It might be too cold to think about taking a bike ride, but organizers of the Iowa Bicycle Summit hope to warm you up to the idea.
The summit is Friday and Saturday at the Iowa Events Center in downtown Des Moines. It includes workshops focusing on safety, routes to schools, tourism and more.
This is the 10th year for the summit, which is a collaboration between the Iowa Department of Transportation and the Iowa Bicycle Coalition.
Friday’s events are geared toward the people who actually create and build trails in the state. Planners and engineers will attend continuing education classes and seminars that will help them plan the state’s trails so they are more user and budget friendly.
“Smaller things that we can do, to make the greatest impact like how to connect those trails, bicycle lanes, and what will be more popular, and more cost effective,” says Milly Ortiz with the Iowa DOT.
Saturday the event will include a bike expo with more than 100 vendors displaying the latest in bicycle accessories. That part of the event is free.