thursday, May 19, there will be five bicycle pit stops located throughout the city from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Thanks to our local partners, riders can look forward to pit spots hosted by Trek, Incycle, Bicycle Johns and city staff, with refreshmen­ts available at each location. In addition, the City Hall pit stop will have Chick-filA and Honu Coffee while supplies last. The city and its event partners encourage riders to join the fun and enjoy great snacks, giveaways and the chance to win raffle prizes, including a bike.

Individual participan­ts will be entered into the raffle for each day they participat­e, with a potential of five entries per participan­t. The challenge isn’t only open to individual cyclists but also to our local businesses. Small, medium and large businesses with the most participan­ts will have bragging rights throughout the city. Best of all, the business winner from each category can win lunch for its riders.

Whether you are a beginner or an experience­d cyclist, this is a great weeklong opportunit­y for everyone to join the no-pollute commute. Riding your bike as an alternativ­e form of transporta­tion significan­tly reduces traffic congestion, improves air quality and provides great exercise. Riders and businesses can take the online pledge and learn more about the Bike to Work Challenge by visiting GreenSanta­Clarita. com. To learn more about all of our upcoming bikerelate­d events during Bike Month, please visit BikeSantaC­larita.com.

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