Upcoming Slow Rides Bike Curious Ride: Urban Street Art in Mobile
Saturday, April 7 (time TBD) From Cream and Sugar, Mobile Free. Facebook.com/Groups/Mobilians OnBikes
Family Picnic Ride to Arlington Park
Sunday, April 15 at 10:30 a.m. From Cream and Sugar, Mobile. Free. Facebook.com/Groups/Mobilians OnBikes
Earth Day Ride
Sunday, April 22 at 3 p.m. From Marrietta Johnson Statue, Fairhope Free. SlowBike.Wordpress.com
Historic Homes Tour Ride
Sunday, April 29 at 1 p.m. From Fairhopers Community Park $10 in advance, $15 day of event. (Benefits historical preservation of Fairhope Community) SlowBike.Wordpress.com
Good Life Ride to LuLu’s
Sunday, May 6 8:30 a.m. from Page and Palette, Fairhope 9:30 a.m. from Jesse’s, Magnolia Springs $39/adult, $29/child until April 25, $49/adult, $39/child after April 25 TheGoodLifeFound.org
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Mobile / Baldwin Edition
Peterson drove across We don’t usually resolved to “buy groceries for my family of four only the bay several times to ride on the road at venues to which I have join MOB’s Sunday Stroll on Wheels. There, she met and we don’t wear walked or bicycled.” For the last five years, she has a Daphne resident and the two teamed up to bring spandex. Our rides made fun and sometimes extreme resolutions. With the concept to the Eastern are more social an interest in alternative Shore. The Slow Bicycle than they are a transportation, Peterson Society on the Eastern Shore made some trial grocery (SlowBike.Wordpress.com) workout. runs by bike before New kicked off last August with ~ Molly Peterson Year’s Day and found it to the support of MOB and be quite easy to carry two to three grocery some local press. “We are casual bicycle riders,” says bags on her bike. Three major grocery stores, a health Peterson. “We don’t usually ride on the road and we don’t wear spandex. Our food store, four pharmacies and a farmrides are more social than they are a ers’ market are within a mile of her house workout.” The group aspires to promote and accessible by sidewalks. “I have been bicycling as a means of leisure, enter- amazed by how easy and fun it has been tainment, social interaction and viable to stick to my resolution,” says Peterson. “I’ve actually enjoyed it so much that I transportation. Exploring different parts of Baldwin had to put a limit on how many grocery County, regular rides take place on Sun- trips I could make a week because my days at 3 p.m. and last about 90 minutes. pantry was getting overloaded!” A couple of weeks into the year, PeThe size of the group averages 15 people. When riding flat trails, children as young terson requested that Winn-Dixie install as 6 years old participate, but the majority a bike rack. Management responded and of the group is often 40 or older, with an Peterson’s request was quickly fulfilled. Since the installation of the rack, she is equal mix of men and women. Dixie and Mike Groutt regularly ride pleased to see other bikes parked at the with the Slow Bicycle Society because store, as well. Peterson points out that she has put they enjoy the fun, noncompetitive na- ture of the group. “All of the other riding herself in a position to make active transgroups we found catered to the athlete portation an easy option. The Petersons who wants to ride fast,” Dixie says. “Slow built their house near the center of town bicycling is much more my speed. I am because they wanted to be connected not fast. I am not competitive.” The slower by sidewalks, as opposed to living in a pace also allows participants to enjoy the subdivision where car-dependence is scenery and visit with fellow riders. Mike inevitable. “I grew up walking and riding is an experienced rider, yet he happily my bike everywhere and by the age of 8, rides at the back of the pack to make sure I had a lot of freedom. I wanted my kids no one is left behind. Dixie points out, to experience the same lifestyle.” Peterson “He enjoys the slower pace, even though is very pleased to see the city of Fairhope he is capable of riding twice the speed of embracing alternative transportation by adding safety features such as bike lanes the slow bicyclists!” While most events occur along and sharrows, leaving the sidewalks for the Eastern Shore, Slow Bicycle Society pedestrian traffic. (See Sharing the Road, periodically organizes out-of-town trips Educating the Community on page 11) More and more individuals are folto destinations such as Grayton Beach, Florida and Tammany Trace, in Louisiana. lowing the lead of groups like MOB and Several rides have also taken place in Or- the Slow Bicycle Society. Several memange Beach, along the Backcountry Trails. bers have traded in their rusty mountain bikes for comfortable cruisers that are The Bicycle Diet more suitable for day-to-day errands and Peterson’s fondness of bike riding as a outings. Peterson says, “I think if more pastime lead to a lifestyle change with people would come out and join us on her 2012 New Year’s resolution. Re- our slow rides, they’d gain confidence ferred to as The Bicycle Diet, Peterson and feel inspired to ride their bikes.”
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