Get out and ride

If you want to get noticed, take out a billboard, wear a Big Bird costume for the day, write a column about your mundane life.

Or even easier - go for a bicycle ride.

Earlier this week, a friend along with a few family members went on an early morning bike ride to Culbertson to get breakfast. i spent the rest of the day responding to everyone who had seen us out riding.

Some of the notoriety was because my husband was on a tandem bicycle with my youngest son on the back. We don’t get the tandem out as often as we should because it is large and cumbersome. More than one person has walked into my garage and commented that it looks like a bike shop. Not as organized, well-laid out bike shop. Rather, that there are just so many bikes hanging from the rafters and shelves lines with helmets and bike bags and bike shoes.

But the tandem is a good way to get our younger children out on a bicycle and have control over where and how fast they ride.

Most of the comments were simply because we were on our bicycles and were easily recognizable. It is hard to stay incognito when you are dressed in neon and spandex sitting on a piece of metal peddling down the highway.

I have to add that everyone who passed us along Highway 6-34 between McCook and Culbertson was very friendly and gave us wide berth. That’s not always the response we get from vehicles passing us at 65 mph, so we were very appreciative anytime it happens.

And I’ve seen more and more people and entire families out biking recently and not just because of the nicer weather.

Bicycle ridership is actually up during the pandemic. Along with home improvement stores and lumber yards, bike shops are one of the few businesses which are thriving during this pandemic.

Since people have more time on their hands, they are looking for things to do and have discovered bicycling, which is relatively inexpensive. Not since the 1970s boom have more bicycles been sold or brought in for repair.

And cycling is a life-long sport and is easy on the body….as long as you stay upright.

Bicycling is the most cost-efficient mode of transportation per mile. Sure, a car will get you where you need to be faster but the initial cost coupled with the ongoing costs for insurance, gas, maintenance actually makes car-ownership expensive.

Walking is the least expensive mode of transportation, since all it requires is a pair of shoes. But for more people, they don’t have a couple hours to walk to work, both ways.

With a little bit of planning, a bicycle will get you where you need to be fairly quickly while sneaking in a bit of exercise.

Now, I realize cycling as transportation or even recreation is not for everyone. Anyone who has to pickup kids from daycare or take an elderly parent to the store cannot hop on two wheels. But anytime you can leave your car behind to walk or bike will be beneficial, even if you get comments from everyone you pass that day.

The McCook Community Foundation Fund’s youth organization, Youth Change Reaction (YCR), is working to encourage others to get on a bicycle.

YCR has been collecting bicycles which will be available to use free-of-charge while at Red Willow State Recreation Area north of McCook. Whether you are camping or just visiting the lake for the day, bicycles will be available to pedal around the state park or take on the trails which wind through the trees.

Tom Poore at Tinker Tom’s is getting the bikes in good condition. That being said, not all bikes are on the same level and will need to be replaced or repaired at some point. So if simply can’t wrap your head around getting on a bike and would like to donate a good bicycle,, please reach out to me or Shelly Sehnert.

— Ronda Graff does not ride the tandem with her husband because she wants to reach their 25th anniversary this fall.