Why a Bike Month
by John Kinney, Active Transportation Liaison, ETC
Our month of May in the great state of Indiana brings flowers and trees in bloom, nice weather, the 500 Race and Hoosiers enjoying the great outdoors. Evansville Trails Coalition (ETC) believes this is a perfect time for riding our bikes. Spending time with family and friends on bikes on trails as well as safe roadways is a great way to relieve stress, get some exercise and see our state. Many of us may recall walking and/or riding a bus to school or work, and many of us or our children may even bike to work now. Those were simpler times when our lives were less busy and less complex, when we looked forward to walking and biking, especially as a family. Do you recall that time spent teaching our children to ride a bike and that moment they were set free to ride on their own, or those times when we took off for a bike ride with friends? Hey Evansville, let’s return to simpler activities that benefit our health, our families and overall way of life, and saves us money while doing it. Let’s jump on our bikes and go for a ride!
In 2020, we travel longer distances in order to go to church and to work, go to school, shop, recreate and fulfill our needs, such as medical appointments. Our reliance on vehicles and the freedom they bring to our lives has provided greater flexibility to accomplish more in a day. Our love and reliance on vehicles are also a significant reason our health as individuals and as a society is in decline, our lives are so busy that we now struggle with being overweight and we do not exercise as much, which all leads to less time enjoying being outdoors walking and/or biking with family. Research cited on “Safe Routes Partnership’s” website found, “Since the 1970s, we have seen a loss of mobility among our nation’s children that has severely impacted their personal health and their ability to explore their neighborhoods, even by walking or bicycling to school.1” Is it time to take back some of the enjoyable ways of life by making walking and biking part of our family time?
Let’s schedule some time during National Bike Month to join our families and friends for bike rides. Given our current Covid-19 challenge, ETC encourages all of us to continue being vigilant as we maintain a safe physical distance from others on the bike routes.
National Bike Month is sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists and was established in 1956. Their goal was to encourage more Americans to take up biking as a way to be active as we move about our daily routine. During the third week of May it is National Bike Week with Friday being Bike to Work Day.
Evansville Trails Coalition and our Partners support National Bike Month as a great way to be active as we spend time with family and friends while helping our environment.