Nik's Yay Bikes! Journey
Yay Bikes! Journeys recount how Yay Bikes! is transforming lives and communities, from the perspective of those we’ve impacted. In this installment, we hear from Nik Olah about how the Yay Bikes! community has rallied around him during his time of need.
The man, the myth, the legend: Nik Olah. Photo: Ray George
“Biking, for me, is fundamentally a social experience. I ride with people to soak up life with them. It’s the time we’ve spent just being together, talking or silently taking in the scenery, that has forged some of the friendships I’ve relied on most since my cancer diagnosis.
”
COMING UNDONE: ‘Humbling’ doesn’t even come close to capturing the outpouring of love I’ve received from this community over the past 12 months.”
Shortly after the Year of Yay! ride in July 2017, Nik Olah walked from his apartment in Downtown Columbus to the emergency room at Grant Hospital. Though he had trouble convincing the doctors there of it, he knew something wasn't right. He knew this because after the Year of Yay! ride someone had offered to drive him home from Whole Foods Market at Easton and, too tired to ride the 10 extra miles, he accepted. This was weird. He had just returned from an epic bicycle camping trip through Glacier National Park, so 10 miles? Pshaw! He finally convinced the doctors to run some tests, and one week later he got the devastating diagnosis: stage IV pancreatic cancer. Nik would be lucky to live another few months.
Nik, shortly before his cancer diagnosis.
His world fell apart at that point, as anyone's would. Suddenly the guy known to everyone in the Yay Bikes! community as "the ultimate sweep"—the one who'd stay behind to ride with anyone who was struggling—found himself in need of the support he'd offered to so many for so long. And indeed, in the months following his diagnosis, it was often his bicycle community that buoyed both his spirits and his health. “People have helped me clean and cook, sat with me as I cried, traveled and ridden with me, joined me at doctor’s visits…I couldn’t ask for better friends,” said Nik, tears in his eyes.
MAKING COLUMBUS HOME: "I came to Columbus for the opportunity to earn more money, but my heart was elsewhere for a long time. I stopped driving back to Toledo every weekend when I finally began going on Yay Bikes! rides."
In 2008, Nik moved to the Columbus area from Toledo, where he’d lived his entire life. With his new, better-paying job, he replaced the bicycle he’d had stolen 10 years before and began riding the paths and parks of Westerville. He attempted a ride with the Westerville Bike Club but…it did not go well; Nik couldn’t keep up with the group. Eventually he decided to move to downtown Columbus, where he met folks who enjoyed the more leisurely, sociable style of riding that suited him. As best as we can figure, Nik found his way to a Year of Yay! ride sometime in 2014. He still didn’t have many friends in Columbus, so he returned to Toledo most weekends. But as he began attending more Yay Bikes! events, and Ray George pulled him into other rides, he started to form a community here. Columbus finally began to feel like home. Along with board games, curling and rum connoisseur-ing, bicycling became his life—he sold his car when he determined it’d be cheaper and easier to live without it, and he has never turned back.
Nik being Nik on a holiday Year of Yay! ride!
BEING YAY BIKES!: "You can do it. There's only Nik (i.e., five) miles left to go*..."
Nik turned out to be the perfect embodiment of Yay Bikes! According to our theory of change, “We facilitate a caring community of cyclists because we believe that changing transportation behaviors is difficult when attempted in isolation.” And Nik’s ability to create meaningful relationships in a very short time is unparalleled. He hangs back with new riders, sharing his knowledge with them, distracting them with conversation, nudging them to just. keep. pedaling. And, with him, they find it within themselves to keep at it, long enough to gain the confidence of someone who’s done something previously unimaginable. They are able to move from fear into a bicycling lifestyle because Nik took the time to support them at a critical juncture on their journey.
(*Nik is known by friends to answer "five" whenever they ask how many miles are left to ride. Because anyone can ride just another five miles!)
Nik, Joel and Kathleen being cheered on during the 2018 Pan-Ohio Hope Ride. Photo: Darrell McGrath
ROLLING ONWARD: "Keep pedaling, find your tribe and locate your joy.”
Recently Nik has been sporting an electric bike, too weak to continue riding the steed he bought 10 years ago upon moving to Columbus. He was able to complete the American Cancer Society’s 2018 Pan Ohio Hope Ride, but realistically there won’t be another; he has accepted comfort care and expects to have passed by the end of the year. But, in typical Nik fashion, he wants his story to be told, and exploited for Good any way possible: "Anything I can do to turn this into a positive, I will gladly do," he says. He wants people to know the magic of riding a bike. He wants them to know how profoundly their mental and physical health can be impacted by riding a bike. Most of all, he wants people to know that riding bikes is a way to know and be known, to develop “bike friends” that become “real friends” who will be there for you when things get rough.
Yay Bikes! is forever grateful to Nik for his loving, joyful, generous presence. We will always treasure the many gifts he has bestowed on our community.
Helmets off to you, friend. You are loved.
Loving tributes to our friend:
>>To add your bike-themed tribute, send a picture and a brief paragraph to Meredith.<<
Tonni's new sign
Tonni poses with the sign she got installed, with help from Yay Bikes!, on St Clair Ave.
Tonni Oberly was introduced to Yay Bikes! last summer when her employer offered Ride Buddy rides to teach employees how to commute by bicycle. A community advocate with Milo Grogan's new Cultivate Community Development Corporation, Tonni was already commuting to work by bike, and was so excited to share the love of riding with her colleagues that she came on three rides with us during the summer of 2017!
Tonni, right, joins her Ohio Department of Health colleagues on a Ride Buddy ride.
Tonni was experiencing hostility on a segment of her daily commute—a narrow, one-lane bridge with a hill on St Claire Avenue that doesn't readily allow cars to pass when she's taking the full lane for safety (as is her right). So in June 2018 she emailed Meredith asking how to get a Bikes May Use Full Lane sign installed on that bridge. And—as quick as zip-zoom-zip—Meredith connected Tonni with the appropriate person within the City of Columbus, who did an assessment and had a sign installed...within the month.
Tonni is feeling much more relaxed now during that segment of her commute, confident that both motorists and bicyclists are being educated by the presence of her sign. Even more, she's in awe of the ease with which she was able to achieve this simple, yet meaningful, win. Without the assist from Yay Bikes!, she imagines it would have taken much longer to get a sign installed, with much more effort on her part.
Indeed, bicycle advocacy can be a long slog, with roads taking years to design and designs taking years to implement. But Tonni, empowered by her achievement, reminds us that some smaller changes are within anyone's reach. And with Yay Bikes! out there in the world, chances are even better that we who ride will get it done—together!
THIS, folks, is what your membership dollars support. Join now!
Paul's Yay Bikes! Journey
Yay Bikes! Journeys recount how Yay Bikes! is transforming lives and communities, from the perspective of those we’ve impacted. In this installment, we hear from Paul Westrick, of zer0z wallets, about how his commitment to bikeable communities leads him to support Yay Bikes!.
Paul Westrick of zerOz in the wallet production area of his Gay Street retail shop, where artists are constantly churning out his unique, hand-crafted wallets.
“The only way we’re going to make this [bicycling] something people can use to get around is through advocacy. I’ll do what I can, but I can’t do it all alone. That’s where Yay Bikes! comes in.””
A GUIDING FORCE: "Everything connects to biking for me."
