How to host your own Ride2Work Day

Ride2Work Day is one of Australia’s biggest celebrations of everyday bike riding. Whether you’re a Bicycle User Group, workplace, council, bike shop or community organisation, hosting a local event is a great way to encourage more people to give riding to work a go.

It doesn’t need to be complicated. A simple coffee stop, breakfast or rider hub can become a welcoming meeting place that celebrates active transport and builds your local riding community.

Here’s our step-by-step guide to getting one started in your community.

Lock the date in

National Ride2Work Day takes place on Wednesday 14 October in 2026. Ride2Work Day is typically held on the Wednesday of the second week of October.

Choose whether you’ll host a quick morning activation (typically between 6am and 9am), a workplace breakfast, or another format that suits your community.

National Ride2School Day is typically held in March – of course at BQ we believe every day can be a National Ride Day! But these initiatives are a great way to encourage more people to join the ride, and highlight the impact of more people doing short trips by bike.

Choose the right location

The best events happen where people are already riding, or already act as a community hub that people visit in the morning.

Look for locations that:

• sit on a popular commuting route
• have good visibility
• are easy to access by bike
• have space for people to stop without blocking riders or pedestrians
• are close to coffee shops, cafés or public amenities.

Most importantly, keep the bikeway or shared path clear at all times. Your event should encourage riding and not creating an obstacle for people commuting.

If you’re using public land, check whether approvals or permits are required through your local council. They are typically free for community groups, but you do need to have them on hand.

Find local partners

You don’t have to do everything yourself, so find some people who share your vision and passion!

Great partners might include:

• your local council
• cafés or coffee carts
• local bike shops
• advocacy organisations
• your workplace
• health organisations
• community groups

Some businesses may be happy to provide coffee, snacks, giveaways or mechanical support in exchange for being part of a positive community event. Get your pitch together and contact some prospective partners.

Recruit a small team

There’s no ‘I’ in Ride2Work Day. Even a modest activation runs more smoothly with a few helping hands, especially for bigger activations.

Consider roles such as:

• event coordinator – the details person
• welcome and registration – keep someone free to meet and greet. Know a social butterfly?
• coffee or food coordination – this may be a provider themselves
• photographer or social media – share the story (and tag BQ!). Consider contacting your local paper or radio station in advance
• setup and pack-down – for the heavy lifting
• partner liaison – to manage the relationships

Make sure everyone knows where they need to be, what they’re responsible for and who to contact if something changes. A basic runsheet won’t take long to put together but it will keep everyone singing to the same tune.

Plan your activation

You don’t need a huge budget to create a great atmosphere. While a free coffee or breakfast is a great way to attract any regular or would be bike rider – a sense of community and advice can do the same.

Ideas include:

• bike safety checks
• route advice
• local cycling information
• giveaways
• membership or club information
• photo opportunities – got a sporting celebrity or otherwise who likes to ride?
• Free coffee or snacks

Think about what will encourage someone to stop for five minutes before continuing their ride to work.

Promote your event

Start promoting several weeks beforehand, and consider who you want to reach and what channels will be best to reach them. If you have a budget for this, plan how you will use it.

Use:

• Facebook and Instagram: look for people who will share your message
• local community groups: they may be part of your volunteer base on the day
• workplace newsletters: these may be planned a long way out, get in touch early
• council communications: Who is your local councillor? Get them on board ASAP
• Bicycle User Groups: Look up Queensland BUGs on our website
• bike shops: Find those that are closest to your route, and who champion everyday riding
• Community newsletters and Facebook pages
• posters and flyers: if you have budget and good places to use them

Encourage riders to invite a friend or colleague who’s never ridden to work before.

Register Your Event

Help make Ride2Work Day bigger across Australia by registering your event with Bicycle Network.

Public events can be added to the national Ride2Work Day map, helping riders discover activities near them.

Let Bicycle Queensland Know

Hosting an event in Queensland?

We’d love to hear about it.

Email info@bq.org.au with:

• your event location
• event time
• organiser details
• any registration link
• a flyer or image (if available).

We’ll do our best to help promote community events through our channels.

Share the day

While the event day may get pretty hectic, make sure your get a count of how many people attend, take some photos, get some video testimonials and celebrate every rider who joins you.

Tag BQ in any posts you may do (or email us some photos) and acknowledge any of your partners. Don’t forget to check in with any partners for feedback – and from riders too if it is possible.

Seeing local events around Queensland inspires more people to get involved the following year.

Need some help?

Bicycle Queensland is keen to see Ride2Work Day celebrated across the state.

If you’re planning an activation and would like some advice, resources or promotional support, get in touch at info@bq.org.au.

Together we can help more Queenslanders discover just how enjoyable riding to work can be.