COTA Bike Night

You’re pedaling the same tarmac where Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton have traded paint at 200 mph — except tonight it’s just you, your bike, and a few hundred other cyclists who thought this sounded like a good Tuesday. The 3.4-mile COTA circuit is open exclusively to cyclists and pedestrians, meaning you can take the racing line through Turn 1 and coast down the back straight without a single car in sight. The track’s elevation changes are real — especially the dramatic rise to the top of Turn 1 — but nothing that’ll stop you from lapping it a few times.

Tickets run $15 for adults and $8 for kids 12 and under, which makes this a solid family outing. Bring any bike — road, hybrid, cruiser, kids’ bikes all show up. The pace is entirely your own. A live band sets up at Turn 9 so you’ll hear them coming before you see them, and food trucks are posted around the venue throughout the evening.

The post-ride scene on the grandstand lawn is half the reason people come. Grab food, find a patch of grass, and watch the sunset over the circuit with the Austin skyline in the distance. Dates are limited — May 5, 12, and 19 for spring, then back again in September — so check the COTA site to confirm before you head out.