Paul Westrick, designer and business guru behind the patented zer0z wallet, has become well known among Downtown enthusiasts during the seven-or-so years his shop has graced the Gay Street corridor. His retail shop was/is a trailblazing effort for sure, but besides that, his friendly, exuberant personality is a powerful draw. Less well known, perhaps, is the extent to which Paul is a deeply committed cyclist who organizes his life around his ability to ride. He doesn't own a car ("I'm just NOT getting in that thing anymore", he said, regarding his decision to give it up) and commutes by bike daily from Clintonville to his shops in Downtown and Dublin, walking if it's too icy to ride.
Yep, that's Paul under there!
Paul, 15-year TOSRV veteran, front and center—an accidental poster boy!
PEDALING FORWARD, NOT BACK: "With all the crazy things happening in our world right now, simple practices like riding a bicycle are the future."
Paul's life—whether wallets, coffee, meditation or bikes—centers on common themes of simplicity, quality, pleasure and equity, and he is all in for active people and powerhouse organizations who are up to promoting these values. Over the years he has quietly invested in supporting their expression via the Columbus bike community by giving to Yay Bikes! (Ride of Silence is his fave), Pelotonia, Tour de Grandview and more. When asked what he would say to fellow small business owners who are skeptical of cyclists and bicycle infrastructure, he said, "Slowing down and getting people on bikes is this weirdly forward thing that we have a chance to connect to right now. I see the difference in the faces of my customers when they arrive by bike versus car, how happy they are. It's awesome! Happy people are always good for business."
Buy a wallet with the Yay Bikes! logo—leather color and style of your choice—and Paul will donate $10 to Yay Bikes!
DOING BUSINESS BY BIKE: "What changed my mind about locating an 'outpost' shop in Dublin was visiting there and realizing it was more accessible by bike than I'd imagined."
Paul had been approached numerous times by leasing agents hoping he'd expand his retail operations within their shopping centers, but never felt like the suburbs matched his lifestyle. He just couldn't wrap his head around the idea of locating his business in such car-centric areas. But when he began researching the Bridge Park District in Dublin and realized how bikeable and walkable the development was, he changed his attitude. "It's got so many bike trails nearby that driving really is not required," he said. "And I don't—I bike there from Clintonville and it's great! Most of my design ideas come while I'm riding my bike, so I'm being very creative these days!" Paul credits Yay Bikes! with promoting the types of places he wants to be (and locate businesses! and shop! and ride!), and introducing so many people folks to the joys of city streets by bike. "I am hugely committed to this work, and I can't do it without Yay Bikes!. You are making such a difference. Thank you!"
Even his origin story involves bikes!
Yay Bikes! is grateful to Paul for his extraordinary passion for life, wallets and bicycling. We especially appreciate his extraordinary generosity to the cause of helping people safely transport themselves by bicycle. Helmets off to you, friend!
To share your Yay Bikes! Journey, contact Meredith to set up a chat!
Sarah's Yay Bikes! Journey
Yay Bikes! Journeys recount how Yay Bikes! is transforming lives and communities, from the perspective of those we’ve impacted. In this installment, we hear from Sarah Riegel about how her involvement with Yay Bikes! over the past couple of years has slowly changed how she knows both her city and herself.
The Sarah! Photo credit: Keith Lugs Mayton
“Hey! I can probably do this [ride to work] and not die doing this!”
DIPPING A TOE IN: "Go figure—I like riding my bike now that I have a good bike to ride."
Like many people, Sarah rode her bike as a kid...until receiving her driver’s license. Like many people, she biked in college on an old beater bike...but living on a third-floor walkup didn't make it fun. Then, in 2012, a visiting friend had her tag along on a tour of bike shops and she got to thinking—maybe if she got a new bike she would enjoy riding more. And it turns out, she did! She started using her new bike for errands and her love of riding slowly grew from there. Then she did Bike the Cbus. Then she used Yay Valet! at a festival. And then, finally, she attended her first Year of Yay! ride, back when it launched from the Whole Foods Market at Easton.
Sarah, second from left, braves the cold to park bikes at an OSU game. Photo credit: Deo Martinez
PUTTING THE PUZZLE PIECES TOGETHER: "Each ride with Yay! has helped get me a better sense of how to successfully piece together my own rides, and feel confident riding stretches of road I never would have thought possible."
Sarah liked that the Year of Yay! rides were slow and in no way competitive—she didn't feel the need to be a speed demon to keep up with the group. Plus all the other riders were so friendly that it was easy to feel safe and welcome, even when faced with roads she couldn't imagine riding otherwise...like Morse! In fact, as she eased into it, she noticed that riding in the Easton area (near where her office is located) was very different than what she expected. From the seat of a car, streets looked WAY too busy to ride safely, but from the seat of a bike they weren't really so bad after all. As the group rode new routes each month, the pieces of her commute started coming together, and she started imaging that it might be possible to ride into work. With a How We Roll ride in spring of 2017 and a few more Year of Yay! rides under her belt, she was ready to roll!
Leading February 2018's Year of Yay! ride, with a Winter Sports theme. Photo credit: Ray George
MAKING IT HAPPEN: "For a couple of months now I've been riding to work once a week, on casual Fridays, and I feel really energized when I get there."
Sarah, not known for her effusiveness, nevertheless has plenty to recommend when it comes to her riding and volunteer experiences with Yay Bikes!. She says she's met a lot of great people, gotten to know lots of cool bikes and become more intimately connected with Columbus as a result of her time with us. And it's been such an accomplishment to navigate her work commute by bike! If you want to ride but feel nervous about it, Sarah invites you to come out and give it a try with Yay Bikes!, where you'll be made to feel safe exploring the city by bike. There are lots of ways to plug in, and lots of adventures to be had on the way to freeing yourself from a car. She's done it, she says, and so can you.
She's got a badge, she's official.
Yay Bikes! is grateful to Sarah for her solid commitment to showing up, doing the work and growing into both personal transformation and leadership. We especially appreciate her chill, her wit and her wicked smarts. Helmets off to you, friend!
And you thought she was only a bicycling badass!
To share your Yay Bikes! Journey, contact Meredith to set up a chat!
"Mind the gap"
Photo: ThisWeekNews.com, Lorrie Cecil
““One of the things we know is that infrastructure plays a big part in people’s willingness to try to use a bike for transportation, particularly when we look at a large employer like OhioHealth.””
"Mind the gap, trail users tell city leaders"
ThisWeekNews.com reporter Kevin Parks explores how Clintonville residents are planning to address a several-block gap in the Olentangy Trail.
"Cycling to a healthier you"
Photo: Mark McCullough
“Feeling nervous about riding with traffic, facing harsh weather, or navigating the city by bicycle? Yay Bikes! has you covered.
The Columbus non-profit provides a pretty extensive list of educational opportunities designed to get you riding no matter what your
experience level.”
"Cycling Your Way to a Healthier You"
Columbus Underground contributor Bridgette Kidd shares how bicycling is accessible and provides innumerable health benefits.
The Year of the Woman
12 Year of Yay! rides, 12 women leaders.
2018 Leaders & Themes
With a nod to our current essential/unfortunate/exciting/'bout-timey national conversation, I present to you a very special Yay Bikes!–style celebration of women's leadership. Our 2018 Year of Yay! ride series will be led by 12 FAB women (and, ok ok, 3 token men). And wouldja check out these leaders and their themes:
JAN = Catherine Girves—Stretching
FEB = Sarah Riegel—Winter Sports
MAR = Bertie Ford—Wine
APR = Marie Rineveld/Nic Binger—Bike Bingo
MAY = Louise Perry/Casey Nickles—The Future is Electric
JUN = Kathleen O’Dowd/Craig Clark—Simple Living
JUL = Taryn Wilson—Flower Power
AUG = Kaitlin Clark—Radio
SEP = Bethel Yared—Art Hop
OCT = Shyra Allen—Clowns
NOV = Vonjia Shannon—Veterans
DEC = Meredith Reed—Believe It or Not
We are so grateful that these women have agreed to lend their time, talents and creativity to these rides. Representation is critical to getting more women riding bikes--because envisioning yourself doing a big new thing often begins with seeing someone like you doing it first. Columbus has more women riding than most places, but we can always stand to bolster our numbers. Next year, let's take that on in a big way. Join us to ride with these women, and bring your friends!
