We are a nonprofit, 501c(3), membership organization working to promote active transportation. Walking and bicycling transform our communities by reinventing transportation and offering solutions to the universal challenges of health, livability and the environment.
Since 2005, Biking For Fun Inc. has done business as Bike Bakersfield, and has grown from a group of activists sitting around an office cooler to an organization with over 150 members, a full staff, and hundreds of community supporters.
Our activities span a broad spectrum of advocacy, multi-modal consulting and education. We make citizen voices heard on behalf of bicycling, and work to give cyclists the tools, confidence and knowledge they need to be safe and accepted on the road.
creating a strong sense of community identity among people who ride bikes and people who simply understand that a community where people can ride bikes is a safer, healthier, more vital place. This is evident in our Safe Routes to School Program, a state and federal program aimed at connecting kids to active transportation, by educating parents, teachers, and children, with a focus on safety and predictability.
Bike Bakersfield’s work is powered by our staff, board members, members and volunteers. Members provide steady financial support and act as the Bike Bakersfield’s eyes and ears in the community, helping to monitor advocacy needs. Volunteers are involved in every aspect of the organization, from office help to event coordination, to testifying at public hearings
We believe that education is key, which is why we offer a variety of programs and resources to encourage bicycling as a safe, fun and environmentally friendly means of everyday transportation.
We start with children in community centers and elementary schools where we hold bike rodeos, teach the children about starting, stopping, scanning and how to properly wear their helmet. We love seeing the joy on a child’s face when they are riding for the first time or finally received their first helmet that is all their own. Many children do not have working bikes, so we are often host maintenance days prior to the rodeo, where all we do is repair, patch and fill tubes.
We have certified bicycle instructors who teach everything from maintenance workshops in our community bike kitchen to League Cycling Instructor Training Seminars to Smart Cycling Courses. The goal of these programs is to help people feel more secure about getting on a bike, to create a mindset that bikes are treated as a vehicle, and to ensure that people on bikes know how to ride safely and legally. We teach teens and adults covering where to ride and how to manage traffic safety. During most of the programs, students are taken on the streets of downtown bakersfield to put their new skills to the test. Corporations often consult with us regarding how to gain compliance with Rule 9410 and reduce the number of cars on the road (and increase the number of bicycles). We also work with individuals in our bike kitchen and through our Earn-A-Bike program which gets unused bikes out of the garage and into the hands of those who need them.
Community bike rides are our way to bring everyone together to engage and excite us all around cycling!
Our rides include the popular monthly Full Moon Ride, Holiday Lights, Ride, Halloween Costume Ride, Small Business Saturday rides and more! These are only a few of our
programs and resources.
Explore the links on this page to learn even more.
