Specialties
Chico Velo Cycling Club is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that promotes bicycling for transportation, recreation, and health through public education, advocacy, and community stewardship across Chico and Butte County. We run free Bike Valet at the Saturday Chico Farmers Market (March to November) and the Thursday Night Market (April to September), and our Trailworks volunteers build and maintain trails, including on Colby Mountain. We also support the Chico Bike Park, Adopt-a-Path, and the Activity Challenge, hand out free pocket bike maps, publish the Chico Bike Streets low-stress route map, and work with city and county staff on safer roads, paths, and trails. Our signature rides include the Wildflower Ride & Festival and the Gravel Grind. Events, members, donors, and sponsors fund all of this work. Get involved at chicovelo.org.
History
Established in 1980.
Chico Velo began in 1972 as a casual riding group of about 10 local cyclists, including Sierra Nevada founder Ken Grossman. In 1980, Ed McLaughlin turned the group into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and in 1981 the club hosted the first Wildflower Century. Over the decades, Chico Velo's push for safer, more extensive bike routes shaped much of Chico's bicycle infrastructure. That ride lives on as the Wildflower Ride & Festival, and the club's work continues through Bike Valet, Trailworks, and advocacy across Butte County.