2018 button art
Stay tuned...!
2018 Start/End Location
And finally, without further ado—our 2018 start/end location will be....
That's right, in Clintonville--2770 North High Street, Columbus OH 43202. Rejoice! And see you there soon for a ride.
John's Yay Bikes! Journey
Yay Bikes! Journeys recount how Yay Bikes! is transforming lives and communities, from the perspective of those we’ve impacted. In this installment, we hear from John Cresencia about how Yay Bikes! has helped him and his family cultivate a rich, active social life here in Columbus.
Baby on board! (You now have NO excuse! ;) Photo credit: Catherine Girves
“When you first asked me what Yay Bikes! had brought to my life, I honestly didn’t know. But now that we’re talking, my family and I have actually gotten a whole lot out of our involvement! Huh! Interesting!”
MAKING CONNECTIONS: "If I ever move again the first thing I'll do is hook up with the local bike community. It's the quickest way to learn a place and make friends."
Growing up in the Asian nation of Brunei, John loved riding his bike to local beaches and nearby neighborhoods—like many kids, he found the independence and freedom it granted him intoxicating. He continued riding through childhood and university and, upon moving to Columbus in 2009, found his way to the Tuesday Night Ride series led by Ray George. And then made his way to the Year of Yay! series for its second-ever ride in February 2012. As a newbie to the city, he found that exploring by bike and meeting new people really jumpstarted his new life—with friendships he continues to enjoy to this day. (A similar thing happened, he notes, when he faced long-term travel for work to Detroit—the Slow Roll community there got him acclimated right quick.)
John chats with Nick & Oulanje on an early Year of Yay! ride.
He's in there somewhere. Photo credit: Bill Ferriot
SPREADING THE JOY: "I hope it's not too cheesy of me to say, but...bicycling has brought a lot of joy to my life. And I really enjoy helping others experience the same."
As the years went on, John became a Yay Bikes! regular, riding most rides and stepping up to lead some, checking folks in at a Ride of Silence, being a Bike the Cbus jack of all trades and helping park bikes with Yay Valet!. John's wife Evy isn't always able to ride, but she also joins in whenever she can—it's just that great of a community, they say, regardless of what type of rider you are, or how "hardcore". They both love spreading the joy of bicycling in whatever ways they can.
Speaking of which, John says, "The cool thing people may not realize about Yay Bikes! is how much it spawns so much more awesome within our bike community, where people gain confidence riding with the group and then split off from it to offer their own unique thing. I've even led a few rides myself. It's good to have a group out there that shows people the right way to lead a ride so that everyone feels safe and welcome."
It's a family affair volunteering at the 2017 Ride of Silence.
John, with fellow Bike the Cbus volunteers.
BIKING WITH BABY: "I've learned a lot from people on Yay! rides that's helped me figure out how to ride with my son."
One of the things John values most about his time with Yay Bikes! is the exposure he's had to a wide diversity of riders (most not in spandex!) and, more specifically, the breadth of expertise they're able to offer. "Getting out and riding with people is the best way to learn how to do things—ride roads, fix your bike, figure out routes, whatever. I see things and think, 'Hey, people here in Columbus, that I know, are doing this, and I think I can do it too'. It's how I figured out how to ride with my baby and make it work for both of us." He says, "If you don't know how exactly to ride, just do your best to make it to a ride and people there will take care of you."
Beating the rain at Bike the Cbus 2017.
All bundled up and oh so happy about it.
Yay Bikes! is grateful to John for his kindness, his easy conversation and his even easier "yes, I will!". We especially appreciate his willingness to share that darling baby with us (and all the wisdom he's gaining about riding with him).
Helmets off to you, friend!
Yeah, we love ya!
To share your Yay Bikes! Journey, contact Meredith to set up a chat!
December 2017 activity report
Our Executive Director Catherine Girves (center), with Columbus' Director of Public Utilities Tracie Davies (left) and Director of Public Service Jennifer Gallagher (right).
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, December:
December 2
Met with leadership of Bike Wheeling to discuss advocacy strategies relating to bike infrastructure
December 4
Chaired the regular meeting of the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission's Community Advisory Committee
Strategic Planning Committee meeting of the Yay Bikes! board
December 5
Finance Committee meeting of the Yay Bikes! board
December 6
Meeting with Columbus' Director of Public Service Jennifer Gallagher regarding bicycle infrastructure
Meeting with Columbus City Engineer James Young for a new sewer grate thanks
December 7
December 9
Year of Yay!, "Art of Giving" theme
December 12
Attended the retirement party for Randy Bowman, outgoing Assistant Director of Public Service for the City of Columbus
December 16
Attended a meeting of the Comfest Grant Committee, on which our Executive Director serves
December 18
Yay Bikes! board meeting
December 28
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
December 30
Strategic Planning Committee meeting of the Yay Bikes! board
'Birding' ride recap
Thanks to ride leader Alex Fleschner for his ride leadership and this write-up!
November’s theme was “Birding,” something that I had started to get interested in with my children. I figured if my kids were interested in it, maybe others might be as well! And there were some interesting birds in the area to highlight as well.
No drop means no drop! Here we stand awaiting a comrade who stayed behind to help someone whose bike broke *right* as we exited the Whole Foods parking lot. Photo credit: Shyra Allen
We left Easton Whole Foods and got onto the Alum Creek Trail, heading north towards Inniswood Metro Gardens, our first stop. It was cold—the weather only got above freezing in the afternoon—but there was no wind or rain, and the sun came out a few times. Given the weather, we didn’t see many birds, though you could hear them along the trail.
We ride by a nest on the Alum Creek Trail. Photo credit: Shyra Allen
At Inniswood, I discussed how we got started, as well as tips from the National Audubon Society on how to get started birding. I also discussed some of the apps available. One water break later, we were on our way along the Chipmunk Chatter Trail to our next destination, the Hoover Dam Reservoir.
Alec talks about how his family got interested in birding. Photo credit: Shyra Allen
At the reservoir, we discussed the bald eagles that nest in the area. Bald eagles are feed mostly on fish and require large, tall trees for their nest, which makes the reservoir a great spot to see them in action. We didn’t get to see any during our quick stop, but the view was still great!
Clear skies! A great day for birds and bikes alike! Photo credit: Shyra Allen
Our last stop took us to Blendon Woods Metro Park, where naturalist Jamie Kidwell talked turkey to us. The wild turkey flock at Blendon Woods is quite large, measuring in the dozens. A word of caution, though: male turkeys have spurs on their feet. And they can fly, though not far, so don’t be too surprised if one takes to the air if they get scared!
Jamie Kidwell gets us up close and personal with a turkey wing. Photo credit: Shyra Allen
With that, we headed down Cherry Bottom Road and back to Whole Foods to warm up and recover. Thank you to everyone who joined us on the ride!
