Biking Idaho Blog

With the Boise Greenbelt, increasing numbers of bike lanes and abundant mountain biking in the foothills, I think anyone that lives in Boise would say, "Yes, Boise is Bike friendly".  Yet, in a newly released city rankings by People for Bikes, Boise only ranked with a network score of 13 out of 100.

The way cities are ranked is a bit confusing. Below are some of the areas that are taken into consideration when ranking a city for bike friendliness.

• Neighborhoods (Access to parts of the city where residents live)
• Opportunity (Access to jobs and schools)
• Essential Services (Access to places that serve basic needs, like hospitals and grocery stores)
• Recreation (Access to recreational amenities like parks and trails) 
• Retail (Access to major shopping centers)
• Transit (Access to major transit hubs)

Out of the categories listed above the one that was most surprising was Recreation. The score was only 19 out of 100.  With the Boise Greenbelt, city parks, bike parks and foothills, I would expect that number to be higher.

However, in the "Community Score", Boise came in with much better numbers and a combined score of 66 out of 100 for the categories below.

• Awareness (How familiar people are with local biking resources and their city’s efforts to improve biking)
• Network (How well a city’s bike network connects people to places they want to go)
• Ridership (How often people ride bikes in their city for transportation and recreation)
• Safety (How safe people feel riding a bike in their city)

​You can read more about "Boise Bicycle Friendliness" on People For Bikes.
After you look at the rankings, come back here and share your thoughts about cycling in Boise.

Formerly the LP 200 is now known as the Sawtooth 200 and will take place on June 5, 2021. The 200 mile course stretches from Boise to Sun Valley.

The 200 mile relay begins at Barclay Bay near Lucky Peak and there is also a 100 mile course that begins at Grandjean, ID. Both events conclude in the Sun Valley area where Sawtooth Brewery will be providing custom finisher pint glasses to enjoy some great Sawtooth beer and celebrate their accomplishment. There will also be food and celebration in the popular Idaho community.

For additional information including route maps, registration, lodging and more, visit OmniGo! Website

This summer is sure to be a busy one all around Idaho for cycling events of all kinds! Races, rides, tours and more.

If you have Idaho cycling news of any kind, we want to know about it! New businesses, bike parks, news, charity events, books, podcasts, you name it! 

After the beloved Boise Twilight Criterium bike race was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the event that brings tens of thousands of fans to downtown Boise appears to be on for 2021. In a press release, Race Director, Mike Cooley said that the event is planned for July 10, 2021. Event organizers are working with Boise City,  State and US Cycling to ensure safety measures are in place. 

“We are eager to bring the crit back to downtown and showcase world class cycling in Idaho. We want everyone to know that health and safety are a priority, so we will be thoughtful and do so appropriately,” said Race Director Mike Cooley.

We will be following the event and will update this post as needed.

The  Boise Greenbelt is one of the most popular destinations in Boise. Cyclists enjoy it because of the easy ride and the beauty of the Boise River.
With the Greenbelt covering 25+ miles and growing to other towns and communities, finding that perfect place for lunch or a bike shop for some needed repairs can be difficult. Enter, the Boise Greenbelt Mobile App! The app uses the location from your phone to show exactly where you are on the path and you can see any closures there may be. Plus, there is a handy "categories" section with information on local attractions and businesses!
There is also a list of all the bike repair stations along the Greenbelt in case you need to pump up your tires or make some minor repairs.
The app is available for Apple or Android devices and is free to download. Search "Boise Greenbelt" in your app store. You can also learn more about this awesome app on their website.

Ridge to Rivers is a managed trail system making it safe, convenient and fun for mountain bikers, hikers and horseback riders to enjoy the beautiful foothills. With the increase use of the trails, they will be launching a pilot program running from April 28, 2021 - November 1, 2021. This program will have specific days that mountain bikers can use different trails as well as direction of travel. Some paths will only be open to uphill mountain biking or downhill mountain biking and are on an even/odd day schedule basis.
There will be additional signage at the different pilot program locations as well as volunteers to answer any questions visitors may have.

Details of the program and information is available on the Ridge to Rivers website.