Ride Through Pokémon Bike History

Every Pokémon game is a unique adventure filled with wonder and whimsy, and there’s perhaps nothing more whimsical than riding through the world on your own bicycle. You can zip from town to town, traverse unique terrain, show off some of your personality, and of course, hatch a ton of Eggs in search of competitive stats and Shiny Pokémon. Bicycles are core to the very DNA of Pokémon games, and with summer being the perfect season to ride your real-life bicycle, there’s no better time to backpedal and reminisce about the two-wheelers that have carried you on your adventures.

Pokémon Red, Pokémon Blue, and Pokémon Yellow

Ah, yes, the classic bicycle experience. These games don’t have running shoes available, so the bicycle is the top travel option through the Kanto region. You’re originally prompted to purchase the bicycle in Cerulean City for 1,000,000 Pokémon dollars, but after lending an ear to the chairman of the Pokémon Fan Club, you obtain it for the low price of free! You can’t take three, but you can ride like the wind to the classic bike riding jingle as you speed along Cycling Road from Celadon City to Fuchsia City.

Pokémon Gold and Pokémon Silver

The bicycle didn’t change much for these games, and you are lucky enough to acquire one through similar means. The owner of the bike shop in Goldenrod City is the very same business owner as you met in Cerulean City! To help his struggling business (maybe due to those ridiculous prices), you lend a hand (foot?) and take one of his bicycles to advertise as you ride it on your journey. It just so happens that Goldenrod City is the perfect place to hatch Eggs as you ride up and down the town.

Pokémon Ruby, Pokémon Sapphire, and Pokémon Emerald

Now this is biking! These Pokémon video games are the only games where you can obtain two bikes: the Mach Bike and the Acro Bike. The Mach Bike is perfect for feeling the wind through your hair and is the go-to option for speeding through the Sky Pillar. Meanwhile, the Acro Bike is key to jumping through tricky environments. Both are necessary as you adventure through the Hoenn region, so these might just be the best bicycles ever if we’re being real, which we are. As the shop’s top advertiser, you can also switch bikes at any point at Rydel’s Cycles.

Pokémon Diamond, Pokémon Pearl, and Pokémon Platinum

You might have had the choice of two bikes in Hoenn, but the bike you receive in Sinnoh has four whole gears, and that’s just as cool. Not only that, but you receive the bike from a guy named Rad Rickshaw after saving him from Team Galactic. It doesn’t get any cooler than that.

Pokémon Black, Pokémon White, Pokémon Black 2, Pokémon White 2

Unfortunately, these are the first games without a bike shop. Fortunately, though, you still receive a bicycle all the same! In Pokémon Black and Pokémon White, the Day-Care Man gifts you a bicycle—making him a familiar face if you choose to hatch Eggs near the Day Care. In Pokémon Black 2 and Pokémon White 2, the bicycle is gifted by a Harlequin in Castelia City, practically proclaiming that you don’t need to be walkin’ here.

Pokémon X and Pokémon Y

Yes! You are once again afforded the opportunity to visit a beautiful bike shop in Cyllage City, and you are greatly rewarded…as the 10,001st customer. You miss out on the chance to receive a free bicycle at first, but a little bit of trivia gets you there in the end. These bicycles come in both green and yellow, and the choice is yours! All bicycle music is immaculate, but the theme playing as you speed through the Kalos region is arguably our favorite.

Pokémon Sun, Pokémon Moon, Pokémon Ultra Sun, and Pokémon Ultra Moon

Despair. Anguish. Gloom. No, not the Pokémon. There are no bicycles for use in these video games set in the Alola region. There are, however, a variety of Ride Pokémon that aid you in your adventures, and they’re pretty cool! Shout-out to Tauros, Lapras, Machamp, Sharpedo, Stoutland, and Mudsdale.

Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield

Bicycles are SO BACK! And they’re better than ever. After defeating Milo and leaving Turffield, you’re gifted your very first Rotom Bike. You can ride through the vast expanse of the game’s various Wild Areas, partake in unique speed trials that test your skills, and even ride on water with your bicycle for the first time in the Pokémon video games! If you play through the Isle of Armor DLC, you can even modify your bicycle to have a unique sparkle trail that matches the color scheme of your lead party Pokémon.

Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet

There aren’t any bicycles in these games because the real bicycles are the friends you make along the way—literally. Koraidon or Miraidon is your number one, and they are your main ride as you traverse the Paldea region on your Treasure Hunt. They’re also the only “bicycle” that you feed sandwiches to, although that would have been odd in previous games. You can climb, jump, glide, and eventually fly with your good friend Koraidon or Miraidon, truly making for the most exciting travels.

We hope you enjoy your bicycle rides this summer, Trainers!