I spent a few days in Reno last week and – like any trip I take – I try to learn as much as I can about the area’s bike community.

Being about 30 minutes away from Lake Tahoe, the area has a plethora of options for mountain and road riding. It’s the transportation cyclists that are on the uptick according to local cyclists.

One local said the city is starting to recognize the importance of bike commuting and wants to be a bicycle friendly city.

Another said the city is working to connect the University of Nevada Reno with the area’s midtown neighborhood — which is similar to Fourth Avenue — and adding bike lanes between the two areas is one of the ways they plan to do it. However a report by Bike Reno suggests it’s not quite that rosy.

The biggest challenges to bike commuting are the two interstates that go east/west and north/south through the town and the river. Finding safe routes to cross each of those barriers is a challenge.

The Reno bike map shows many planned improvements during the coming year. Check out Bike Reno as a good resource for biking news.

Here are a few photos from our trip:

Here are a few other photos from around the area.