Student bike fairs, free bike stuff, and resources at universities across Pittsburgh

University students, faculty, and visitors will celebrate CAMPUS BIKE WEEK 2024, leading up to and during September 15 – 21st at University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Duquesne University! Enjoy events aimed at getting you ready to take on your campus bike commute, ride to and from classes, and explore our great city by bike.

With the increase of people choosing to bike as a healthy, sustainable, and affordable mode of transportation, it is important that students have the opportunity to learn how to safely and confidently navigate Pittsburgh via bicycle. Learn about biking in Pittsburgh, meet your peers, and get free bike stuff at the events listed below. Don’t forget to tag @bikepgh on social media when you show up to any of these events for a chance to win some additional BikePGH swag!

Campus Bike Week Schedule

*pre-event!* – Monday, September 9

• 10am – 1pm: Operation Illumination at Duquesne University! BikePGH will be giving out free bike lights, helmets, and bike maps @ Duquesne’s A-Walk “C” In front of Mellon Hall across from Laval House.

*pre-event!* – Wednesday, September 11

•  10am-1pm: Get free bike stuff at the Bike People tent on Duquesne’s campus! Stickers, pins, other giveaways, maps, and information / demo bike for POGOH bikeshare. @ Duquesne’s A-Walk “C” In front of Mellon Hall across from Laval House.
• 4 – 7pm: Duquesne Confident City Cycling class. Location TBA. Sign up required: Register via Campus Link.

*pre-event!* – Friday, September 13

• 5pm – 7pm: Duquesne group ride – Meet for a ride from Duquesne Campus down to Eliza Furnace Trail to Hot Metal Bridge to Hazelwood Green bike paths. Exact start location TBA. Sign up in Campus Link, or, at on 9/9 and 9/11 at the tables on A-Walk.
• 5:15pm: Pitt + CMU Bike Bus to Critical Mass – Open to All
  • Pitt: rolling from Schenley Plaza @ 5:30
  • CMU: Meet at the intersection of Forbes and Morewood @ 5:15
  • Led by Complete Streets at Pitt (student club)
  • Route: www.strava.com/routes/3247598455458405262
  • Critical Mass is a monthly ride for bicyclists to take to the streets to promote bicycling as the best means of urban transit. Critical Mass is also a great place for new riders, and a bike bus is the safest way to get there. The University Bike Bus is a no-drop, casual-paced ride to and from the Critical Mass starting point in Friendship Park.

Sunday, September 15

• 2pm: Campus Bike Week Kickoff Fun Ride!
  • A fun, casual ride starting from CMU and Pitt campuses and going through Oakland, to the South Side, Downtown to Point State Park, and back. Led by Complete Streets at Pitt.
  • Route: www.strava.com/routes/3246928602790771052
    • Pitt group: Meet at Pitt Bike Cave
    • CMU group: Meet at Forbes & Morewood @ 1:45pm
    • Duquesne group: Exact start location TBA. Sign up in Campus Link and on 9/9 and 9/11 at the tables on A-Walk.

Monday, September 16

• 11am – 2pm: Pitt’s Campus Bike Week Festival @ Pitt Bike Cave
  • Celebrate Campus Bike Week with a festival dedicated to all things biking at Pitt and beyond! Enter a raffle to win a brand-new bike as well as locks and helmets from Pitt Mobility, Pitt Eats, BikePGH, and the Pitt Bike Cave. Connect with biking-related student clubs and Pittsburgh-based organizations. Share your thoughts on campus bike infrastructure with Pitt’s Planning Department, learn safety tips from Pitt Police, and try out Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s demo bus bike rack. Plus, activate your POGOH benefit and explore how to use bike share bikes from POGOH. Enjoy free giveaways and grab a bite to eat from nearby food truck, Ethel’s!

Tuesday, September 17

• 11am – 1pm: Commuter Cafe @ Pitt Bike Cave, 230 S Bouquet St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
  • Stop by our Commuter Café to fuel your bike commute! Enjoy Pitt Eats’ delicious breakfast snacks and coffee while engaging with biking-related organizations, including Pitt Mobility, Pitt Bike Cave, Complete Streets at Pitt, Pitt Cycling Club, POGOH, and BikePGH!
• 12pm – 4pm: Carnegie Mellon Bike Fair – Merson Courtyard – Outside CMU’s Cohon University Center
  • Get help biking around town with free BikePGH Bike Maps and Urban Biking guides, info on POGOH bikeshare, mechanical advice and bike checks, anti-theft bike registration, a sneak peek at future bike/ped plans, and more.
  • Open to CMU Students, Faculty, and Staff

• 4pm – 7pm: Confident City Cycling Class (open to the general public – must register in advance!) – @ Pitt Bike Cave, 230 S Bouquet St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
  • BikePGH’s Confident City Cycling class provides all the skills and knowledge on how to safely ride on Pittsburgh’s streets. This on-the-bike class will cover basic and advanced cycling skills, best practices for solo and group riding, and includes a culminating group ride around Oakland that utilizes the best of local bicycle infrastructure! Instructors will also be on-hand to answer your questions about biking to campus or anywhere else in Pittsburgh. Note: all participants must wear a helmet and know how to ride a bicycle. No bike or helmet – no problem! Helmets and free Pogoh bike rentals are available by emailing education@bikepgh.org

• 5 – 7pm: CMU Operation Illumination – bike light & helmet giveaway – Forbes & Morewood sidewalk
  • This program distributes free front and rear bike lights and helmets to those riding without them for two hours or as long as supplies last! Stop by with your UNLIT bicycle (or unprotected head) to receive your own set of lights or helmet.
  • Open to CMU Students, Faculty, and Staff

Wednesday, Sept 18:

• 10:30am – 2pm: Pitt Biking Resource “Mini” Fair @ @ Pitt Bike Cave, 230 S Bouquet St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
  • Chat with Pitt departments, student organizations, and POGOH to learn more about biking resources at Pitt! Enter a raffle to win a brand-new bike as well as locks and helmets. Plus, sign up for bike classes happening throughout the fall.

