PedalGR, meeting at 6:30pm on Wednesday, 4/29/2009 at Founder’s Brewing Company, 235 Grandville Ave SW.
It’s April! April is a great month! The crocuses have come up, everything’s just beginning to get green, and PedalGR begins! And, all you pansy, fairweather cyclists are coming out again! (oops, did I just say that? 
I don’t mean it, I swear! I LOVE fairweather cyclists, my wife is one! Hi Amy!)
Plus, Friday, April 24th is the first ever Grand Rapids Bike Summit!
For our first ride, I have chosen a route similar to the very first PedalGR route back in May of last year. We’re going to visit the beautiful, old Iroquois School, before it is torn down to make room for a new consolidated Grand Rapids Christian Elementary School. We’ll also be getting a tour of the newest bicycle shop in town, Boston Square Community Bikes. What’s that? You didn’t know there was a new bicycle shop in town? Well, come check them out with us.
Here is the route:
View PedalGR route – 4/29/09 in a larger map
Need to Know:
- This is a no-drop ride. Nobody in the group will be left behind.
- Ride is just over 17 miles and will take about 2 hours (PedalGR is not a race).
- There is one ~.5 mile section of gravel road along Reed’s Lake. Please be prepared if you’re on skinny tires.
- Water is highly recommended.
- HELMETS ARE REQUIRED on Rapid Wheelmen Club rides.
- We will try to leave right at 6:30 to maximize our daylight. Please plan to arrive a few minutes early.
- Don’t forget to dress appropriately – long sleeves may be necessary if it’s cool outside.
A few highlights include:
- ICCF Headquarters – Former D.A. Blodgett Home for Children
- Historic Wealthy Theater
- Iroquois School and Ottawa Hills neighborhood
- Reed’s Lake in East Grand Rapids
- Boston Square Community Bikes!
- Kingdom Square campus of Lighthouse Full Life Center Church (Former Catholic Archdiocese of Grand Rapids campus)
Other upcoming rides and events:
Fri. 4/24 – First ever Grand Rapids Bike Summit at Loosemore Auditorium – Downtown GVSU campus – 8am to 4pm. Cost is free if you register by Tuesday. Space is limited, so please pre-register! This Bike Summit will kick off the effort to have Grand Rapids designated a Bicycle Friendly Community.
Wed. 5/6 - Start out National Bike Month at the first ever Mayor’s Bike Ride at John Ball Park! 6pm, .8 mile Kid’s Ride; 6:30pm 4.8 mile Ride to Calder Plaza with Mayor George Heartwell. Kid’s bike activities and safety presentations will take place and a bike polo demostration will follow the ride to Calder Plaza. DO NOT MISS THIS RIDE! It’s going to be awesome! Please tell your friends AND random people you meet on the street!
5/11-5/15 - Bike-to-Work Week! DO IT!
5/2; 5/16; 5/19, 5/26, 6/2 – Street Skills 101 – This course, taught by me, will teach beginner to intermediate cyclists everything they need to know to ride confidently on the road. Click the link for more details.
Wed. 5/20 – Ride of Silence – Riverside Park, Island Entrance, 7pm. This ride, in honor of cyclists injured or killed while riding, takes place on the same day in approximately 300 cities around the world. Come ride to John Ball Park and back in a silent tribute. Free “Share The Road” t-shirts will be available in a limited quantity. Thanks to Mark Hagar for all his work putting this on!
5/29-5/31 – Midwest Mtn Bike Advocacy Summit at the Cannonsburg Ski Area - Put together by the Western Chapter of the Michigan Mtn Biking Association, this weekend promises to be a blast for all those who attend. $35 gets you a pig roast dinner with Founder’s Beer on Thursday night, advocacy seminars all day Friday, Hands on instruction, bike demos, and a festival atmosphere with live music on Saturday, and an Epic Ride of up to 40 miles on Sunday! There will be plenty of great beer and great fun!
6/12-6/14 – League Cycling Instructor Certification Seminar – Experienced cyclists can become certified to teach the League of American Bicyclists’ Smart Cycling bicycle education curriculum.
Remember, having fun and riding safely are the two most important goals! Hope to see you there!
I’m a little disappointed about the helmet requirement, as I don’t think I own one. Requiring a helmet but suggesting water? You’re way more likely to become dehydrated and overheated than you are to get hit (especially in a large group). I understand your reasons behind it, I just think it’s just sort of limiting your attendance. I will try to borrow a helmet, as I’ve been looking forward to this ride for months. I’m just disappointed that just because I’m not the most upstanding example of a safe rider, I’m excluded from this ride.
On another note I’m really excited for Boston Square Community Bikes and I wish them the best. Sounds like a great idea.
Hi Rory,
Thank you for commenting. The helmet requirement comes from the insurance that the Rapid Wheelmen have to cover their rides. By associating PedalGR with the Rapid Wheelmen Bicycle Club, I can take advantage of money that they budget to their ride captains to do things like free ice cream or last year’s end of year party. I also have many club members participate in the rides. If you don’t have a helmet, I cannot give you a map and have you official participate in the ride. However, I also cannot stop you from riding your bike on public roadways.
Also, I have a spare helmet that you can use. Last year we did not have any problems with dehydration because most people brought water or in rare cases were able to borrow some. The ride is at a pace and distance that many people don’t need much water unless it’s unusually hot, or they tend to sweat a lot.
Josh,
I’ll donate an extra helmet I have that doesn’t fit my giant noggin very well. I’d hate to see anyone miss out due to lacking a helmet. See you on the 29th!
Hi All –
I’m thinking about joining you this year. Do any of the riders bring kids on Tag Alongs or trailers? My 3 year old and I rode 10 miles this past weekend, and it was a lot of fun.
If this first event isn’t one for a novice with a kid-in-tow, maybe I’ll see you on another ride this season!
Hey Rory and/or Josh. We have some extra helmets at the bike shop that I can bring along too if that would help. After all, if you get dehydrated and pass out, you might hit your noggin. I have also considered bringing my little one along on the tag-a-long and might do that tomorrow as well, depending on her mood come ride time. Rory, just email me at thomas@mibike.org and I will bring along a helmet. I just need to know approx what size you would need.
17 miles in two hours is a pretty good clip. We tend to travel at around 6mph, or at least, that was when we were able to measure it {distance / time and all that}. We would be concerned about slowing down the party. Also, I would be sorely tempted to run my wagon, too, which really slows me down …