By Chris Maccini
Cover photo courtesy of the Spokane Bike Party
When Erin Mensing moved to Spokane from Portland seven years ago, she missed the community of cyclists she’d been a part of in the Rose City. Of course, she connected with Spokane’s cycling scene, going on group rides with the Spokane Bicycle Club and the Thursday Night Rides organized by the Shacktown Community Cycle bike shop. Still, she longed for the larger group rides that took over the streets of Portland.
“I missed the camaraderie and community feel of having these mass rides to go on,” Mensing says. “And so I kind of just had the vision of, what would it be like to pull together all the different communities, the different clubs, the different types of riders? What would it be like to pull together everybody and try to do one mass ride?”
In May of 2024 Mensing created an Instagram account called @spokane_rides and posted an event called the “Movin’ and Groovin’ Ride,” scheduled for June 15. Mensing and her husband, a fellow cycling enthusiast, planned to meet whoever showed up that evening at Olmsted Brothers Green in Kendall Yards and lead them on a flat and easy ride through the city.
Mensing wasn’t sure how many people would show. She made posters and put them up at local bike shops. She created a Facebook event. She told everyone she could—in person and online—about the event.
Around 80 people gathered in Kendall Yards for that first ride, despite a thunderstorm that afternoon which threated to dampen riders’ spirits. The group rode from Kendall Yards through Riverfront Park and Downtown before returning to Olmstead Brothers Green, a total of about 10 miles. The event was such a hit that although she originally intended to plan just one ride per summer, Mensing decided to organize a second ride for August. This time, she changed the name to reflect the mood of the ride: “Spokane Bike Party.”
Two Spokane Bike Parties were held in 2025, one in June and another in August. Each time the crowd of cyclists grew. At the August 2025 event, more than 400 people rode their bikes through the city in a large, exuberant pack. Among the riders were Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown and City Council members Zack Zappone and Kitty Klitzke.
One thing that distinguishes the Spokane Bike Party from other area rides is that it’s not organized or sponsored by a specific bike shop or formal club. It’s a completely informal group, spread through word of mouth, posters and social media. Mensing says that’s part of the event’s charm, and she intends to keep it that way. “We just are really focused on keeping it an organic movement. It’s just a lot of friends and neighbors and community members out riding together,” she says.
This year, Mensing is thinking about adding a third Spokane Bike Party to the calendar. People who attend the rides are always asking her for more. But, she says, they still want to keep the Spokane Bike Party special by limiting how often it occurs. Plus, she’s quick to add, there are plenty of other, smaller group rides happening in the community that she encourages people to attend.
As always, this year’s Spokane Bike Party events will be open to all riders, though Mensing encourages children under the age of 8 to be attached to a parent’s bike via a trailer or cargo bike. Still, welcoming cyclists from a wide range of skills and experience levels is core to Spokane Bike Party’s vibe.
“I think that’s what’s really neat about it. It’s 10 miles. So for some people that’s something that they do every morning on their way to work,” Mensing says. “But then you have people that maybe haven’t pulled a bike out of their garage in years. And doing something like this shows them like, ‘Oh, I really can do that. I can ride 10 miles. I’m capable.’ It adds this feeling of confidence and safety and gives them a reason to ride their bike and get out there.”
To stay up to date on the latest Spokane Bike Party news and be a part of this year’s rides, follow @spokane_rides on Instagram and join the Spokane Rides group on Facebook.
Chris Maccini is a writer and audio producer based in Spokane. This spring, you can find him riding his vintage Peugeot bicycle around the streets of the city, or more often, pushing a stroller and walking his dog.