• 5pm – 6pm: Carnegie Mellon Campus Bike Tour – CMU – Meet at the Walking to the Sky Statue
  • Join CMU for a campus tour of all things related to biking! Find out about the best routes from campus to nearby points (including a couple secret shortcuts), bike parking hints, locations of repair stations, and more. Starts at 5pm at the Walking to the Sky statue. Bike and helmet required.
  • Open to CMU Students, Faculty, and Staff
• 5pm – 7pm: Operation Illumination – free bike light giveaway – open to all university students! Forbes & Schenley Ext (Schenley Plaza)
  • BikePGH’s Operation Illumination program will be popping up at Schenley Plaza on Pitt campus from 5 pm to 7 pm to distribute free front and rear bike lights and helmets, as well as bike guides and maps for two hours or as long as supplies last! The crew from The Pitt Bike Cave will also be there to provide free safety checks and small repairs. All you need to do is stop by with your UNLIT bicycle to receive your own set of lights!

Thursday, Sept 19:

• 9am – 11am: CMU Bike Commuter Café – Merson Courtyard – Outside the Cohon University Center
  • Did you ride your bike to campus today? Come grab a morning snack as a reward! We’ll also have Pittsburgh Bike Maps, POGOH bikeshare coupons, and good conversation. Just like Bike to Work Day, but tailored for the CMU community.
  • Open to CMU Students, Faculty, and Staff
• 4pm – 7pm: Confident City Cycling (open to all university students only) @ Pitt Bike Cave,  230 S Bouquet St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
  • BikePGH, CMU and Pitt are co-hosting a Confident City Cycling class! The class will be taught by certified instructors and is open to all university students, faculty, and staff at Pitt and CMU. Registration is required and all participants must wear a helmet and know how to ride a bicycle. Learn how to get ready to ride, basic bike handling skills, and safer, legal ways to navigate city streets. This 3-hour on-bike class will start with drills on sheltered pavement and move to learning as a group on local streets.
  • Pitt students please register here
  • All other students can register here

Friday, Sept 20:

• 11am: Pitt Ride & Revitalize: Biking and Yoga Adventure with the Stress Free Zone, rolling out from Pitt Bike Cave
  • Combining a ride and flow event for all students who are looking to connect with nature through multiple platforms. We’ll meet at the Bike Cave to begin our adventure through our beautiful Oakland neighborhood and end our (roughly 45 minute) ride on the Cathedral Lawn to stretch, slow down and breathe with a 45 minute yoga class. Students are welcome to attend both the Bike Ride and the Yoga session, or just meet us at the Cathedral Lawn for yoga. With all Natural Connections event, University Counseling Center staff will be available to debrief, connect, or ask questions. Bring your mat, and, if you do not have one, we can provide one for you.
  • Register here! (required)
• 1pm – 2pm: Pitt Virtual Lunch & Learn (Hosted by Dr. Gabriel Cisneros, MD, FAAP on the benefits of biking and personal, public, and environmental health)
  • Join us for an informational Lunch & Learn session hosted by Dr. Gabriel Cisneros, a pediatrician and founding member of Clinicians for Climate Action, to learn about the benefits of biking for personal, public, and environmental health
  • Register here! (required)
• FRIDAY FUN RIDE with all universities – meet at 4pm, roll at 4:15pm – Meet @ Pitt Bike Cave
  • Join the Pitt Bike Cave on a 5-6 mile group ride! Group riding is a great way to learn how to navigate the streets by bike and gain confidence through experience. The group ride is open to everyone from beginner to experienced bicyclists.
  • Open to all students & faculty
  • Register here! 

Ongoing / multiple times:

• September 14 – 20: CMU Used Bike Sale – Open to CMU Students, Faculty, and Staff
  • At the “Bike Cage” on the first floor of Gates Garage (enter via Hamerschlag Dr.)
  • During the week, CMU will sell used bikes that had been abandoned on campus. Bikes will be priced cheap! Sold as-is, with various levels of repairs needed. More info on the Bikes and Wheels at CMU website.

Plan your route with the Pittsburgh Bike Map

Use BikePGH’s Pittsburgh Bike Map to plan your biking route! The Pittsburgh Bike map is designed with the commuter in mind so that folks can learn some safer routes between neighborhoods and explore new places. Grab a hard copy at bike shops around the city, or at any of our booths during Bike to Campus Week! You can also check out the online bike map here.

A few things to remember…

• Plan your route and look for options – there are usually at least two ways for you to get somewhere:
  • Look at the map to see what hills are steep
  • See where the bike lanes are
  • See what streets to avoid
• Remember: the best driving route is often not the best bicycling route
• Give yourself more time than you think
• Ride on the same side as traffic
• Take the lane if you feel uncomfortable
• Bring what you need (Video: How to carry things by bike)
• Be predictable + Use hand signals
• Look over Biking 101 to review some tips on safe, easier commuting from tire inflation to turn signals
• Every time you ride, do an ABC Quick Check on your bike to make sure it’s in safe working order

Happy riding! See you at Campus Bike Week.

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