Help celebrate Bike Month with us at our upcoming events! Next up is the Public Art Bike Ride on Saturday, May 13 at 10 a.m. Meet outside the Decatur Rec Center for a bike ride around Decatur. We’ll be making stops and learning about various outdoor art installations and murals. Register by emailing Gael.Doyle@decaturga.com
Be sure to save the date for these other events throughout May!
May 15-21: Bike to Work Week May 19: Bike to Work Day – Join us for our Bikes and Brews group ride. Meet at 6:30 p.m. in front of Guild + Journeyman for our 6-mile bike ride. Afterwards we’ll grab a drink from one of our local breweries. All skill levels are welcome. Helmets are required.
October is Biketober! Biketober is a fun and free competition to encourage metro Atlantans to experience the joys and benefits of riding a bike. Decatur Active Living has 3 events to get you pedaling this October.
Boo & Brews – October 21 at 6:30 p.m. Join us for a 6 mile, Halloween themed ride around Decatur! After the ride we will visit a neighborhood brewery for refreshments and camaraderie. Meet in front of the Decatur Recreation Center.
Monster Bike Bash – October 27 at 7 p.m. Dress up and/or decorate your bike and ride 6 miles around Decatur neighborhoods and check out Halloween decorations. Meet in front of the Decatur Recreation Center.
Spooks & Spokes (Family Ride) – October 30 at 2 p.m. The ride will start at Harmony Park and go approximately 2 miles at a slow, child-friendly pace. Bring your water bottle and join the fun! Helmets are required.
Win a $1,000 REI gift card with Georgia Commute Options Register for Biketober before October 1 to be eligible to win a $1,000 for REI! Click here to register!
Walking Book Club Our first book is Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult. For our first meeting, read pages 1-52 or until the Andrew chapter.
The walk will be easy and approx. 1-2 miles. Meet in front of the Decatur Recreation Center and be ready to walk at 9 am. Group size limited to eight. Registration and masks are required to keep COVID protocols. Group will meet every Saturday morning at 9 am. Register here.
April Walk Challenge Where will you walk in April? Complete the Walk Challenge Bingo and score a Walk There Decatur bandanna and a light to keep you seen at night. Send completed bingo cards to Cheryl Burnette no later than May 1, 2021.
Third Friday Bike Ride Join us on Friday, April 16th for a 6 mile ride around the city at a casual pace. Ride leaves from the front of the Decatur Recreation Center at 6:30 pm. All levels of cyclists are welcome, however not recommended for children. Helmets and face coverings are required. For more information contact Cheryl Burnette.
Free Yoga on the Square Classes begin the week of April 12. Join us on Monday and Thursday mornings at 10 am and start your day off with a great stretch! This is an all levels class taught by Cheryl Burnette. Class is limited to ten.Masks and registration are required. Register here.
Wednesday Walks Join us on Wednesdays at 9 am for this 2-3 mile walk around Decatur neighborhoods. Meet in front of the Decatur Recreation Center and be ready to step out at 9 am. At this time, masks and registration are required. Contact Sara Holmes to register.
New! Trails and Ales On April 29 we will introduce a new program, Trails and Ales. We will begin and end our walk at Three Taverns Brewery. The cost is $25; participants receive a special Trails and Ales t-shirt and a pint after the walk. For more information contact Sara Holmes.
This September 21-27, and specifically on September 22, we are encouraging everyone to Bike There, wherever that there may be. Bike to Work, yes. Bike with friends, yes. Bike to an errand, yes. Bike to a Bicycle Friendly Business, yes. Bike around your neighborhood and back to your home, yes. Any bike, anywhere, it all counts. We just want to bike together and inspire each other to do this simple act that means so much to our lives and our future.
Share photos of your solo or family rides on social media using #BikeThere and #BikesUnite and share the joy biking brings you. Show us, show the world, show your neighbors the power of bicycling. By sharing your “reason to ride” on social media and encouraging friends and family across the country to go by bike, we can experience the joy of biking together even as we keep our distance.
