Bicycling

Bikes are a very important part of Chico. CSU Chico bike rack.

In 1997, Bicycle magazine named Chico as America's Best Bike Town. Later in 2007, Chico won the Bronze Award from The League of American Bicyclists¹ — confirming, without a doubt, that this town is prime bicycler territory. Indeed, the City of Chico, with its Bicycle Advisory Committee (chaired by Ed McLaughlin) and Bicycle Plan, has worked diligently to make bicycling a safe alternative to driving. The city has a full array of bike lanes, including lanes for making left turns at some major intersections. Chico Velo is the city's premier bicycling enthusiast club and has been an important factor in these accomplishments. The organization has a full array of literature on bicycling in and around Chico. Not all efforts have met with success, however. In 1996, a group of Chico High School students attempted to institute a program where anybody could borrow a bike for free. This was called the Yellow Bike Program. It did not last. However, residents of Chico now widely participate in Bike Commute Month.

A number of bike taxis, or pedicabs, operate downtown, typically in the warmer months.

Take a look at the Bicycle Rides page for road rides and mountain biking in the Chico area.

This content will likely be moved to its own page soon.

The City of Chico has resource for bicyclists at the Bicycle Advisory Committee website that includes the bike plan, maps, safety tips, and a link to relevant laws.

There are several classes of bike paths in Chico, as designated by Butte Regional Transit.

• Bike paths (Class I) are separated facilities designed exclusively for the use of bicycles and pedestrians. May have minimal cross flow from motorists.
  

• The Chico State Bike Path is a convenient bike path for Chico State students and residents begins where Cherry Street meets the campus and ends around Stewart Avenue.
  

• The Sacramento Northern Bike Path replaced the railroad that the Esplanade took over. It runs from the intersection of the Esplanade and Lindo Channel all the way North to the Chico Municipal Airport
  

• The Midway Bike Path starts at East 20th and Park. It follows the Midway and ends at the intersection of Jones avenue.
  

• Bike lanes (Class II) are restricted right-of-ways designed exclusively for the use of bicycles with vehicle parking and cross flows by pedestrians and motorists permitted.
  

• Bike routes (Class III) are right-of-ways designed to provide shared use for bicycles, pedestrians, and motorists. Routes may be simply designated by a sign.
  

• Connectors (Class IV) provide links between paths, routes, and lanes. Connectors are unmarked and may not provide adequate space for bicycles, pedestrians, and motorists.
  

Bike paths, lanes, routes, and connectors in the Chico area, along with bike trails through Upper and Lower Bidwell park are marked on the Chico Bike Map.

A bike tunnel (Class I) is being constructed at Pine and Cypress streets to allow free flow of bicyclers to Bidwell Park without having to cross vehicular traffic. It connects Annie's Glen to Bidwell Park. It is the first of its kind in Chico (to this editor's knowledge).

There are some intersections in Chico with bike-accessible signal buttons:

• 5th St. & Walnut (Highway 32)
  

• Nord Ave. (Highway 32) & W. Sacramento Ave.
  

• Nord Ave. (Highway 32) & 2nd Street
  

Not all intersections have such accommodations, but some have traffic sensors. Here are some tips to trigger traffic sensors at certain intersections:

• "Looped wire" traffic sensors (which may appear as a figure eight cut into the pavement perpendicular to the flow of traffic) can be triggered by placing both metal wheels of a bicycle over the sensor loop cuts.

See Bicycle Hazards — if you're thinking about editing for the first time, writing a discussion on the bollards and where they are would be a great start.

• See Air pumps.

• Butte Bicycle Coalition
  

• Chico Velo
  

• Chico Fixed
  

• Adventure Outings See also Bike Cart

• The Bicycle Wheel
  

• Campus Bicycle
  

• Chico Bike & Board
  

• Cycle Sport
  

• North Rim Adventure Sports
  

• North Valley Bicycle
  

• Pullins Cyclery
  

• Sports Ltd.
  

• Bike Barn

Chico is is also home to bicycle frame builders and component manufacturers.

• Mountain Goat Cycles
  

• Paul Component Engineering

This entry is a seed, a starting point for writing a full entry. You can help Chico Wiki by expanding it! Just click the "Edit" button.

• 1http://www.chico.ca.us/Building__Development_Services/Traffic_/Bicycles.asp