It's National Bike Month! Let’s Ride
It's National Bike Month! Let’s Ride
There are so many reasons to choose a bike over a car for around-town activities. Here are a few.
By Alex Goodman
Did you miss Bike to Work Day last week? There’s still time to get in on the action. Whether you’re going to work, going to a friend’s house, going to a movie or just going to grab a few things at the market, these are all great opportunities to ditch your car and take a ride on your bicycle.
There has been a resurgence of momentum in the last few years for bicycles in Sebastopol, spurred on by many factors, ranging from COVID to a conscious decision to switch transportation methods to support climate action.
Bicycles are great for the climate and great for your health. Pairing commuting with exercise can help build a lifestyle that is healthier and more convenient.
As we grow older, riding a bike can become more difficult which is why EV bikes are a great option to continue to ride. It's also great to get a little boost on those steeper hills. EV bikes can also get you to places faster, increasing the efficiency of your commute or your trip for errands. EV bikes average around 20 MPH which is great for most in town activities. All rules for regular bikes apply to EV bikes as well. For example, the local regional trails do have a 15 MPH cap for all bikes.
Whether you want to ditch the keys for an EV bike or join a local bike ride here are some resources to get you riding in our area!
Local Bike Politics/Current Events:
There is a buzz on the streets around creating a revised bicycle master plan for Sebastopol/West County bicycle infrastructure. This could help create a safer, more efficient and updated maintenance program on certain trails/roads for bikes. This may take years to implement but the goal is to develop a plan so that when a certain area is going to be updated these plans/infrastructure improvements can be included!
Highlighting one of our local groups: Bike Sebastopol which is helping shape better bike infrastructure and helping better connect and support each other through bike riding! A little fun and little work. Check out their website HERE if you’d like to get more involved!
Bike stores:
Sebastopol Bike Center (Denver Booker, owner)
Local Bicycle groups:
Sebastopol Bike Night - Events throughout the month, check facebook group to stay updated
Taco Tuesday Santa Rosa ride - Every Tuesday at 6pm @ humboldt park in Santa Rosa
Bike Sebastopol - Community group advocating for bicycle riding
Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition – Nonprofit working to make Sonoma County a great place to ride a bicycle
This article is part of a series of columns provided to the Sebastopol Times by the city of Sebastopol’s Climate Action Committee.
Photos from Bike to Work Day
“If you weren't there on your bike, you missed the party!” said former Councilmember Sarah Glade Gurney. “Dan and I volunteered for three hours and it was too much fun! Every cyclist was friendly and chatty. Rumor on the route was that Community Market supplied by far and away the best food!”
Gurney supports the Climate Action’s Committee suggestion that people ride their bikes around town.
“You meet a lot more people and see a lot more of town when you ride around on your bike. It's a very connecting activity,” she said
