Austin cyclists will get a new free repair resource on Bike to Work Day, May 15, as the city launches a Bike Tool Loan Program at nine Austin library branches. The pilot program will provide riders with access to bike repair stands, pumps, patch kits, and maintenance tools for quick tune-ups and everyday fixes.

The new program, from the Austin Public Library and Austin Transportation and Public Works, will be unveiled at Austin’s Bike to Work Day celebration. The annual event returns with fueling stations, free CapMetro Bikeshare passes, guided rides, and community events aimed at encouraging more residents to leave the car at home and commute by bike.

To take advantage of CapMetro's free Bikeshare passes, users can enter the code B2WD26 when checking out with the One Day Pass option.

Austin’s cycling community is invited to gather Friday morning for four guided group rides led by the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative in East Austin, South Austin, North/Central Austin, and Windsor Park. The four rides will stop at various food and drink fueling stations along the route before arriving at Austin City Hall ahead of a morning rally. Cyclists can join at designated starting points or hop on along the route. Organizers have also published route maps, elevation details, and GPX navigation files online.

The pre-event fueling stations will be set up throughout Austin from 7-9 am, offering snacks, coffee, drinks, and commuter perks for riders heading into work. Participating locations range from coffee shops and bike stores to parks and community groups, with some stops offering breakfast tacos, pastries, giveaways, and cold brew. Riders can find participating locations through the official Bike to Work Day map, as well as guidance on how to select an individual bike-friendly route to work.

The morning celebration will also begin offering snacks around 7 am at Austin City Hall, with city leaders expected to speak at 9 am and a group photo at 9:20.

A group photo of the participants at a rally for Bike to Work Day 2025. Courtesy of Austin Transportation and Public Works

Festivities on Bike to Work Day continue later in the day with a happy hour at Central Machine Works, followed by a concert benefiting the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative.

For those using public transportation to connect their routes, CapMetro buses and rail lines also include bike racks. The Transit app supports route planning involving walking, biking, buses, rail service, and Bikeshare connections.

Beyond Bike to Work Day, the tool lending program will be available at nine library branches, including Central, Cepeda, Hampton, Howson, John Gillum, Pleasant Hill, Spicewood Springs, Twin Oaks, and Windsor Park. Each location will offer either on-stand tools or portable Bike Tool Kits available to check out using a library card or ID.

Austin’s bike infrastructure has expanded rapidly in recent years. The city says it now includes more than 50 miles of protected bike lanes as part of its broader Bicycle Plan, which aims to create a safer “all ages and abilities” cycling network across the city. That push has helped boost Austin’s national standing among cyclists. Advocacy group PeopleForBikes City Ratings recently ranked Austin among the top biking cities in Texas.

Over the next year, the Bike Tool Loan Program will track how the tools are used, host Bike Fix-It Clinics, and evaluate whether the service should expand to additional library branches.

More information about routes, fueling stations, and Bike Month events is available at BikeMonthATX.com.