Riding down Cherry Bottom Road. See ya next month! Photo credit: Shyra Allen
November 2017 activity report
Tabling at the annual meeting of the Capital Crossroads and Discovery District Special Improvement Districts. Photo credit: Jeff Gove
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, November:
November 7
Met with staff of Bike Miami Valley to discuss a statewide advocacy agenda
November 8
Led a Ride Buddy ride with 5 Ohio Department of Aging employees
November 9
November 11
Year of Yay!, "Birding" theme
Yay Valet! @ OSU v Michigan State
November 13
Delivered 2 Professional Development Rides for the ODOT District 7 office
November 14
Attended the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission's Summit on Sustainability
November 16
Attended the Ohio Active Transportation Plan leadership team meeting
Attended and tabled at the annual meeting of the Capital Crossroads and Discovery District Special Improvement Districts
Led a Ride Buddy ride with 3 Ohio Department of Health employees
November 18
Yay Valet! @ OSU v Illinois
November 20
Yay Bikes! board meeting
The Columbus Dispatch: Berliner Park will sport first mountain bike trail inside I-270
November 21
The Marietta Times: Professional development rides sponsored by ODOT
Getting some respect
Cyclists following all the laws, likely still pissing people off. Photo credit: David Curran
“Every time you get on a bike, from this moment forward, obey the letter of the law in every traffic exchange everywhere to help drivers (and police officers) view cyclists as predictable users of the road who deserve respect.”
The above quote reflects an idea with seemingly widespread acceptance, which is that cyclists could overcome drivers’ hatred and earn their respect if we would all just follow the rules. Respect for cyclists, in this view, is predicated not on our legitimate, law-given right to the road, but our ability to perfectly, “in every traffic exchange everywhere”, obey the letter of the law. Never mind that drivers and cyclists break the law at roughly the same rate—the perception is that cyclists are the scofflaws, and damn rude to boot. And so many of us have taken to policing our fellow riders, blaming them for our pitiable station, or begging the police to more often ticket law-breaking cyclists. This I consider unfortunate—because the sad truth is that cyclists can never be perfect enough for motorists to willingly give up the space and speed they feel they’re entitled to. It’s time for us to try a different way.
The politics of respectability
The concept of respectability politics, through which Black social critics have made the case that "acting right" will never command respect for Blacks in American society, is a useful frame for all marginalized groups, including bicyclists.
“Respectability politics...refers to attempts by marginalized groups to police their own members and show their social values as being continuous, and compatible, with mainstream values rather than challenging the mainstream for its failure to accept difference.
”
You might recognize a respectability-oriented argument from comments by Bill Cosby and Charles Barkley, who insist that a lack of personal responsibility and conformity with mainstream culture, not white racism or hundreds of years of oppression, are primarily to blame for the black community's continued struggle. If (poor) blacks would pull up their pants, speak deferentially to cops, stop acting like thugs, etc., etc.—then they'd thrive. Unfortunately, as many of us know from hard experience, being respectable does not necessarily translate into being respected. Plenty of "respectable" black folks still face discrimination and, indeed, outcomes as disparate as those of America's white and black communities suggests something more is at play here.
Of course respect can be earned, no one is disputing that. But when a power imbalance exists—caused and reinforced over many years by policies that benefit one group over another—the more powerful group comes to feel entitled to their privilege, and blind to its true cause (i.e., not their own inherent worth but an entire system stacked in their favor). They are not so inclined to grant respect (i.e., equality) to those they believe would halt the gravy train.
And so it is with bikes v cars. If we believe that stopping at stop signs is going to reverse the impact of decades of car-prioritizing policies in the U.S., we are tragically naive. Again, cyclists can never be perfect enough to get motorists to willingly give up the space and speed they feel they’re entitled to. Many motorists don't want us on the road, period. They don't want to have to drive slower and pay better attention and re-learn traffic law and adopt a new transportation paradigm that encompasses all comers. I’m not mad about that—change can be uncomfortable, and there’s no denying that this change is a doozy. What’s crazy-making is the pretending.
I remember on two separate occasions when I was stopped at a red light and the drivers behind me honked their horns, waved frantically and yelled at me to get over so they could make a right turn—which I did not oblige, because I was headed straight. They were both over-the-top mad about it. The second time it happened, I remember wondering if he would have pretended to be as mad if I'd run the red light as he was actually mad that I was stopped there, delaying his turn. Prior to those incidents it had not occurred to me that people might (subconsciously, perhaps) pretend to care about cyclists following the law in order to mask their rage at cyclists existing in their space...but what other explanation could there be?
Countering power and privilege
Of course it's good practice for cyclists to observe the law—it upholds the predictability upon which safety in traffic depends, and it's generally safer for us. But let's not pretend that it will earn us the respect we crave, and let's not waste time policing cyclists who aren't compliant. Instead our movement should turn our attention to helping motorists, who wield a disproportionate ability to harm, move into a new paradigm of transportation. How? Widespread motorist education. About this, Yay Bikes! has some thoughts—and also, some original data. Which is back up by yet more data.
During our 2015 Ride Buddy pilot program, we rode with people to help them figure out how to ride bikes on trips to and/or from work. We followed up with participants six weeks after their Ride Buddy experience, to see whether and how their behaviors and attitudes had changed. A couple of things we were curious about was how riding with us influenced both their impression of bicyclists and the way they drove their car. Here's what we found:
In terms of how, exactly, their impression changed, the majority of survey respondents (61%, n=41) reported that they "better understand why [bicyclists] make the choices they do", while others said they "feel less hostility towards them" and even that they "think they're kinda heroic, actually".
The majority of respondents (61.5%, n=39) reported that they "give cyclists more space when passing", while others said they "are less anxious and more patient"—and also that they drive more slowly and less distractedly. One even wrote, "I'm way more patient with cyclists now. I understand what they're doing.”
Although it's a small sample size, these results suggest something interesting—that a one- to two-hour guided bike ride experience can change both the way people drive and how they feel about bicyclists.
In fact, I have come to believe that the only way for cyclists to get more respect is for more motorists to become bicyclists, even for a very short period of time. Ideally, a preponderance of the population would participate in educational rides like How We Roll or Ride Buddy or Professional Development Rides. But how? It can be hard for people to overcome their fear of riding with traffic, their inability to see themselves as a “cyclist”, logistical challenges, etc. So anything that compels participation is likely a no-go. But an idea from former Yay Bikes! founding board member Ken Cohen provides a compelling alternative. What if we could get insurance companies to provide a discount to customers who participate in an educational bike ride? If we could demonstrate safer driving through bicycle education, I bet insurance companies would consider it. And if people could save money on their car insurance by becoming more attuned to how their driving impacts more vulnerable road users, I think they'd jump at the chance.
The final word
People who ride bicycles yearn for respect out there on the roads, and no wonder—our lives can depend on it. The mistake we sometimes make is believing that we can earn that respect by acting right and following all the rules. We cannot. As much as we should ride lawfully (and we should), sadly that is not the path to legitimacy. We need to cultivate empathy among those who drive. We need to get them to ride with us. And with the proper incentives, I believe we can.
