Welcome to Bike your Block
As the Social Marketing Manager for BikeSafe and a bicycle advocate of many years, I’m thrilled to welcome everyone to this digital event. Bike your Block Month is a celebration of two-wheeled autonomy, outdoor play for children and young adults, and the bicycle’s role in supporting our wellness and health. Indeed, a bike ride is the perfect getaway to rest the eyes and mind from sedentary, pandemic-era meetings, regardless of our age.
Though many of us will be separated by great distances, we’ll all be riding together. While some of us may wish to compete for the distance, others might bike their block just for personal achievement. Either way, everyone is welcome, and there’s no such thing as too short – or too long – a ride. It’s the motivation to take that bike ride in the first place that counts.
That said, if you happen to be concerned about riding, do not fear. Over the first week of Bike your Block Month, you’ll see some new additions roll out onto the site about the best (and worst) places to ride, tips for newcomers learning how to balance for the first time, and examples of better bike infrastructure that can make bicycling for daily errands safe and effortless.
As we ride, let’s also think about how else the bicycle can help us out in daily life – and what barriers, if any, currently prevent us from riding to school, to our neighborhood park, or to a nearby store. Despite being reliant on human power alone, one can travel a surprising distance on a bicycle fairly quickly, and it’s usually road infrastructure – not distance – that stands in the way of longer rides. But roads can evolve to better suit human-oriented transportation.
In this spirit, we’ll be sharing information about protected bike lanes and protected intersections – the latest in safer road design for riders – and if you happen to see any in your travels, you’re welcome to send in a photo by tagging @ibikesafe on Twitter or Instagram. Use the hashtag #bikeyourblock or #protectedbikelane.
With that said, on behalf of the entire BikeSafe team, we wish you the best of luck and happy riding.
-Kurt Kaminer | Social Marketing Manager, BikeSafe
