Annual Cincinnati Cycling Summit

https://www.facebook.com/roeblingpointbooksandcoffee

December 7, 2015 was the annual meeting for Queen City Bike in Greater Cincinnati held at Roebling Point Books and Coffee . I’ve never attended one of the meetings because, quite frankly, I am still coming to terms with being a cyclist. Cyclists are those Spandex and Lycra clad dudes riding carbon fiber bikes that cost as much as twelve months of my mortgage, right? I think they call themselves MAMIL’s.

So I walked in and what to my wandering eyes should appear?

Cyclists in sweaters and flannel sipping bourbon and beer.

The 20-something men with gauges and beards

Talking to women about frames and gears.

Neighborhood spokespeople and group-ride leaders

Sharing ideas with philanthropists and bike dealers.

Local promoters and business owners alike

Finding ways for everyone to ride a bike.

Rich, poor, middle-class, Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky,

Joining forces to make 2016 even more lucky.

OK, so a poet I am not, and please don’t let the grammar police find me. I am certain I have broken more than one literary rule in my eloquent rhyme, even after being surrounded by many great volumes during the meeting. The real reason for my blog was not to create clever prose but to share the phenomenal success the dedicated people of Cincinnati and NKY have worked tirelessly for over the past years. 

Below is the list of some of the groups represented at the gathering. I had no idea there were this many different collectives working for cyclists in the city.

Cincy Red Bike	Tri-State Trails
Connecting Active Communities Coalition	Cincinnati Cycle Club
Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance	Cincy Summer Streets
Cinci Holiday Bike Drive	Margy and Mel Ride Bikes
Riding Forward	Cincinnati Bike Center
UC Bike Kitchen	Ohio Bicycle Federation
Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission	MoBo Bicycle Co-op
City of Cincinnati Bike Program	BRIGHT Rides
Bicycle Friendly Destinations	Queen City Blinkies
Cycling Backroads	Cincinnati Bicycle Dealers Association
Urban Basin Bicycle Club	Street Skills 101 Classes
Cincinnati Connects	Streetcar Safe Cycling Clinics
Bike Valet	Cheviot, OH "Slow Ride" Group
Thursday Night Slow and Steady Ride	Queen City Wheels
Seven Hills Racing	May Bike Month

….and all the other cycling clubs, organization and activities that make up our cycling community.

I was the nerd taking notes, not because I am that diligent, but because my over-50 memory can be fleeting at times, especially when so much information was being shared. I didn’t want to miss any of it.

Here is my very brief rundown of what was started, completed, or dreamt up in 2015 to be continued in 2016.  

1.       Green Umbrella is working to connect nine counties with a network of trails. Visit the Tristate   Trails FB page at https://www.facebook.com/tristatetrails1
2.       98,000 rides have been taken on Cincinnati Red Bikes since January 1, 2015. http://www.cincyredbike.org/
3.       Groundwork Cincinnati Millcreek is working on connecting a network of trails in Cincinnati including Wasson Way, the Oasis, River West, Lunken Airport, and the Little Duck Creek. When complete it will be 42 miles of urban bikeway.  http://groundworkcincinnati.org/recreation/
4.      Connecting Active Communities Coalition building a network of pedestrian and bike trails and routes in the northern neighborhoods. https://www.facebook.com/Connecting-Active-Communities-Coalition-141975832584290/
5.       SouthBank Partners are working with the State of Kentucky to build Riverfront Commons which includes a trail from Ludlow to Ft. Thomas. http://www.southbankpartners.com/projects/riverfront-commons.aspx
6.       Marge and Mel Red Bikes organize rides throughout the area on weekends in the summer and the Bright Ride in December. They are credited with Summer Streets, an initiative to close neighborhood streets for community activities. https://www.facebook.com/MargyAndMelRideBikes/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf
7.       Urban Basin Bicycle Club is responsible for such events as the Tuesday Night Slow and Steady and the West Side Death Ride. https://www.facebook.com/groups/391316300890025/
8.       Cincinnati Off Road Alliance(CORA) is tirelessly working on a dirt road trail map and building natural surface trails in Mt. Airy Forest. https://www.facebook.com/Cincinnati-Off-Road-Alliance-381648891214/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf
9.       Riding Forward is a Kentucky non-profit that uses wheel sports to get people out. https://www.facebook.com/ridingforwardnonprofit/?fref=ts&ref=br_tf
10.       Ride With Us is working with STEM students at 16 schools teaching them bike engineering and rebuilding.
11.       CPS Safe Routes Allegiance Project is helping young students get to school via safe walking and biking routes. http://www.cps-k12.org/parents-students/student-safety/safe-routes

I am certain I did not do any of these groups justice. Please feel free to add information in the comments or contact me through the form at the bottom of the page if I need to make a correction.

I hope you enjoyed my blog as much as I enjoyed the meeting.

Crank On!  And Happy Holidays from The Reluctant Cyclist!

#queencitybike #cincinnatcyclingsummit #Crankon

To find out what happens next week follow the Reluctant Cyclist by Email:


Delivered by FeedBurner