New Program Replaces Minneapolis Bike Tour

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) has replaced its annual one-day Minneapolis Bike Tour, typically scheduled for September, with biking events and activities throughout the warmer months. A new Cycle the Summer event series complements expanded bike programs to create options geared to people of all ages, backgrounds and riding abilities. Cycle the Summer showcases the pleasures and benefits of bicycling with a range of activities. These include auto-free weekend rides on MPRB parkways; youth-focused bike rodeos with maintenance tutorials, BMX demos and more; and a Passport Program for touring the Minneapolis Grand Rounds bikeway. The series culminates with a festival at Boom Island Park in August.

MPRB leaders made the change from the bike tour to Cycle the Summer for two reasons:

• Cycling programs are a focus area of a strategic initiative, announced in 2020, to provide accessible, innovative, quality programs for all Minneapolis residents, especially youth. (Other areas are Creation Spaces, community gardens, nature programming, youth employment and Intergenerational Centers of Excellence, currently in development).
• Several other daylong bike tours in the Twin Cities had resulted in more competition and fewer participants in MPRB’s Minneapolis Bike Tour.

  Thanks to the thousands of people who participated in the Minneapolis Bike Tour over the years. We hope you’ll ride along on Cycle the Summer events and other MPRB bike offerings throughout the park system!