Riding a Bike on Shabbat

Is it prohibited to ride a bike on Shabbat or Yom Tob?

Hi!

Thank you for your question.

It is forbidden for an adult to ride a bicycle on Shabbat and there are a number of reasons this is so:

1) 1. What is the chain breaks or comes off? What is a tire gets a flat? One would then be tempted to fix the problem in order to be able to get back home! Fixing a broken appliance of any kind, even where there is are electricity or other obvious Shabbat prohibitions involved, is forbidden.

2) 2. Riding a bike is categorized under those things known as “U’vdin D’chol” – weekday activities. U’vdin D’chol is a ban on engaging in activities on Shabbat that either require exertion, that relate to commerce or pursuing our professions (even when no melacha/Shabbat prohibitions are violated), or things that are similar to or usually performed in conjunction with forbidden Shabbat labor. Riding a bike certainly falls under 1 or 2 of these categories.

3) 3. When riding a bicycle one might accidentally leave the “Techum”- the Shabbat boundary one is permitted to travel on Shabbat.(Yes, even walking too far out of one’s place of residence would be forbidden)

4) 4. Similar to #3 riding a bike where there is no Eruv, or if one were to leave the Eruv area, would be a violation and desecration of Shabbat.

    Therefore, in order to ensure that we don’t come to violate the sanctity of Shabbat in any way, we don’t ride bikes on Shabbat.

A child's bike, such as a tricycle, which is more of a toy than a means of transportation, which has no chain or air filled tires may be used by small children on Shabbat.

Rambam, Laws of Shabbat 21:1; OC 327; Mishna Berura 308:27; Taz, OC 313:7