April 15th, 2009
2 – Bike there
Biking around town isn’t always easy in the ‘burbs or traffic-clogged cities. But with luck you can find some destinations that work. School, for starters, is often just a bike ride away. Ditto, the drugstore, grocery and community parks. Teens can lower their carbon footprint and build muscles by biking to school; ride with the younger kids and they’ll soon make it a habit.
Earth Day is a great excuse (if you need one) for an all-family bike ride. Yank those bicycles out of the garage, make sure the tires are pumped up and everyone’s helmet fits and you’re ready. If cycling around the neighborhood is getting old, try a new route. Check out Bikely.com, a website devoted to cyclists who share their knowledge of good bicycle routes throughout the United States and in several foreign countries. Type in your town and indicate how long a ride you’re looking for. Some communities are more bike-oriented than others. Seattle, where cycling is very big, boasts close to 900 possible routes. Smaller towns, such as Grapevine, Texas, might have just a handful.
Check out cycling clubs too. The Bicycle Club of Philadelphia is a recreational biking group. The key word here is “recreational” – it’s open to cyclists of all abilities and interests. The Philadelphia club offers a variety of rides throughout the Greater Delaware Valley region.
The Phoenix Metro Bicycle Club has designated April as Valley Bike Month; the Phoenix and Tempe region will host several cycling events this month including the 12-mile Tempe-Bike-a-Palooza, a Bike Swap Meet and a Bike to Work Day. The club also will celebrate Cinco de Mayo a few weeks early on April 18 with a cycling event at Macayo’s Cantina Depot in downtown Tempe.
If serious cycling is what you’re after, many towns offer clubs for that level as well. The Toledo Area Bicyclists club keeps a website with a schedule of rides, listing where they begin and the ride’s leader. For the more adventuresome, night rides begin in May. The New York Cycle Club (members are pictured above) offers a combination of serious and recreational rides for all cycling enthusiasts. It organizes weekly rides, weekend trips, training programs and special events for new and veteran cyclists.
Spring is perfect bike-riding weather. Take advantage of — and contribute to — the fresh air.
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