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By Carl Ahrens, Transportation and Mobility Staff Planner
The Bryan-College Station community is invited to celebrate cycling, culture and international friendship at Biketober on Saturday, Oct. 10, with a free 8.6-mile community bike ride connecting the two cities.
The festivities begin at 9 a.m. at College Station City Hall, with the ride starting at 9:30. On-site registration opens at 8:30. Riders will depart City Hall and follow the route to the farmers market at Bryan Midtown Park for a wellness stop featuring German live music before returning to City Hall at about 11 a.m.
The event features German-inspired food, music, games, children’s bike safety activities, family activities, and community booths in City Hall’s south parking lot from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Greifswald, Germany, Deputy Mayor Tobias Schreiber will serve as a lead rider, highlighting the longstanding Sister City relationship between Bryan-College Station and Greifswald.
Biketober is an artisan and citizen diplomacy exchange supported by Goethe-Institut USA, Germany’s federal cultural institution, and hosted by the Bryan-College Station Sister Cities International Association in collaboration with the Cities of College Station and Bryan and a network of community partners.
The initiative draws inspiration from Greifswald’s strong cycling culture and encourages conversations about active transportation, micromobility and ways to create more connected communities. Through cycling, arts and cultural activities, Biketober also gives residents an opportunity to learn more about German culture and the local community’s relationship with its Sister City.
Registration and a signed participation waiver are required to ride. Participants 16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.
Whether you ride the route or join the festivities at City Hall, Biketober offers a unique opportunity to celebrate cycling, German culture and the international friendship connecting Bryan-College Station and Greifswald.
For more information, go to cstx.gov/Biketober.
About the Blogger
Carl Ahrens is in his fourth year as the City’s transportation and mobility planner and is pursuing a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning at Texas A&M. The San Marcos native interned at the City of New Braunfels after earning a bachelor’s in Urban and Regional Planning from A&M in 2020.
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