Upcoming New York City Bike Events

Bike Expo NYC May 3-5 Pier 36-Basketball City, South & Montgomery Sts. bikenewyork.org Presented by Eastern Mountain Sports, this expo will have manufacturers including Shimano, Raleigh, Timbuk2, TrailRail and VIVA showcasing their stuff, as well as hands-on programming throughout the three-day event. Thinking about touring the country on your bike? Eastern Mountain Sports will be giving an intro course to bike touring that caters to both newcomers and experienced bikers. BE Chic, BE NY will be hosting a fashion show that will display the latest and greatest in bike gear, bike wear and bikes in general. Adding to the plethora of bike stuff will be authors David V. Herlihy and the famous Bike Snob NYC (Eben Weiss), who will be giving talks and signing their books. Since this event precedes the TD Five Boro Bike Tour, Recycle-A-Bicycle will be doing free bike repairs. Moonlight Ride- Central Park May 4, 10 p.m.-12 a.m. Columbus Circle (at the intersection of Broadway, Central Park South, 59th Street and Central Park West) times-up.org On the first Friday of every month, Time's Up! New York City's direct action environmental group, takes bikers on a peaceful, approximately 10-mile ride through Central Park that begins at 10 p.m. and ends around midnight. Start off this year's Bike Month by taking this scenic, relaxing ride through the dark in Central Park with trusty bike guides who ensure a leisurely trip infused with all the nature this great city has to offer. Grab your bikes, bring your helmets and lights (optional) and enjoy this unconventional aspect of New York City nightlife you never expected. This moonlit bike ride happens all year round, so if you miss the May foray, you can still partake on the first Friday of every month (June 6 is the next ride). May 4 is also Star Wars Day, so if you have a light saber handy, you should definitely bring it along for the ride. May the fourth be with you! Blessing of the Bikes-Morningside Heights May 5, 9:30 a.m. St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave., at 112 St. 212-316-7540 Fix Your Bike Workshop-Brooklyn/Lower East Side Throughout May Sundays 6 p.m., Wednesday 6:30 p.m. (6th St., off Bedford Avenue right under the Williamsburg Bridge) Thursday 6:30 p.m. (156 Rivington St. on the LES in the basement) times-up.org Do you have a bike but haven't ridden it in a while because you've been procrastinating fixing that flat tire? Time's Up! New York City's direct action environmental organization, is giving everyone the opportunity to learn how to fix their own bike. Use their tools and stands while experienced mechanics stand by to answer questions and monitor your work. TD Bank Five Borough Bank Tour May 6 Ride through all five boroughs during the TD Five Borough Bank Tour. Regular registration is closed but you can still participate in the Ride for a Reason charity event-volunteers are welcome as well. For more information, visit www.bikenewyork.org Street Skills Class May 16, 7-8 p.m. Bicycle Habitat, 250 Lafayette St., betw. Prince & Spring Sts. www.bikenewyork.org Bike New York is providing this free, 90-minute crash course in what it means to be a street-smart biker. In a city like ours, the dangers of the road are obvious, with honking and screeching tires and irate cabbies hell-bent on running you over. As an interactive class, students will learn through real-life scenarios of city riding that will help them ride safely and stress-free. Certified bike instructors teach the class on the rights and responsibilities of bikers on the road, understanding traffic principles and various other aspects of street riding. This course will provide adults and teens with knowledge that will help them drift and swerve through traffic congestion with the grace and eye of Bobby the Urban Hawk. Bike Commuting 101 May 17 and 23, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Eastern Mountain Sports, 530 Broadway, at Spring St. bikenewyork.org Are you terrified to ride your bike through the bustling, borderline psychotic streets of New York City? Then attend Bike New York's free, ongoing Bike Commuting 101 workshops, two of which will be held during Bike Month at Eastern Mountain Sports in Soho. The one-hour presentation will inspire and reassure bikers willing to take their horseless, two-wheeled chariots to work. This informational workshop will include tips on bike selection, bike usage, riding in daylight and darkness and other useful tips to ensure a safe and seamless ride through the streets. No biking is involved during this workshop, but there will be giveaways! Spring Brooklyn Bike Jumble May 19, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 336 3rd St., Brooklyn nybikejumble.com Join the New York Bike Jumble this Bike Month for their fourth annual Brooklyn Bike Jumble at the Old Stone House in Park Slope's Washington Park. This event is a bike flea market where vendors will be selling used bikes as well as new and used bike accessories to all who cannot afford a $500 fixie to jumpstart their eco-friendly, economically sound biking lifestyle. National Bike to Work Day May 20, 7 a.m. Give the environment a break and get some exercise all on the same day with National Bike to Work Day. Ride to work instead of driving, and pick up a free iced coffee and a bite to eat at various stations around the five boroughs. Join members of the Department of Transportation who will lead the ceremonial kickoff ride Friday, May 20 at 7 a.m. at Poe Cottage at Grand Concourse and Kingsbridge Road in The Bronx. Bike Brooklyn Beer Blitz 2012 May 20, 12-4 p.m. 370 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn levysuniqueny.com Expand your knowledge of New York City's alcohol production by taking a $25, four-hour bike tour of Williamsburg, East Williamsburg and Bushwick. Levy's Unique New York tour guides will take riders on a biking excursion into the city's brewing neighborhoods. Riders will compare brewing buildings from their original, 1880s-1920s build to how they currently stand and function in these historic neighborhoods. The $25 fee includes a mid-tour pit stop at Matt Tourney's for a quick brew, then it's back on the road again. Aside from the breweries, the tour will also include a look at German churches, banks and social halls. So BYOBike and RSVP to Matt@levysuniqueny.com. For more bike coverage visit nypress.com.