The Shorewood 12 Bike Race Returns September 12, 2026
Is it a bike race with a charity problem—or a charity event with a bike race option?
Either way, the Shorewood 12 is returning for its seventh year on Saturday, September 12, 2026. Teams will spend 12 hours riding through Shorewood, tackling unusual challenges, visiting neighborhood businesses and raising money for local causes.
The race begins at exactly 9:12 a.m. and ends at 9:12 p.m. because, naturally, everything at the Shorewood 12 revolves around the number 12.
Shorewood 12 at a Glance
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Time: 9:12 a.m.–9:12 p.m.
Stamp pickup: Beginning around 8:30 a.m.
Starting location: Hubbard Park Beer Garden
Team size: Four riders
Team donation: $120 per team
Youth riders: The organizers list a cost of $15 per rider under age 21
Registration: Register a team for the 2026 Shorewood 12
Helmets and nighttime bike lights are required.
How the Shorewood 12 Works
The easiest way to understand the Shorewood 12 is to think of it as Shorewood’s quirky, charitable cousin to the Riverwest 24.
Teams of four ride laps around Shorewood throughout the day. Riders can take turns, ride together or spend part of the event pursuing bonus points instead. Each complete lap follows six checkpoints, where riders use a rubber stamp to document their progress.
A lap completed by one rider earns 12 points. If all four team members complete a full lap together, the team earns 100 points. Every team member must complete at least one full lap.
But this is not an event you can win by simply keeping your head down and pedaling.
Teams can also earn bonus points by visiting Shorewood businesses, completing community challenges and participating in special activities. The challenges are a big part of the experience—and a clever way to direct riders into local shops, restaurants and gathering places throughout the village.
The full bonus challenge list is expected to be finalized shortly before race day. Participants can watch the official 2026 race-day information page for updates and the final checkpoint map.
A New Opening Bike Parade for 2026
This year’s event will begin with a bike parade from Hubbard Park to the first checkpoint at Foxhole.
Riders will earn points for participating in the parade, so teams should plan to arrive early enough to collect their stamps, organize their gear and be ready for the 9:12 a.m. start.
After that, teams can decide how seriously—or unseriously—they want to approach the next 12 hours. You do not need to race continuously. The event is designed to reward community participation just as much as mileage.
A Bike Ride That Gives Back
The Shorewood 12 is organized by the Gentlemen of Shorewood, a local group that describes itself as a “bike club with a charity addiction.”
Instead of paying a traditional registration fee, each team makes a donation of at least $120 directly to one of four participating nonprofit organizations:
• The Derek Chappell Scholarship Fund at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee
• Kinship Community Food Center
• Shorewood Mountain Biking Team
Organizers say they keep none of the registration money. One hundred percent goes to the charity selected by each team.
The impact has grown along with the event. The 2025 Shorewood 12 raised $5,445 for four charities, bringing its six-year charitable total to $20,301. Riders also donated 280 pounds of food to Kinship and supported numerous Shorewood businesses during the event.
You can see team results, fundraising totals and some of the event’s wonderfully strange past challenges on the Shorewood 12 race recap page.
Is the Shorewood 12 Family-Friendly?
The Shorewood 12 has welcomed riders of different ages and experience levels, including an all-kids team recognized during the 2025 event. Still, this is a long, open-street community ride rather than a closed-course children’s race.
Parents should consider whether their children can comfortably complete the route, follow traffic rules and ride safely around vehicles and other cyclists. Every rider needs a helmet, and anyone riding after sunset must have working bike lights.
Families who would prefer a shorter or more casual outing can explore our Milwaukee North Shore Family Cycling Guide. Our complete Oak Leaf Trail guide also includes Shorewood access points, family-friendly stops and ideas for planning your own ride.
Get Your Bike Ready
You do not need to be an elite cyclist to join the Shorewood 12, but you should arrive with a safe, functional bike.
Before race day, check your tires, brakes, chain and lights. Pack a water bottle, portable charger, basic repair supplies and clothing layers for changing September weather. Because the event continues after sunset, test your front and rear lights before leaving home.
If a younger rider needs a new bike—or has outgrown the current one—our Milwaukee kids’ bike guide covers sizing, local shops and used-bike options.
What Happens at the End?
Teams record their completed laps and bonus challenges on the event board. At 9:12 p.m.—or whenever a team decides it has had enough—riders tally their final score.
Results are expected to be announced around 10 p.m. at Foxhole. Awards include recognition for the winning team, the losing team and the “Lap Rat” team that completes the most laps.
Based on previous Shorewood 12 recaps, the final standings are only part of the story. The event is equally about creative team names, strange challenges, neighborhood connections, local food and the shared satisfaction of doing something good while having a memorably odd day on a bicycle.
How to Register
Gather four riders, invent a great team name and choose the nonprofit you want to support. Teams must first make their $120 charitable donation and then complete the registration form.
Register your team for the 2026 Shorewood 12.
Participants should also check the official race-day page as September 12 approaches. The organizers are still finalizing the checkpoint map and bonus challenges, so some event details may be updated before race day.
Whether you ride for all 12 hours, focus on bonus challenges or simply try to avoid finishing last, the Shorewood 12 offers one of the North Shore’s most distinctive ways to support local organizations and businesses—one lap at a time.
The Shorewood 12 is returning for its seventh year on Saturday, September 12, 2026. Teams will spend 12 hours riding through Shorewood, tackling unusual challenges, visiting neighborhood businesses and raising money for local causes.