Riding Bike on Shabbat
Question
Does riding a bike on Shabbat violate any biblical laws, or only rabbinical? If one has extenuating circumstances that require traveling by some type of vehicle on Shabbat (such as visiting the sick), and a bike can meet that need, would the use of a bike be a lesser violation than driving a car? Or has one equally broken Shabbat?
Answers
Rabbi Neuwirth, Shmirat Shabbat Kehilchata 16:17, writes that it is permissible to allow a child to ride a cycle that has solid tires, or to roller skate [blade] so long as the area is surrounded by a Kosher Eiruv.
One should try to remember to remove the bell on the bicycle before Shabbat to ensure that the rider will not ring it (something which is prohibited). A flat tire cannot be repaired and if the wheel were to come off the cycle, the cycle becomes Muktzah and cannot be moved.
If a person lives in an area where it is not considered acceptable behavior to ride bicycles on Shabbat, one should not allow one’s children to do so.
An adult cannot ride a bicycle on Shabbat even if it is designated as a children’s bike.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team