by Joey Pawlik
May 29, 2020
May is always a fun time of the year, whether you’re excited about more free time during your summer break, spending more time outside, or finding new ways to take part in adventures near and far away from your home! Like many others, I spent May on two-wheels, exploring my community by bike.
Whether it was family bike rides, school bike rodeos, biking to school, or solo bike adventures around my neighborhood, my bikes and bike riding have always been an important part of my life. This passion led me to other exciting bike moments in my life, such as purchasing my first high-quality (used) bike my freshman year of college, working in a bike shop during college as a bike mechanic and salesman, studying urban planning, and finally, becoming the Alamo Area MPO’s Active Transportation Planner. As a child, I could have never imagined working as an Active Transportation Planner. It’s a role where I feel fortunate to use my passion and expertise to plan future infrastructure and help others become safer through many of our active transportation programs.
As such, this May was even more exciting because it was also National Bike Month! National Bike Month is a chance to showcase the many benefits of bicycling — and encourage more folks to giving biking a try. This year’s Bike Month may have been a bit different, but the MPO still found a way to celebrate Bike Month virtually.
Here were some main themes from this year’s Alamo Area Virtual Bike Month.
Bike Month Story Telling
Everyone has their own story to tell about how or why they got into cycling, and we’d love to hear your story! Tamarra Mencey shared her story about what bicycling means to her.
"I remember the day my training wheels came off. I rode down the street feeling so confident and free and then started to lose my balance and crashed/fell into the side of a neighbor’s parked van. I had to pick myself up and try again. Now I ride my bike all the time and still get that wonderful, confident, free feeling (usually) without the crash at the end."
For many, you may have hopped on a bike for the first time in years, contributing to the explosive uptick in trail use and new bike purchases at local bike shops. If you’d like to share your story, please email Ambar at perez@alamoareampo.org.
Purchasing a New Bike
Not all bikes are created the same, but rest assured that there is always one to fit your size and your lifestyle! Check out this tutorial on what to look for when purchasing a new bike from Giancarlo with Bicycle Heaven at Colonnade III.
ABC Quick Check
Many cyclists believe that their bicycles are their “babies” or their most beloved possession; so how exactly do you give it the utmost respect it deserves? Regular tune-ups help keep your bike in good working condition. Marty from Small Planet eBikes explains that the ABC Quick Check is good way to check that your bike is in good working condition before your ride.
Fixing a Flat
Do you know what to do if you get a flat tire while out riding your bike? Learn how to repair your flat with Efren from Bike World at the Historic Pearl. When out riding, it always helps to have a spare tube, tire tools, and a pump.
Even though National Bike Month is only one month out of the year, I hope you continue to ride your bike to work, to the grocery store, or anywhere in between! In fact, we hope you join us on the morning of September 22, 2020 by biking to work on Bike to Work Day (BTWD). BTWD encourages everyone to hop on a bike and bike to work. We thank cyclists for biking to work at early morning BTWD Energizer Stations where they can stop by for a bag of bicyclist resources, coffee, breakfast items, and the chance to win some cool prizes on their morning commute!
As always, stay safe and enjoy the ride. I hope to see you out exploring your community via two-wheels soon!