October 2017 activity report
Ohio Department of Health employees participating in a Ride Buddy ride. Photo credit: Deo Martinez
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, October:
October 2
Attended an introductory meeting with a Lime Bike representative
Chaired the regular meeting of the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission's Community Advisory Committee
October 4
Athens NEWS: Advocates: Make Athens bike again
October 5
Sentinel-Tribune: BG adds graphics to remind drivers to share the road with bikes
October 6
Joined an Engineer's Ride with City of Columbus engineers, to look at portions of the proposed Clintonville Bikeway Network
Led a Ride Buddy ride with 3 Ohio Department of Health employees
Participated in the CoGo Bike Share quarterly stakeholders meeting
October 7
Yay Valet! @ OSU v Maryland
Spoke about effective advocacy on a "Fireside Chat" panel at the 2017 G.I.R.L. Conference
October 10
Attended the annual Ohio Transportation Engineering Conference
October 11
Led a Ride Buddy ride with 2 Ohio Department of Health employees
October 12
Showcased bicycling at a "Career on Wheels" event at Liberty Elementary School
October 13
Delivered 2 Professional Development Rides for Elyria professionals
October 14
Year of Yay!, "First Dates" theme
October 15
Yay Valet! @ Columbus Marathon
October 16
Delivered 2 Professional Development Rides for Kettering professionals
Yay Bikes! board meeting
October 18
Candidates Forum, in partnership with DRAC (the Downtown Residents' Association of Columbus) and the Franklin County Consortium for Good Government
October 22
Led a How We Roll ride
October 23
Delivered a Professional Development Ride for Marietta professionals
October 24
Delivered 2 Professional Development Rides for Marietta professionals
October 26
Delivered a Professional Development Ride for McConnellsville professionals
October 27
Led a Ride Buddy ride with 5 United Way of Central Ohio employees
Delivered a Professional Development Ride for Marietta professionals
October 28
Yay Valet! @ OSU v Penn State
October 30
Participated in the Community Shares of Mid Ohio Audit Committee meeting
Chaired the regular meeting of the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission's Community Advisory Committee
October 31
abc6onyourside.com: New bill could stiffen distracted driving penalties, some safety advocates want more
Bertie's Yay Bikes! Journey
Yay Bikes! Journeys recount how Yay Bikes! is transforming lives and communities, from the perspective of those we’ve impacted. In this installment, we hear from Yay Bikes! board member Bertie Ford about how Yay Bikes! is helping her advance the many cycling communities she leads and enjoys.
If ever a photo captured the spirit of a person...! It's Bertie! Photo credit: Ben Ko
“Yay Bikes! is a way to connect several bicycling communities
important to me and get more people riding like I do,
for fun, fitness and camaraderie!”
FILLING A HOLE: "I was devastated when a knee injury forced me to give up running. Luckily biking was there to save me!"
Bertie Ford, an oncology nurse, has always been a cyclist, riding around her college campus, carting her son around by bike and enjoying Bike the Cbus and other trail rides. But bicycling has increasingly become a passion of hers over the past 10 years, especially since she injured her knee training for and running a marathon in 2014. When Bertie learned about the organization Black Girls Do Bike, she was quick to launch a Columbus chapter, which now boasts 266 members. She's found in bicycling an
endless source of fitness, fun and camaraderie—as well as an outlet for her natural leadership skills.
Bertie, rocking a mountain bike on the first-ever Bike the Cbus in 2008.
Black Girls Do Bike Columbus riding 2017's Bike the Cbus. Photo credit: Ben Ko
ENCOUNTERING A KINDRED SPIRIT: "Catherine is my idol. People from every cycling group in Columbus know and respect her leadership."
When Bertie met Yay Bikes! Executive Director Catherine Girves in 2015, she instantly felt bonded to her. A "Force of Nature" herself, Bertie knew a powerful woman when she met one. Over the next two years they got to know one another—Catherine joining Black Girls Do Bike rides, Bertie enjoying Year of Yay! rides, the two traveling together to the Five Boro Bike Tour in NYC—and found they shared a passion for bicycling, a worldview and even the unique experience of mixed race families. Bertie admired Catherine's tenacity, her energy, "everything about her, really!", and loved that she sees the big picture, to the benefit of the cycling community as a whole. So when Catherine invited her to consider Yay Bikes! board leadership, Bertie was all in.
Bertie and Catherine, poised to head out with Black Girls Do Bike to the London Strawberry Festival.
CONNECTING THE COMMUNITY: "I view myself as a vessel to be filled up with the wishes of my communities, so that I can help communicate them to higher levels."
Bertie is the type always compelled to go above and beyond herself for the sake of her communities. She considers herself vessel of communication and advocacy for the groups to which she belongs—Yay Bikes!, Black Girls Do Bike, Major Taylor, Steady Pedaling and CycleNuts.—and an ambassador for African American cyclists, who many people in Ohio are not accustomed to seeing. She's proud of the African American bicycle community in Columbus, which has grown exponentially in the past couple of years and would be, she says, more in line with what you'd expect from a place like Detroit or Atlanta.
Members of Black Girls Do Bike, Major Taylors, Cycle Nuts and Yay Bikes! before chowing down during a ride to London OH.
RAMPING UP YET AGAIN: "Joining the board of Yay Bikes! is a way for me to expand my ability to increase the number and safety of cyclists out there."
With a goal to increase the number and safety of cyclists in Central Ohio, and a leadership itch needing scratched, Bertie joined the Yay Bikes! board in August 2017. Among other things, she views board service as an opportunity to better promote and advocate for her Black Girls Do Bike chapter, and hopes to mentor new leaders within the group to expand the number of rides they offer even when she's not available to coordinate them.
Happiness on a bike, riding with Team Buckeye during Pelotonia 2017. Photo credit: Darrell McGrath
Yay Bikes! is grateful to Bertie for her enthusiasm, spunk, organizational knowledge and leadership. We especially appreciate her role as a Connector who brings people together for bike rides—and ultimately helps them accomplish so much more.
Helmets off to you, friend!
To share your Yay Bikes! Journey, contact Meredith to set up a chat!
Etiquette, schmetiquette!
Why bring the best movie of all time into this?!
“They’re some of the rudest people I’ve ever encountered. I hate to say it, but I’m just going to be bold—they’re some of the most self-centered people navigating on highways, or on county roads I’ve ever seen. They won’t move over. You can honk at them; they think they own the highway.
”
"Not wrong, just an a**hole"
I was reading the comment section on a bicycle-related newspaper article one day (I know, I know…) and noticed an interesting pivot in one of the comments. Someone had defended a cyclist’s right to be on the road—yay!—but then, channeling The Dude from The Big Lebowski (please do watch the clip above), went on to say that while cyclists “aren’t wrong” to be on the road, “they’re just a**holes” for riding there. Well now. That took a turn, didn’t it.
It does seem to me there’s been a shift in the discourse lately, with more people understanding that cyclists have a legal right to be on the road. But the cultural attitude about that remains entrenched—it’s damn rude to do it. And so people who ride are faced with a choice. Do we physically remove ourselves from the flow of traffic when our presence slows motor vehicles, currying favor with drivers and maintaining our status as decent, etiquette-respecting human beings? Or do we stay safe?
Yes, the choice between “rude” and safe is that stark. Safety for cyclists is largely a function of how visible we are to people driving cars, and the best way to be visible is to position ourselves within a driver’s line of sight (keeping in mind that they can’t see as well, or process information as quickly, from within their speeding box). Nevertheless, we are subjected to a near-constant chorus—of frustrated motorists but also fellow cyclists who think giving up space on the road will gain us acceptance and respect—that slowing the speed of car travel is deviant. Here’s what I say to that:
Our roads ain’t no place for etiquette. Particularly the bicycle kind.
“etiquette (noun) : the customary code of polite behavior in society or among members of a particular profession or group.”
