Biking
“Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of riding a bike.”
Practice Biking
Choose two wheels in your neighborhood.
Consider swapping out your car keys for your bicycle when you run errands in or around your neighborhood.Invite a friend to join.
Share the experience of cycling with a neighbor to build community and enjoy riding together.Reflect on your ride.
Take a moment after your ride to reflect on how you feel internally and the connections you made with your external surroundings.
Cycling is a practice rooted in the joy of exploration and spans across cultures and generations. The invention of the bicycle in the early 19th century revolutionized personal transportation and leisure. The first pedal bicycle, invented by Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan in 1839, paved the way for the modern bicycle. Bike riding has evolved from a means of transportation to a recreational activity and sport for cyclists of all ages. Cycling is emblematic of Colorado culture as it is a practice that expresses freedom, adventure, and well-being.
As avid cyclists, we have often pondered the question “What makes a good bike ride?” The best answer we have is it connects you with your surroundings and the experience makes you truly “feel alive.” Our best rides have been filled with a sense of excitement and discovery, and often they are rides in the company of others. Some of our favorite rides have led us through the beauty of Colorado, far from crowds and traffic, offering an exhilarating mix of breathtaking views and thin air. But there is also something special about a delightfully familiar trail and riding our bikes on roads in our own neighborhood.
While cycling can be an excellent outlet for adventure and fitness, it can also be a means to connect with your neighbors and neighborhood. We intentionally chose to live in a “bikeable neighborhood” in Denver. We wanted a place where it’s easy to ride our kids to school on a cargo bike or alongside them on their own bikes. We choose to ride to work on a regular basis, and often make our bike adventures depart from our back door vs. driving across town to begin.
Choosing local paths to ride instead of driving to more idyllic routes has allowed us to appreciate our neighborhood in a new way. Riding our bikes around the neighborhood and running errands to places like the grocery store and post office has enabled us to connect with neighbors, watch the neighborhood evolve, reduce traffic congestion, and combine an activity we love with a practical purpose.
Whether running errands in your neighborhood or getting out for a healthy dose of activity and fresh air, cycling is a practice of connecting with the world around us and feeling a greater sense of peace within ourselves. Cycling enriches our lives through meaningful connections with our surroundings and the people we encounter along the way.
Resources we love on cycling and connecting with your community: bicyclecolorado.org, peopleforbikes.org, your local bike shop.
Matt and Molly have cycled together since Matt built Molly her first “real” bike 20 years ago when dating. They have ridden together in triathlon competitions and iconic destinations around the world including Austria, Finland, and Thailand. But they most enjoy riding with their 4- and 6-year-olds around their Central Park neighborhood.
