Champaign County Bikes celebrates a decade of C-U Bike Month: Lucky Moon Pies to provide free muffins and coffee on May 1

The month of May is a great time to put your best wheel forward.

Established in 1956, National Bike Month, which is recognized in May, is a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling — and encourage more folks to give biking a try.

On May 1, Champaign County Bikes, the local bicycle advocacy group that organizes Bike to Work and Bike to School days throughout Champaign County, will encourage residents of area communities to set down the keys to their cars and enjoy all the benefits that come with riding a bike.

Ten years ago, Bike to Work Day was celebrated by employees throughout the City of Champaign biking to work. In 2019, Champaign County Bike has grown the vision for Bike to School and Bike to Work Day by including 14 towns throughout the county.

This will be the first year Mahomet participates in the annual event.

This year’s theme, “Champaign County Trails-Connecting Communities & People” highlights multi-use trail systems that are being established throughout Champaign County to help people experience the world both on foot and by bicycle.

Champaign County Forest Preserve District Planning Director Jon Hasselbring said that the trail system being established provides an alternative safe, off-road line for transportation.

“They are great for beginners, and help people build skills and confidence to ride in other settings, such as bike lanes alongside vehicular traffic,” he said.

“Trails allow people to slow down and experience the sounds, sights, and smells of nature. When people commute via trails, they use less fossil fuels, and help to reduce carbon monoxide emissions.”

The Champaign County Forest Preserve has worked alongside the Village of Mahomet to develop multi-purpose trails to serve local residents with places to run, bike and explore.

In 2016, the Champaign County Forest Preserve opened 6.7 miles of the Kickapoo Rail Trail from Urbana to St. Joseph in order to give people a path between the two locations. The CCFPD will continue to develop the 24.5 mile trail, which will end up at Kickapoo State Park, in rural Vermilion County.

Hasselbring said that CCFPD trails see increased use throughout the month of May. He hopes that with the focus being put on the way trails throughout the county bring people together and encourage them to experience nature in a new way, more people will get out and use the trails throughout the spring, summer and fall months.

“Trails have many benefits,” he said. “They improve the health of users. When combined with natural resource restoration projects, they improve the health of our ecosystems as well. They can increase nearby property values and stimulate economic activity. Simply put, trails improve quality of life.”

Champaign County Bikes Executive Director Jeff Yockey said that each year roughly 20 percent of participants are experiencing their first time biking to work or school.

Some riders join co-workers who ride their bikes to work often while others make it a family affair by dropping their children off at school on bicycle before heading off to work.

To encourage people to ride, Champaign County Bikes partners with local business owners to provide stops for the bicyclists to grab a T-shirt, learn more about the benefits of cycling, grab a snack or get a free tune-up (at some locations).

Mahomet’s Lucky Moon Pies and More is excited to welcome cyclists with fresh blueberry muffins and breakfast bars alongside coffee from Kaffee from 7 to 10 a.m. on May 1. Anyone on a bicycle will receive a complimentary treat and beverage on May 1.

Owner Emily Kroner enjoys having cyclists stop by the shop.

Last summer Champaign County Bikes contacted her about a group ride heading west from Champaign. They wanted to make sure Lucky Moon Pies would have enough product available if they stopped along their route.

“It was a lot of fun to have the bicyclists parked outside enjoying their treats before they continued their adventure,” Kroner said. “We were delighted to take part.”

Kroner hopes that Mahomet residents realize what a gift the trail system is.

“Our town is a great place to ride your bike,” she said. “There are plenty of opportunities and trails. People just need to get out of their cars.”

Yockey said that the partnership between cyclists and business owners is a healthy one.

“To see cyclists in a community, it’s a sign of a good quality of life when you see people walking on the streets and riding on the streets.”

Yockey, who lives a mile-and-a-half from the University of Illinois in Urbana, said he can get anywhere on campus within seven minutes of his home.

“For many people, it’s one of the quickest and most convenient modes of transportation,” he said.

Yockey admits that sometimes it does take him longer than seven minutes travel time when he stops to talk to his neighbors along the route.

“Most trips that people take are less than 3 miles; and that is a very doable distance on a bicycle,” he continued. “You get to enjoy the outside, you get some activity in your life, it’s fun: listening to the birds, seeing the changes. The world is a pretty sweet place and you can enjoy it when you’re outside and traveling at a slower pace.”

Sometimes the slower pace of cyclists and pedestrians in comparison to cars or trucks can cause accidents. But Champaign County Bikes wants everyone to know that the road belongs to everyone.

That’s why this year’s T-shirt that will be available for those who register, includes a graphic of Albert Einstein and Jean Driscoll.

“We’re advocating for users of roadways: bicyclists, wheelchairs, pedestrians,” Yockey said.

“The roads belong to everybody. We just need to be graceful and thoughtful to other road users.”

With the Mahomet-Seymour School District being one of the largest employers in Mahomet, and seeing as students will be at school on May 1, Yockey believes May 1 will be a great day for families to coordinate their travel schedules — on bike.

“They can ride together and stop (at Lucky Moon Pies), put your T-shirt on and wear it to school that day,” he said.

Champaign County Bikes also hopes to use May 1 as a way to raise money for the groups advocacy.

The volunteers spend time both at events and in the schools educating youth and adults about the importance of riding bikes. Donated money also goes towards the development of future trails throughout the county.

To register for Bike to Work or Bike to School Day visit http://cubikemonth.weebly.com/register.html.