Etiquette is the proverbial grease to society’s chain; it’s the spoken and unspoken rules about how we should behave in a given context to get along with others. Knowing a group’s rules and acting accordingly is essential for anyone who wants to fit in and thrive. So, as people who ride, “bicycle etiquette” should be a useful concept, leading us toward a common understanding of how we should conduct ourselves, yeah? Well sure, in the context of trail and group riding, where clear codes of conduct are important for not just politeness but also safety, etiquette is essential—for example, everyone should understand how to pass others without frightening or injuring them.
Where the notion of bicycle etiquette becomes trickier is in its application to people riding roads. A quick Google suggests the phrase is a mash-up referring to many different things: riding tips ("No shoaling!"), safety advice ("Wear a helmet at all times"), admonishments to follow the law ("Don't ride against traffic"), truly random stuff ("How to poop on a ride") and calls to get out of the way of other vehicles ("Two abreast? Surely you jest.”). Clearly, there is no clear consensus about what it means. And I’d argue that’s because etiquette in the context of road riding is nonsensical. The group into which people riding roads are attempting to “fit in” is not fellow cyclists but fellow travelers (aka “traffic”)—and all travelers are governed by traffic law, not the laws of polite society.
Sharing isn’t caring
Keeping peace on the streets is often regarded as a function of all users extending kindness towards one another, or "sharing the road”. This is problematic for many reasons, not least that our understanding of how to behave in traffic breaks down even when people are trying to be kind (I see you there, 'Unnecessary Samaritans', braking for me as I wait to cross the street, forcing an awkward “Are they really stopping for me? Oh, OK, looks like it, guess I’ll have to perform a little shuffle-jog to demonstrate I don’t take their kindness for granted” situation). More troublingly, when we view traffic from the perspective of "polite" or "rude", as opposed to "legal" and "illegal", we set expectations for the behavior of people who ride bicycles that run counter to their interests and safety.
Transportation engineering in the United States has historically prioritized speed and efficiency, and all of us have, to some extent, internalized this ethos. The consensus in American society is now that it is “rude" to slow traffic, meaning that even perfectly legal behavior on the part of a cyclist (riding in the middle of a lane of traffic with cars queued behind) becomes cast as deviance. The “polite” thing to do is move to the right, sharing or forfeiting the lane, at the expense of our own bodies and well being.
The following analogy may be crude, but it can help us understand how inappropriate it is to think of a bicyclist’s right to travel in terms of etiquette:
People born in the United States have been granted the right to "pursue life" (thanks, Forefathers!). But at times this right may prove inconvenient to others. Say you've spent the past several years caring for an ailing parent. You love them and you're as sympathetic as you can be, but… this is taking so much longer than expected! It’s kind of jamming you up a bit! HOWEVER. Is it “rude” for them to keep living? Of course not! They are exercising their fundamental right to life, not breaching a social contract. Their need for extra care to sustain life does not constitute a claim to "more rights” to life than anyone else. They’re just living as best they can, for as long as possible, regardless your feelings about it.
Likewise, Americans have a fundamental right to travel (to be distinguished from a right to travel as speedily as we may desire). And at times, depending on the vehicle we’ve chosen, our exercise of this right to travel can be inconvenient for others. It can take more time for them to get to where they’re going when our vehicle is slower than theirs. They may have strong feelings about this. But each individual in our society gets to choose their vehicle from among any of the road-legal vehicles in our state traffic codes, and one type of vehicle has no more or less right to the road than any other. Public roadways are first-come, first-served, period. Taking more time to travel them does not equate to taking “more rights” to the road. We’re all just trying to make it safely to our destinations, as best we can.
The fact is that Ohioans have the right to ride a bicycle literally anywhere on the road, going any speed, regardless of traffic conditions. We cannot “impede traffic”. We need not ride “as far right as possible”. We do not have to “share”. And we are not “being rude” when we take the time and space we feel we need to be safe. Period.
Cars queueing behind cyclists, alllll good.
Meanwhile, back in the real world
OK sure, but one might argue that, back here in the real world, law and etiquette coexist, and the legality of an action does not preclude people from evaluating it in light of cultural expectations. Plenty of legal behaviors are considered rude, after all (e.g., speeding up to prevent someone from entering the flow of traffic), just as plenty of drivers employ niceties not proscribed by law (e.g., braking to allow someone to enter the flow of traffic). So assuming it’s safe to do so, people who ride roads should be willing to move aside from time to time to let traffic pass—a simple, no-skin-off-my-back way to generate good will from motorists. Doesn’t have to be a big deal, doesn’t have to mean anything, just a simple act of kindness extended to a stranger to keep things copacetic. Right?! Well…no.
It is not OK for acceptance into the “legitimate road users club” to hinge on someone physically removing themselves from traffic to suit someone faster than them. We can acknowledge our current reality—that we face a cultural norm around speed on our roads, and flouting that norm can upset people—and also refuse to grant it the power to dictate where we ride on the road. It may not feel fair that we, as the more vulnerable road users, have to take this on, but fortunately we do have the power to help change our society’s norms. When we refuse to move aside for faster traffic, we begin to normalize our presence and slowly, over time, we become normal. And then more people join us on the roads, and bicycling becomes safer and everyone wins—even motorists.
Embracing “rude”
To be clear, I think we should all approach traffic with a spirit of generosity—even, yes, kindness—towards our fellow travelers, particularly those more vulnerable than us. Again, the problem with enacting that spirit is that it can undermine the very predictability on which traffic safety for all users depends. Laws are designed to pick up the slack in spaces where human goodness cannot go far enough, where there will be mass confusion and likely injury if circumstances go awry. Adhering to the letter of the law helps keep everyone safe on the road (yes, cyclists should do so as well, but that's a topic for another day).
I should also say that someone who rides roads need not maintain their position in traffic at all times to make a point. It is fine to feel stressed or threatened by traffic, physically exhausted or whatever, and it might make sense to just pull over for a bit. There are no "hardcore points" one can accumulate by being a never-conceding, most-challenging-route-possible-choosing cyclist. But, to be clear—if someone moves aside while cycling to let cars pass, that is a choice they are making to forfeit their right to the road. It is not "etiquette”. The distinction matters! People want to be nice, they want to follow the rules, they want to fit in, they want not to be a burden on others. They want all that so much they are willing to risk their lives to allow space for massive speeding vehicles, by riding so far to the right they become invisible.
So polite society be damned, I say.
It is time for cyclists to embrace “rude” and confidently take their rightful place on the road. It is time that we stop giving our fellow road riders a hard time for being in the street, slowing cars. Because we’re not doing ourselves any favors by being nice. In fact, it just might get us killed.
September 2017 activity report
Our Executive Director at a transportation professionals networking event this month.
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, September:
September 1
Bike the Cbus and Bike the CbusPLUS registration & packet pick-up
September 2
Bike the Cbus and Bike the CbusPLUS (Click to view photos of the event!)
September 3
Year of Yay! vetting ride
September 4
Yay Valet! @ Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival
September 5
Chaired the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission's regular Community Advisory Committee meeting
September 6
Coffee With Catherine
Ride Buddy ride with 5 Ohio Department of Transportation employees
September 7
Led a Ride Buddy ride with 5 Ohio Department of Education and Ohio Department of Higher Education employees
Led 2 Ride Buddy rides with 9 Ohio Development Services Administration and Ohio Department of Commerce employees
Bike Safety chat at the Grange Audubon Center
September 9
Year of Yay!, New Americans theme
Yay Valet! @ OSU v Oklahoma
September 10
Offered a Blessing of the Bicycles, in partnership with Summit on 16th United Methodist Church (See the message—"Godly Transportation Design"—here!)
