With bicycle-friendly city streets, easy access to the C&O canal, beautiful rolling countryside & mountain trails, and one-of-a-kind cycling festivals, Frederick has become a world-renowned destination for pedalers of all varieties and skill levels.
In addition to offering environmentally-friendly leisure, fitness, social, and transportation opportunities to the community, the pastime has become a significant economic driver in the city. Tourism generated by cycling brings thousands of visitors to the area annually. Additionally, there are now five City businesses dedicated exclusively to servicing various cycling needs.
Below we take a quick look through the businesses, events, trails, and community groups that help support Frederick’s vibrant peddling economy:
City Shops & Studios:
Pedego Electric Bikes, Frederick
125 S Carroll Street
A locally-owned store dedicated to electric bikes. The shop offers sales, rentals, guided group tours (including “Fall in Love with Frederick”), accessories, and service.
Wheel base Bikes
229 N Market Street
A downtown bike specialty shop owned and operated by experienced cyclists since 1985. The shop’s professional mechanics are trained to assemble and repair all types of bicycles for the recreational rider to the racer.
Gravel & Grind
15 E 6th Street
A bicycle studio meets artisanal coffee shop. The shop specializes in steel bikes for sale and bike and touring gear rentals … while serving up original pour over, classic espresso drinks, and unique specialty lattes.
Recycle Bikes
125 S Carroll
Frederick’s only pre-loved bicycle shop. The refurbished bicycle dealer offers hybrid, mountain, road, adventure, and kid options. The shop also accepts donated bikes.
LifeCycle FITNESS Studios
470 C Prospect
A boutique indoor cycling studio. The studio offers cycling classes for attendees of all fitness levels and backgrounds.
Major Local Cycling Events:
Bikes & Beers
April
For the past 7 years, Frederick has been a location of the Bikes and Beers event — a celebration of cycling and craft beer, which features multiple ride length options and an after party hosted by a local brewery.
Explore more.
Bike to Work Day
May
A nation-wide event that encourages employees to bike to work and raises awareness of cyclists that commute to and from work each day. The Frederick event includes a ceremonial ride that from Hood College, through the downtown community, and ending at the MARC train station and a pit-stop celebration.
Explore more.
National High Wheel Race
JULY
The only race of its kind in the nation, this high wheel (penny farthing) bike race features racers from all over the world speeding through the streets of Downtown Frederick. Watch these dare-devils riding antique or replica 19th-century bikes as they compete for the national title.
Gran Fondo Maryland & National Champsionships
September
Gran Fondo Maryland is a great event for riders of all abilities. The event offers riders a choice of three distances of 30, 60 and 100 miles. The 2023 & 2024 USA Cycling Gran Fondo National Championships will be held in conjunction with Gran Fondo Maryland.
Explore more.
City Trails & Tracks:
Frederick History Bicycle Loop
The Historic Frederick Bike Loop guides visitors around the city’s historic downtown. The loop is 10 miles in length and includes stops at Carroll Creek, Second Street, Baker Park, and other historic and tourism-focused sites.
Explore more.
East Street Pump Track
The pump track located along East Street is a result of a public private partnership between The City of Frederick and The Bicycle Coalition, a nonprofit group of local bicyclists. The track is free to use and all are welcome to participate in keeping it a clean, safe place for riders of all ages and skill levels.
A pump track is designed to be ridden without pedaling. By shifting body weight and pumping the handle bars, it is possible to ride several laps, get a good workout and have a ton of fun.
Explore more.
Frederick Watershed Trails
The Watershed is a treasured jewel to area mountain bikers. The watershed offers fantastic riding opportunities but, like Gambrill, the trails are technical. The area was used to host the USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships in 2021 and 2022.
Explore more.
East Street Rails with Trails (underway)
East Street Rails with Trails will build bicycle infrastructure from Monocacy Boulevard to the downtown Frederick MARC station along the old Pennsylvania Railroad line. Frederick County is currently working on a connector project that will take bike infrastructure all the way to Woodsboro. Rails with Trails has four phases, along with a possible bypass.
Explore more.
Pump Track at Hill Street Park (underway)
This planned track is part of a larger Hillstreet Park improvement project. The proposed pump track will be Maryland’s first public paved pump track.
Explore more.
Stay Up to Date & Get Involved:
Let’s Move Frederick: A Comprehensive Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan for The City of Frederick
The City is currently working on a comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian planning effort called Let’s Move Frederick!
Let’s Move Frederick will:
Explore the current status of walking and bicycling in Frederick
Detail the current research regarding what makes a city bikeable and walkable
Create a citywide walking network that will prioritize the missing sidewalk links throughout the city.
Create a citywide bicycling network prioritizing connectivity, comfort, and equity.
Determine these networks’ maintenance needs to ensure they will be safe and usable at all times of the year
Create programs to encourage people to walk and bicycle
Describe the financing landscape to create and operate these networks and programs
The First Public Draft is now available for download! Find it here: Public Draft 1
City Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee
The committee works to advise City officials and staff on the sound development, management, and safe use of the City of Frederick's pedestrian and bicycle systems as they relate to infrastructure, accessibility, and promoting the benefits of these systems.
Explore more.
Frederick Bicycle Coalition
The Frederick Bicycle Coaltiion is a member driven nonprofit organization devoted to making Frederick more bicycle friendly.
Explore more.
MORE Mid Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts
MORE is the premier mountain biking and trail-building advocacy club in the Mid-Atlantic region of D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. MORE’s mission is to build an inclusive mountain biking community and to increase access to natural-surface trails throughout the region for all riders.
Explore more.
Want to explore other cycling events in Frederick County? Check out Visit Frederick’s Events Calendar.