How to Find Cycling Friends

Welcome to the Bike Bulletin. Charting the route to your next cycling adventure.

I’m currently sitting at the Boston Logan airport waiting for my flight to Denver. I’ll be visiting some friends and riding the Triple Bypass - 118 miles through 3 iconic passes.

—Sam Westby @samcwestby

Here’s what we have today.

• 🌍 RIDE: Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail

• 💡 TIP: Finding Cycling Friends

• 🎥 WATCH: Cycling Across the Pyrenees

• 📰 NEWS: Expanding bikeshare fleets, shrinking roads, and gym class

ROUTE ON MY RADAR

Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail

Here’s what you’d be getting yourself into.

• 90 miles (145 kilometers) paralleling U.S. 1 from Key Largo to Key West (the southernmost part of the continental United States)

• Mostly car-free except for a few small sections

• Official Website

• Wikipedia Page

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

How to Find Cycling Friends

If I had to choose between cycling alone and cycling with others, I would probably choose to cycle with others 80% of the time. One issue - what if there’s no one to ride with? I’ll share a few ways I’ve met people to ride with, because once you build the community, then it’s off to the races.

What makes a good riding buddy?

• Similar riding style

• Similar fitness

• Lives close by

You don’t even need to like talking to them much, because you could just ride single file. The cafe stops won’t be as fun, but it’s not required.

Coincidence

I was out on a solo ride a few years ago, and a guy passed me going up a hill. I passed him going down. He caught up to me at a stoplight. We started chatting, exchanged numbers, and started riding together.

The Friends of Friends

This has been the most common for me. A friend knows I ride and says, “Oh hey, my friend ____ also likes to ride. You should connect.” The first ride is always a little nerve-racking because I don’t know how fast they ride, their expectations, or their experience. It’s usually worth at least one ride. If you don’t ride well together, don’t worry about it. It’s like riding partner dating.

Then they say, “Hey, my other friend wants to join.” Boom, another potential connection.

Group Rides

Even small towns usually have weekly group rides. If they’re doing it right, then there’s a social event after. That’s where you can connect with others. Chat a little, suggest a ride together, and get their number. Low pressure

WHAT I’M WATCHING

Last year, SAFA Brian and crew chased the Tour de France through the Pyrenees. This is a vibey 48-minute video with mostly music and wild ride footage.

Watch on YouTube

• Gym Class. Cleveland, Ohio just received a grant to include bike safety lessons in gym class. (Signal Cleveland)

• 25 miles (40 kilometers). The length of protected bike lanes that Columbus, Ohio expects to finish by 2028. (The Columbus Dispatch)

• E-Bike Delivery. Washington D.C. DOT will test a new pilot program about e-bikes and delivery workers. They are looking for new ways to reduce emissions and congestion. (WUSA9)

• 46,000. A new signal-day ridership record for Seattle’s bike and scooter share, set on June 28th. (Fox 13 Seattle)

• 2,500 bikes. New Orleans will expand their bikeshare program by 500 bikes per year for the next 5 years. (MSN)

• Shrinking. Austin, Texas’s recommended lane widths. This slows traffic and makes the streets safer for all modes of transportation. (Community Impact)

• Bend, Oregon. This city just announced that it will start a bikeshare program with 300 e-bikes. (Central Oregon Daily)

A Note From Sam

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