September 14
Presented at a teleconference to professionals nationwide with CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, on the topic Engaging Employees in Active Commuting (Listen to the webinar here!)
Drop In with Deo @ Upper Cup Coffee House
September 15
Attended an Inclusive Communities Affordable Housing Committee meeting
Attended a transportation professionals networking event
September 16
Yay Valet! @ OSU v Army West Point
September 18
Led a Ride Buddy ride with 4 Ohio Department of Health employees
Delivered 2 Professional Development Rides for Knox County professionals
Yay Bikes! board meeting
September 19
Mount Vernon News: Ride shines light on bike safety in city
September 20
Site visit to the Ohio Department of Transportation to assess bicycle infrastructure needs
September 21
Led a Ride Buddy ride with 4 Ohio Department of Transportation and Ohio Department of Higher Education employees
September 23
Yay Valet! @ OSU v UNLV
September 25
Participated in Ohio Active Transportation Plan team meeting
September 26
Led a Ride Buddy ride with 3 Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections employees
Godly transportation design
Yay Bikes! member Nik Olah getting blessed at Summit on 16th United Methodist Church's 2017 Blessing of the Bicycles.
I delivered this message at Summit on 16th United Methodist Church's 2017 Blessing of the Bicycles. It's a bit of a funny thing, because I'm not religious, and of course Yay Bikes! is secular. But I think there is great value in considering our mission from many perspectives, of which faith is one both worthy and under appreciated. (Yes, I know many of us do "bike church" on Sunday mornings, but beyond that...). Indeed, when we include “culture change” as part of our theory of change at Yay Bikes!, what we mean is that we “explore the intersections between bicycling and other areas of life—because we believe it necessary to expand the public’s notion of who is and can be a bicyclist.” People are inspired to ride for all sorts of reasons—health, the environment, fun, saving money, etc. Why not ride as an expression of our faith? So please enjoy this message as an invitation to honor God’s design by riding your bicycle! And have a blessed day.
Sooooo…here we are at a Blessing of the Bicycles. That’s weird, right? I mean, it’s like a “thing” now—they’ve been doing them all over the world since 1999—but what is it, some kinda gimmick? A trick? Awkward outreach to the heathen cycling community? But why? Like I said—weird!
Well, many of us here are cyclists, or maybe we don’t call ourselves that but we ride our bikes from time to time. We may be faithful people, or perhaps not. Regardless, I think most of us can buy into the idea of a Bike Blessing, even if only because “hey man, whatever it takes to stay safe out there”. God, pixie dust, genies in a bottle, whatever, I’ll take it, sure!
To tell the truth, apart from the safety aspect, bicycles and blessings is an odd pairing. What I love about it, though, is that it opens the door just a crack to an area of life that really warrants more attention from our faith communities—or any attention at all, frankly. And that is transportation. The everyday act of getting our bodies from one place to another.
Yeah, let’s take this a step back from bicycling today to consider transportation more broadly. Yay Bikes!, the nonprofit organization I founded nine years ago and still work for today, is focused exclusively on one type of bicycling, which is bicycling as a means of transportation. Of all the many types of riding a person can enjoy, this is mine, and transportation happens to be the frame I’ve used to explore and understand bicycling for more than a decade. Also, I should say that I grew up in the Christian tradition, as a preacher’s kid no less, so that experience is what I can speak to specifically. It is my hope that this message resonates with those of you from different backgrounds and traditions and styles of riding as well.
So, then. As I was reflecting for this message on what might be some intersections between the worlds of faith and transportation, I came up with a pretty short list.
Two things. First, spiritual journeys—all faith traditions use journeys as a metaphor for a person's relationship with God. Second, church vans. A way to get people to and from church when they're not able to themselves, and youth outings and the like. And I thought to myself, there has got to be more here…something more profound, more vital to those spiritual journeys we’re all traveling. And I believe there is.
{...dramatic pause...}
What is God’s design for our bodies?
What is God’s design for our communities?
What is God’s design for our planet?
And how do our everyday transportation choices honor God’s designs…or not?
{...dramatic pause...}
If God’s design for our bodies is movement, can we not honor that design by riding a bicycle? If God’s design for our communities is love and connection, can we not honor that design by riding the bus alongside our neighbors? If God’s design for our planet is abundance, can we not honor that design by treading lightly, on a walk, so as not to squander our bounty?
This is not, of course, to suggest that God particularly cares how we choose to get around, or that there is shame in choosing to drive a car. Let’s not follow that path, it’s not productive for us. Indeed, I believe a person can honor God's design while driving by choosing kindness with regard to more vulnerable road users. Regardless how we travel, there is opportunity in front of us each and every day, numerous times a day, to experience God’s majesty in the mundanity of travel.
Surely an almighty God could have created humans to teleport. I mean, surely that would have been a superior mechanism for getting us to and fro, amiright? Missed opportunity, there...
But maybe not. See maybe there is a reason we weren’t designed to teleport. Just maybe, the time and effort it takes us to get our bodies from one place to another is a gift from God that we just haven’t realized we would do well to honor.
What type of world is available when we do choose to honor our time in transit? A world in which we arrive to our destination feeling refreshed and joyful, perhaps? A world in which children can play outside and our elders can cross the street without fear of traffic? A world in which our planet and all its species thrive? We get to choose—each and every day, each and every time we need to go somewhere, what type of world we will create as we travel.
At Yay Bikes!, we believe that riding a bicycle is an important thing a person can do to feel profoundly connected to their best self, to their fellow (wo)man, to their place in the world, to their version of the Divine. We believe that riding a bicycle is a unique experience in that way, notably different from the experience we tend to have driving a car—isolated, rushed, body immobile, dirty. And because it offers such rare and profound connectedness to the best of who we are, we believe that the act of bicycling transforms lives. Especially so for those who choose to ride, but even among those who don't, whose lives are safer, healthier, more peaceful and more enjoyable when cyclists take to the streets.
A bike friendly world is a better world, for all of us!
It’s almost as if it's by design. ;)
Thank you.
August 2017 activity report
Deo and Meredith lead an educational ride with 5 employees of the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Higher Education.
