Tips & Resources

Pitt faculty and staff cycling on campus.

Familiarize yourself with the rules of the road, as well as helpful tips and a list of local bike shops, to make your ride to campus a breeze. 

Pennsylvania Bicycle Laws

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania maintains laws that ensure bikes can safely navigate streets alongside motor vehicles and pedestrians. We ask that everyone riding a bike on campus is familiar with these laws and abide by them at all times. 

  • Do not ride on sidewalks or in dedicated bus lanes. 
  • A front headlight and a rear reflector are required if you are biking from dusk to dawn. 
  • A rear bike light that blinks greatly increases visibility both at night and during the day. 
  • Always yield to pedestrians. 
  • Stop at red lights and stop signs. 
  • Do not ride against traffic. 
  • Although bike helmets are not required by law in Pennsylvania, we strongly encourage all riders to wear one while biking, especially if they are a new rider. 

For additional information on bike safety rules and regulations in the state of Pennsylvania, review the Pennsylvania Bicycle Driver's Manual

Tips for All-Weather Biking 

  • Prevent being splashed with tire mudguards and fenders. 
  • Invest in waterproof commuting clothing and bags to keep you and your belongings dry. 
  • Layer up clothing to keep you warm. 
  • Clean your chain and brakes regularly to remove grit, grime, and other buildup. 
  • Keep your lights on.
  • Pittsburgh Regional Transit buses are equipped with bike racks, so know where you can board public transit in the event of unpredictable or inclement weather. ​

Visit BikePGH to locate cycle shop and bike service locations, including bike sales, repairs, accessories, and co-op shops to learn bike maintenance. 

Local Pittsburgh Bike Shops

Pitt Bike Cave – a bicycle maintenance teaching shop that is open to the community. The Pitt Bike Cave aims to provide the community with an inclusive space to repair bicycles, receive safety and educational materials, participate in workshops, buy used bicycles when available, and gather as a community. There is no charge to use the space and tools are provided.
Location – University of Pittsburgh, Posvar Hall

Adam Solar Rides – a Pitt alum owned bike shop that specializes in e-bikes! At Adam Solar Rides you can buy new e-bikes and other e-mobility products, tune-ups, repairs, accessory installs, troubleshooting, and more! They also offer e-bike rentals by the day or multi-day bicycle trips!
Location – 1912 Mayview Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017

Biketek – sells bicycles, clothing, bicycle components, and accessories and offers bicycle maintenance for a fee. Bicycle brands include Jamis, Felt, Batch, and Aventon (e-bikes).
Location – 5842 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 (Squirrel Hill)

Free Ride – a group of volunteers who come together over their love of bicycles, the environment, sustainable practices, education, and community. Free Ride focuses on rerouting used bicycles from landfills through bike donation drives, reusing bicycles and providing an opportunity for community members to access used bikes, and providing workshops and learning opportunities for a community member to repair their own bicycles.
Location – 214 North Lexington Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15208 (Point Breeze North)

Fern Hollow Bicycles – formerly called Love Bikes of Lawrenceville, Fern Hollow Bicycles has a new name and is now located only a few blocks from Frick Park and Fern Hollow Creek. Their bicycle services include repairs, restorations, and bicycle sales. They specialize in adventure and city bicycles and sell brands such as Marin, Cinelli, Public, and Soma.
Location – 307 South Trenton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15221 (Wilkensburg)

Kindred Cycles – a full-service bicycle shop, born out of a love for bicycles and the people who ride them. They offer a wide range of bicycle brands including Kona, Giant, Riese & Müller, Norco, Tern, Brompton, Breezer, and more.
Location – 2515 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (Strip District)

Kraynick’s Bike Shop – since 1946, Kraynick’s Bike Shop has been a unique home for bike lovers of all likes. Whether they’re a Pittsburgh native, a college student, or newcomers to bicycle maintenance, everyone is welcome. Kraynick’s Bike Shop offers a full line of new and used bicycle repair parts including the rare and hard-to-find parts for classic and vintage bicycles. The shop also offers bicycle service and repairs and gives its customers a chance to learn and work on their own bicycles.
Location – 5003 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224 (Garfield)

REI – the Pittsburgh location has a full-service in-store bike shop for those who love to adventure on two wheels. Their expert technicians offer a comprehensive range of services to tune, repair, and enhance the performance of your bicycle. The store also sells new top-brand bicycles, bicycle gear and accessories, and parts to fix your own bicycle.
Location – 412 South 27th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (South Side)

Steady State Cycles – a Pittsburgh cycling shop for top-tier road and mountain products and services. Stead State Cycles carry several brands including Cervelo, Colnago, Pinarello, Pivot, Scott, and Surly. Check out their website to view models currently available at the store.
Location – 1153 Old Freeport Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238

Ted’s Excellent Bike Repair – a local bike shop that offers quality service, bicycle parts, bicycle gear, and advice to all bicyclists. With 10 years of professional experience and another 20 years’ of being a semi-pro, Ted has experience fixing all types of bicycles.
Location – 276 Freeport Road, Blawnox, PA 15238

Thick Bikes – an award-winning bike shop in Pittsburgh that loves bikes and riding them. They sell both new and used bicycles from a variety of brands, bicycle gear, and they repair bicycles! They carry brands like Specialized, Giant, Salsa, Surly, All-City, Gazelle, Urban Arrow, and more!
Location – 62 South 15th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (South Side)

Trek Bicycle Pittsburgh – your destination for the latest products from Trek and Bontrager, service and tune-ups for bicycles of any brand, and to gear up for your daily commute.
Location -  5996 Centre Avenue #204, Pittsburgh, PA 15206 (Shadyside)

West Liberty Cycles – a bike shop for the whole family! At West Liberty Cycles, they’ll help you choose a bicycle to meet your riding needs and your budget. They sell bicycles designed for on- and off-road use, racing, comfort, and all-purpose riding. Once you find the right bicycle, they’ll help you find the right frame size, saddle height, etc. to make you feel comfortable. You can also visit them for comprehensive repairs and tune-ups!
Location – 801 Brookline Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15226 (Brookline)