How many times has the thought “this trip wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the traffic” come across your mind? More often than not, I bet. I can picture it all too clearly. The workday is finally over and you’re preparing to head home. You begin to calculate how long it will take you to reach your beloved neighborhood. With a heavy sigh, you account for the extra time that the city traffic will add to your trip. Fast-forward a bit, and now there you are, sitting in traffic. The sun has reached that point where it paints the city sky with a spectrum of colors, and you roll down the window to feel slightly more connected to the outdoors. And there it is, the thought I mentioned earlier. You begin to think to yourself, “This trip wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for the traffic.”

By living in a city, we are given the wonderful opportunity to use biking as an effective mode of transportation. There are countless perks gained by traveling by bike. Biking supports a more environmentally friendly, financially efficient, and healthy lifestyle. It decreases dependency on using a car as a method of transportation, ultimately leading to less usage of gas and air pollution. Simultaneously, this is helping your wallet! And let’s not forget the physical gains that biking provides to your health. Biking is easy on the joints, improves cardiovascular fitness, decreases stress levels, and much more. Overall, biking provides countless benefits for you and our community.

However, it is understandable that biking can be intimidating or completely foreign for some. It can seem like a different way of living. But have no fear, Trailnet is here to help! With all the benefits that biking gives to an individual and the community, Trailnet wants everyone to have the opportunity to use biking as an effective and safe mode of transportation. That’s why it offers friendly and inexpensive community rides that provide a great way for participants to learn more about safe biking on urban streets while learning about our city on two wheels.

The distances are relatively short: 8 to 10 miles. Everyone stays together, which makes the rides both fun and comfortable. Plus, the Community Rides stop at cool sites along the way for narration by expert docents. The topics this year include history tours of Kirkwood and Dutchtown; an LGBTQ History ride, a Juneteenth Celebration ride featuring renowned storyteller Bobby Norfolk; Women in the Arts; and a Literary Tour with Harold Karabel as the docent.

Not only will you get more comfortable with biking for transportation, you’ll meet great people. These community rides are held through September, so check out Trailnet’s calendar. They just might inspire you to try a different way to get home!

Author: Niki Thomson