New community bike rides on BI to have different routes each time

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 27, 2026

This spring’s first community bike ride took place May 21 on Bainbridge Island with about 10 people participating.

The ride began at City Hall and ended at Sisters’ Cider House. The rides are led by the city’s sustainable transportation coordinator, Hannah Boettcher, who is also a certified bicycling instructor.

“The inspiration for starting up this new bike ride event series came out of conversations with partners like the Chamber of Commerce, Squeaky Wheels, and others,” said Boettcher. “There seems to be a real appetite amongst islanders to share the joy of bike riding in a casual and low-pressure setting.”

May 21 was the first of four community rides this spring and summer, sponsored by the City of Bainbridge Island and the Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce. The future rides will take place on the third Thursday of each month. The five-mile rides will always begin at Bainbridge Island City Hall and will end at a different local business to promote riding and shopping locally.

“First and foremost, I want these community rides to be fun and welcoming,” Boettcher added. “For many, going for a group ride can be really intimidating. It’s our goal to lower these barriers to participating in what is a really joyful and sustainable way of experiencing our island. Biking is inherently social, so by ending the rides at a local business where riders can eat and drink and chat, we’re helping to create more opportunities for connection.”