Upcoming Bike Light Giveaways
The Community Development Department begins annual Bike Light Giveaway program!
CDD staff and Bike Committee members will distribute bike lights to riders without any on the following dates from 4-6PM as part of our bike education program and Vision Zero efforts!
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November 1: Central Square near Carl Barron Plaza
- November 4: Inman Square near Springfield Street
- November 7: Harvard Square near Mass Ave @ super crosswalk
- November 8: Porter Square near White Street
- November 15: Kendall Square along Broadway
- November 21: Main Library
- December 1: Central Square near Carl Barron Plaza
- December 12: Western Ave near Memorial Drive
- December 15: Kendall Square along Broadway
- December 20: Porter Square near White Street
- January 7: Lechmere along Cambridge Street
- January 16: Mass Ave near Arlington line
- January 28: Harvard near Quincy Street and the Harvard Graduate School of Design
While we are focusing on people biking who do not have bike lights on their bicycles when we see them, we'll have extras on-hand if you don't have a bike that day. These events will loosely take place between 4PM and 6PM (5PM to 7PM prior to daylight savings), or until supplies run out.
Videos of Past Bike Workshops
Community Bike Workshops
Healthy Aging and Bicycling Series
Youth Bicycle Education Workshops
For more information
For more information about workshops, email aphilson@cambridgema.gov.
Class Descriptions
Bicycle Maintenance Basics
This workshop covers the following topics:
- The anatomy of the bike
- Removing wheels
- Fixing flats
- Chain Maintenance
- Pre-Ride check
- Seat height
- Portable tool kit
- Keeping your bike healthy with preventative bike maintenance
Beyond Maintenance Basics
This workshop covers the following topics:
- Basic repair tools
- Thoroughly cleaning and lubricating your bike
- Removing both wheels
- Completely changing a flat tire
- Pinpointing squeaks and rattles
- Removing pedals
- Adjusting front and rear brakes + derailleurs,
- Dealing with a broken spoke
Winter Biking Basics
This workshop covers the following topics:
- Benefits of biking, including better personal health, saved money, environmental benefits, and others
- Staying at a comfortable temperature no matter what the weather is like
- Route planning
- Locking
- Multi-modal commuting
- Staying dry and clean
- Using safety equipment, including helmet, lights, and reflective gear
- Rules of the Road and staying safe while biking
On-Bike Refresher Course
The Basics of Better Biking class is a three hour class designed for adults who want to get back into bicycling, improve cycling skills, learn to ride more effectively and safely in traffic, and/or participate in a large-scale benefit ride. This three-hour weekend session provides guided instruction with simple practice drills in a parking lot, easy-paced riding on local roadways for short distances, and group-discussion breaks along the way. Topics covered include bike and helmet fitting, starting and stopping your bike in traffic, shifting gears, scanning and yielding, choosing the correct lane position in the road, handling intersections, and more.
Some notes about the class:
- A bicycle in good working order and a helmet are required.
- Preregistration is required.
- This class is intended for participants 18 and older, unless otherwise noted.
Riding with Families
- Options for biking with children, such as front seats, rear seats, front cargo bikes, bike trailers
- How is biking with kids different than biking solo?
- How can I bike with my children when there are no routes with bike infrastructure?
- How young is too young for children to be with parents while biking?
- What does the law say for children?
- How is buying bikes for children different from buying bikes for adults?
- How do I appropriately fit a child to a bicycle?
- How do I teach children the rules of the road?
- What is the Safe Routes to School program?
Rules of the Road
This workshop covers the following topics:
- Bike safety statistics
- Rules of the road
- Bike-specific laws and legislation
- Car-specific laws and legislation
- General safety tips
- Current legislative efforts
- Motivation for obeying traffic laws
Urban Cycling Basics
This workshop covers the following topics:
- Finding the right kind of bike
- Route planning
- Safety equipment, including lights and a helmet
- Locking properly
- Transporting small loads or children by bike
- Multi-modal commuting
- Rules of the road and safety tips.
For More Information
For more information about bicycle workshops or bicycle education in Cambridge, please contact Adi Philson, aphilson@cambridgema.gov, 617/349-6012.