Biking not only benefits your health, but it also benefits the environment. Biking instead of using a car can be a useful step in reducing your carbon footprint and preserving the environment.
Transportation accounts for more than half of the carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides emitted into the air, with the average U.S. car emitting a pound of carbon dioxide per mile from burning fuel. By opting to bike, you are saving fossil fuel and reducing the number of cars on the road. Fewer cars relieves congestion and traffic and of a need for new parking lots and roadways, and more potential locations for public green spaces. Bicycles can use existing infrastructure, without demanding too much in terms of road construction and parking spaces. Bikes are also quiet, which means no honking or obnoxious noise pollution.
Third, biking around our neighborhoods gives us a greater appreciation for the surrounding natural beauty. By choosing to Move It Monday by biking, you are embracing the outdoors, appreciating the environment, all the while bettering your own health.
Zipping through city streets or country roads on your bike can be an exhilarating workout, but any cyclist, no matter their skill level and comfort, should adhere to some basic biking safety protocols.
The most important safety requirement is wearing a helmet that fits your head properly. Helmet sizes differ based on manufacturer, so the only real way to know how it fits is to put it on and adjust the straps. You also want to make sure the bike you’re riding is the right size with functioning. Before your ride, make sure your shoe laces are tucked securely into your pant legs so that they don’t get tangled in the bike chain. It also helps to plan your route ahead of time. If driving on the road, choose areas with less traffic and slower speed limits; for leisurely rides, try to stick to a bike path.
You also want to do your best to avoid crashes; because, regardless of who is responsible, if a cyclist falls or collides with another vehicle, they are often the one who suffers with the physical consequences. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, most bicyclist deaths occur between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm in urban areas, so try to avoid riding during these times of day when visibility is limited. If you do decide to ride during dusk or the evening, use reflective gear and clothing as well as a flashing front and rear light.
Bicycles on the roadway have the same rights and responsibilities as motorized vehicles. Riding defensively is the best way to avoid an accident. Drive with the flow of traffic, obey street signs, signals, and road markings, and always assume that the other person or vehicle doesn’t see you. When biking, riders should be as predictable as possible, using hand signals and following the other rules of the road.
These basic guidelines will help ensure your ride is a safe success.
Century Challenge Decatur Active Living challenges you to ride 100 miles in September! Ride as few or as many times as you like; just accumulate 100 miles between September 1 and 30, take a screen shot of your activity tracker showing your mileage, and send to cheryl.burnette@decaturga.com. Riders will receive a cooling bandanna with the I Bike Decatur logo. See if you can make a route using the city’s new cycle track. All ages are welcome to participate!
Cycle September
Sign up for the National Bike Challenge “Cycle September” at https://www.lovetoride.net/usa. This is also a good way to track your miles for the month.
Bike and Be Well – September 16
Safe Routes to School invites all children to bike (or walk) to their school on Wednesday, September 16 to celebrate Bike and Be Well Day! Students in grades K – 5 are invited to bike (or walk) by their school and pick up an incentive item and a Bicycle Guide for Kids. Each school will set their own time frame to coordinate with the Wellness Wednesday activities for students at their school. Please wear a mask and practice social distancing. Let’s see which school will have the highest participation!
Bike to Work
Bike to Work Week will take place September 21-27, 2020. Bike to Work Day is Tuesday, September 22!
For ideas on routes around the city visit decaturga.com/biking.
Wearing a bike helmet improperly is the same as not wearing a bike helmet at all.
Fitting a Helmet:
• Place it on your head without fastening the straps
• There should be a two-fingers width between your eyebrows and helmet
• There should be little movement when you shake your head from side to side
• You will want to start out with the smallest size– you may have to try on different sizes and brands of helmets until you find one that fits
Adjusting Your Helmet:
• The side straps should come to a point just below your ears forming a “Y” shape
• When your mouth is closed, there should be about half an inch between the chin strap and your chin
Gael Doyle
Greg White
jones9095
saraeholmes
RSS - Posts