This article first appeared at CalBike.
Every two years, CalBike gathers bike advocates, transportation planners, government staffers, and more from around the state and globe at the California Bicycle Summit to exchange ideas and shape best practices for safer streets. In 2026, the Summit will return to Sacramento on April 23 and 24. Attendees will also have the opportunity to join CalBike on Wednesday, April 22, for a rare bicycle-focused optional lobby day in our state’s capitol.
Early bird registration for the 2026 Summit will open on November 1, 2025. We’ll also issue a call for workshop proposals later this fall. Opportunities for scholarships and sponsorships will also be available.
A historic venue
The 2026 Summit will be held at the Tsakopoulos Library Galleria in downtown Sacramento. In addition to several spaces for breakout sessions and networking, attendees will enjoy the Library Galliera’s expansive five-story atrium for keynote speeches and plenaries.
The central downtown location allows for a short, three-block walk to the Capitol Mall for participants in our optional pre-Summit Lobby Day. We will also enjoy easy access to nearby bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure for mobile sessions on foot and by bike.
Two days of inspiring plenaries and breakout sessions
The Summit will include two plenary sessions and numerous breakouts on topics ranging from design, planning, and policy to infrastructure and activism. We’ll hear from state agency staffers, elected leaders, advocates, bike industry representatives, and more. The breakout sessions generate inspiring discussions, create new connections, and offer actionable resources that attendees can take home to their communities and organizations.
Bike tours and cultural events
No California Bicycle Summit would be complete without bike rides. In San Diego in 2024, we offered several biking and walking sessions led by our local hosts to show off the infrastructure and history of the area.
We’ll also host a social event where attendees can meet up with friends old and new.
Lobby day
Our Sacramento location allows us to host an optional Lobby Day the day before the Summit. Participants will gather in the late morning for a training session on a set of key campaign issues provided by CalBike staff. We’ll break for lunch, then visit assemblymembers, senators, and staff in the afternoon.
A lobby day gives us the chance to show our representatives in Sacramento the power of the movement for active transportation. We’ll talk with them about ongoing challenges, such as active transportation funding, as well as bike-friendly bills in the 2026 session.