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, August:
August 1
Health fair tabling event at the Ohio Department of Health
Delivered a Professional Development Ride in Cincinnati, Newport & Covington with 26 transportation professionals from around the U.S. at AASHTO's Conference on Performance-Based Transportation Planning, Financing, and Management
Participated in the Short North's National Night Out celebration
August 2
Ride Buddy ride with an Ohio Department of Higher Education employee
August 3
Site visit to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to evaluate bike parking needs
"Pushin' Pedals" beer release party at Platform Beer Co, to benefit bicycle advocacy in Ohio
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
August 4
Professional Development Ride with Columbus City Schools staff
August 5
smartregions.org: Walkable, bikeable, and regional
August 8
Columbus Underground: Focus on Philanthropy: Yay Bikes! Removes Barriers to Biking
Coffee with Catherine @ Upper Cup Coffee Co in Gahanna
Led the Tuesday Night Ride to Whole Foods Easton to try the "Pushin' Pedals" beer
August 9
Evaluated applications to the insight2050 Technical Assistance Program on its Selection Committee
August 10
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
August 11
Site visit to the Ohio Department of Health to evaluate bike parking needs
August 12
Year of Yay!, Water theme
August 15
Ride Buddy ride with 4 Ohio Department of Health employees
Lucky's Market Impact Day tabling event
Professional Development Ride for Perry County officials in New Lexington
August 16
Drop In with Deo @ Short North Coffee House in the Short North
Presentation to transportation professionals from the Atlanta Regional Commission about the collaborative process to develop bike lanes over the 3rd and 4th Street bridges
August 17
Site visit to Rhodes Tower to evaluate bike parking needs
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
August 18
Ride Buddy ride with 1 Ohio Department of Higher Education employee and 1 Ohio Development Services Agency employee
August 19
Rode the Bike with Mayor Ike bike ride
Yay Valet! @ Grove City EcoFest
August 20
Spoke on Central Ohio bicycle advocacy at the Black Girls Do Bike Columbus semiannual meet-up
August 21
Yay Bikes! board meeting
August 22
Perry County Tribune: County approves active transportation committee
Blessing of the Bicycles planning meeting with Summit on 16th United Methodist Church
August 23
How We Roll ride with Yay Bikes! members
August 24
Attended the 2017 COTA Annual Luncheon
August 25
Ride Buddy ride with 1 Ohio Department of Medicaid employee
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
Ride Buddy ride with 5 employees of the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Higher Education
August 26
Bike the Cbus volunteer appreciation and route vetting ride
August 27
How We Roll ride with Yay Bikes! members
August 29
Candidates Forum planning meeting with Franklin County Consortium for Good Government
Bill's Yay Bikes! Journey
Yay Bikes! Journeys recount how Yay Bikes! is transforming lives and communities, from the perspective of those we’ve impacted. In this installment, we hear from Yay Bikes! Board Member Bill Ferriot about how Yay Bikes! has developed his ability to speak up for what matters to him.
“The thing that has surprised me most is the social networking aspect of riding. It’s opened up more opportunities for me than anything else
I’ve been a part of!”
WINDING HIS WAY TOWARDS YAY BIKES!: "If there is a way to ride, I've tried it. But I had no idea all the places it would end up taking me."
Road riding, mountain biking, gravel grinding, "bikepacking", BMXing, bicycle commuting, etc. Bill Ferriot has been there, biked that. "All the various subcultures within bicycling are just fascinating to me. It's always fun to see people expressing themselves through the various ways they ride." When Bill moved to Columbus, he soon fell in with some cycling friends (of course), and soon enough Ray George was among them (of course). When Ray set to work developing a bike culture here, Bill quickly went all in, designing Bike the Cbus tees, being a work horse at various events and ultimately joining the Yay Bikes! board in 2011.
Bill, in his natural habitat.
Switching it up for a more debonair styling on a recent Tweed Ride.
Rocking a flaming pink tee at a Comfest bike valet.
GAINING CONFIDENCE: "I've learned through Yay Bikes! to be a powerful advocate for change that's important to me, as opposed to just mouthing off."
Bill credits his time serving Yay Bikes! with helping him become a more effective advocate, and significantly expanding his social and professional networks. As Bill became more steeped in the business of change making and "The Yay Way", he learned how government works, how street design happens, who makes decisions affecting his neighborhood and how to influence the process. He soon gained the confidence to attend community meetings about proposed West Side–area roadway improvements and speak powerfully for what he, as a cyclist, hoped to see happen. Meanwhile, his community of bicycling friends has become a constant source of fun and adventure, emotional support and opportunity.
Happy hour advocatin'.
PAYING IT FORWARD: "I can only hope that my contribution allows people to experience the process of learning and growth I have through cycling."
Bill has made it his mission to share with the world all the good that bicycling has brought to his life. And while he may be most comfortable quietly working behind the scenes to advance the cause, anyone who's experienced a Yay Bikes! event has experienced his care and consideration. Certainly you've seen his brilliant design and photography work, which he's artfully employed to generate interest in our rides:
Bike the Cbus and Columbus Pride t-shirt designs.
One of our most-loved, most-used images.
Yay Bikes! is grateful to Bill for his quiet, earnest leadership and his too-many-to-count quick "yeses". We especially appreciate his role in helping Yay Bikes! communicate the greatness of our organization and the majesty of riding bikes!
Helmets off to you, friend!
To share your Yay Bikes! Journey, contact Meredith to set up a chat!
July 2017 activity report
Catherine, our Executive Director, has an impromptu meeting with Tony Collins, Director of Columbus Recreation and Parks, and his staff at Columbus Jazz & Ribs Fest.
Welcome to the monthly feature in which we round up all our events, earned media, program delivery, meetings and speaking engagements for the month. Representation and outreach like this is what you fund with your membership dollars and major gifts, folks! Behold, July:
July 5
Met with Brent Warren of Columbus Underground to discuss bike news
Attended the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission's Commuter Challenge celebration
Attended the Parsons Avenue Merchants Association meeting to share about Bike the Cbus
Met with Whole Foods about promoting Platform Beer Co.'s "Pushin' Pedals" brew, to be sold exclusively at Whole Foods to benefit bicycle advocacy in Ohio
Met with Jeff May of The Fitness Loft regarding Bike the Cbus and a Year of Yay!
July 6
Bike the Cbus planning meeting
Met with Usjid Hameed of the Council on American Islamic Relations to explore areas of joint interest
July 7
Met with Ryan Edwards of United Way of Central Ohio regarding a Year of Yay!
Met with Bertie Adams Ford to explore Black Girls Do Bike partnerships
July 8
Year of Yay!, JAM theme
July 10
Coffee with Catherine @ Bottoms Up Coffee Co-op
July 11
Met with the Mayor of Somerset, Ohio
July 12
Chaired the Columbus Green Team meeting
Columbus Young Professionals Club gathering @ City Tavern
July 13–14
Participated in the OSU Roads Scholars Tour
July 14
Rode with City of Columbus engineers on their Hilltop ride to share thoughts about proposed infrastructure
July 15
Delivered a Ride Buddy work commute with a Mount Carmel Hospice employee
July 17–28
Delivered Earn a Bike programming with Kaleidoscope Youth Center youth, in partnership with Franklinton Cycle Works
July 17
Delivered a Professional Development Ride in Somerset
Yay Bikes! Board of Directors meeting
July 19
Attended an Advisory Committee meeting for the ongoing SR-161 Study
WBNS 10TV: A "spicy" t-shirt sale means new bikes for kids in need
Represented people who ride the Hilltop Advisory Committee meeting
July 20
Met with Brooke White, new Air Quality Program Manager for the Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission, regarding potential partnerships
Met with Nick Sanna, City of Columbus Recreation and Parks, about way finding on Central Ohio Greenways
Attended meeting of the COTA NextGen Project Advisory Group
July 21
Met with Claus Eckert, Executive Director of Green Columbus, to explore potential partnerships
Met with Tony Collins, Director of Columbus Recreation & Parks, about potential partnerships
July 25
Met with Demetries Neely, CEO of King Arts Complex, regarding Bike the Cbus
The Columbus Dispatch: Upper Arlington bike path small, but integral link for central Ohio cyclists
Attended City of Columbus Public Service and Transportation Roundtable at Whetstone Recreation Center
July 26
Attended a Columbus Metropolitan Club luncheon
Attended a Central Ohio Greenways Board meeting
July 27
Site visit to the Ohio Department of Education building to evaluate bike parking needs
Met with David Staley, Director of The Goldberg Center, to explore potential partnerships
Visited the Ohio Department of Education building to assess bicycle infrastructure needs
July 28
Ride Buddy ride with MORPC employees
How We Roll ride for members
July 29
Vetting ride Bike the CbusPLUS
July 30
Year of Yay! ride leader training
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