• Editor’s Note: Patrick Knapp from the Kane County Division of Transportation contributed to this report.

Chicago Bike Week is officially under way and will continue through June 19. This week-long celebration of cycling culminates at the “Bike to Work Rally” gathering of thousands of bike enthusiasts in the heart of downtown Chicago’s Daley Plaza. The rally features complimentary breakfast for bicyclists, bike valet, and organizations and business offering a range of information and services for the biking community.

While it sounds like a pretty amazing event, most Kane County residents don’t commute to downtown Chicago. However, the Bike Week celebration expands to our region, as well.

The Bike Commuter Challenge is a free week-long annual event that involves thousands of people throughout the Chicago region. The challenge is coordinated by the Active Transportation Alliance, a Chicago-based nonprofit organization that works to improve conditions for bicycling, walking and transit and engage people in healthy and active ways to get around. In 2014, more than 6,000 participants from across 650 Chicago-area companies and organizations took part in the event.

You can also take your biking to the next level and participate in the National Bike Challenge organized by People for Bikes. This challenge runs from May until September and is a nationwide event encouraging thousands of riders to log their miles ridden and to be part of a national community of bicyclists. It’s free and you can join at any time.

Log the miles you bike from May through September for the National Bike Challenge.

No matter if you are just biking around the block or miles and miles away, safety should be a top priority. Take the Illinois Bicycle Safety Quiz from the League of Illinois Bicyclists to brush up on the laws — for both cyclists and motorists. You can also download a copy of the Illinois Bicycle Rules of the Road.

Once you’ve done your bike safety homework, get out and enjoy the many opportunities to bike throughout Kane County. Check out the local trails on the Kane & Northern Kendall Counties Bicycle Map online or contact Patrick Knapp from the Division of Transportation to receive a hard copy of the map  at KnappPatrick@co.kane.il.us.

Happy pedaling!

CLICK ON THIS MAP TO GET YOUR OWN, FREE KANE COUNTY BIKE MAP.