Community Initiatives

Our community initiatives are designed to be inclusive, joyful, and accessible.

We hope you can join us for a community Slow Roll, use our Bike Valet at the Farmer’s Market, sign up for a Learn to Ride session (open to all ages), or join us for a lap or two around the Civic Center with our Bikes for All group!

Learn to Ride Lessons

Learn-to-Ride is our private bike riding program designed to empower anyone to get on two wheels. Learning to ride a bike can be intimidating at any age. Our trained cycling instructors help kids and adults learn to ride with friendly, encouraging one-to-one sessions at the Norte Wheelhouse in Traverse City or Rotary Park in Elk Rapids.

Bikes for All

Everyone, regardless of their age, abilities, or skill level, should experience the joys of cycling! Our Bikes for All initiative supports this directly by guiding rides for members of our community that experience limited mobility, cognitive challenges, neurodivergence, or any rider that identifies as handicapped or disabled. Our approach is relational riding, where we tailor the day’s experience to the needs and desires of the group while encouraging camaraderie and community-building. Norte is proud to remove barriers to financial and physical accessibility by providing a maintained fleet of adaptive bikes and equipment to help any rider engage and succeed.

More Girls On Bikes

Girl power! More Girls On Bikes encourages women and girls of all ages to experience the joys of cycling. These guided rides take place once a month from June through August. We partner with organizations and businesses in our community to provide hosted visits, snacks, and fun activities to go along with the leisurely rides.

Bike Valet

Norte is committed to helping to build a bike-friendly and safe community. Thanks to our dedicated volunteers, our Bike Valets allow assisted bike parking and storage during community events and festivals such as the National Cherry Festival.

Community Slow Rolls

The joys of cycling and exploring our community by bike is a family affair! Our Community Slow Rolls are held in Traverse City monthly and in Elk Rapids weekly from June through September. These rides are inclusive of all ages and skill levels and provide a leisurely riding experience for all.

Tune-Ups

Promoting rider safety is core to our work at Norte. We also recognize that bikes are a main source of transportation for many members of our community. Our Community Tune-Ups take place throughout the year to ensure our community of riders have the best and safest experience on their bikes as possible so we can all keep riding!

Balance Bike Races

Every year we host the National Cherry Festival Balance Bike Race. This experience is open for children ages 2 - 5 on balance bikes and is a cuteness overload! We also host Balance Bike races at the Traverse City Trails Festival, Mud Sweat and Beers, and at Iceman Cometh. These are in addition to the Norte Balance Bike Bashes that we hold at the Civic Center every year. See our event calendar for more information.

Community Partner Experiences

We host rides and experiences for our community partners such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, Michaels Place, and more every year. If your organization would benefit from a Norte experience, please contact our Outreach Coordinator Julie Bloomquist by emailing: julie@norteyouthcycling.org

Everyone Rides

Thanks to our generous donors and sponsors, Norte is proud to provide youth scholarships to ensure all families can participate in our programs. Our philosophy is ‘No bike? No problem.’ Thanks to generous donations, our program bike library covers riders if they need a mountain bike for any program.

Let us know if you have any questions at programs@norteyouthcycling.org.

COACHES WANTED!

Norte Youth Cycling seeks passionate, positive, and dedicated individuals to join our coaching team. As a coach, you will work with a small squad of young riders, focusing on motivating and mentoring them and ensuring their safety and well-being. Experience coaching is not required. We provide training for all coaches.

If you are passionate about helping children stay active and learn to ride bikes—and are ready for some fun—we want to hear from you. Let’s go, coach! Norte Coach’s Application

More Ways to Get Involved

If coaching doesn’t fit your schedule, there are many ways to contribute to Norte and our programs.

  • Donate to our scholarship fund to ensure no child misses out on the fun.

  • Become a Business Champion or Pacesetter to make a big impact in your community.

  • Volunteer your time to Norte events when they fit into your calendar!

Our impact in the region is powered by the generosity of individuals, foundations, local businesses, and our partner organizations. Please join us as a Norte donor. Your gift helps create environments and opportunities for children in our region to thrive—on and off a bike.

Thank you for joining us on this important journey!