LIHUE — There are benefits to bicycling, says Kauai Path’s Tommy Noyes.
One is improved physical health. But that’s not all.
“Mental acuity and balance are all enhanced by bicycling,” he said.
And there’s always the chance to talk story while peddling, too.
The public is invited to celebrate National Bike Month on Friday with a commute to the Lihue Civic Center.
The first launching point will be Kapaa Neighborhood Center with a 6 a.m. roll-out for the nearly 10-mile ride. The second location will be Puhi Park, across Kaumuali’i Highway from Kauai Community College, at 6:45 a.m. for either 3 or 5 miles.
All riders are welcome and no one will be left behind, say organizers.
Last year, about 50 cyclists participated and it’s hoped there will be an even larger turnout this year.
The event aims to create awareness of a healthy,
active lifestyle through biking by organizing the meet-and-greet bicycle commute to work, emphasizing riders’ courtesy to other road users as well as safety awareness.
“Bicycles don’t pollute the air, they take up very little space,” Noyes said. “You can put 10 bicycles into the space that one automobile would take up in a parking facility.”
“They also help with less congestion and wear on the roads,” he added. “Also being on a bicycle is conducive to personal interactions. When you are bicycling and you see a neighbor, you’re more likely to pause, chat, communicate with that person.”
The social aspect of group riding can strengthen community bonds and create meaningful interpersonal relationships, one of the main goals of the event.
“Our basic guidelines are that people are alert, predictable, visible and assertive,” Noyes said. “Those four properties will really help people share the road in a manner that does not aggravate other road users and keeps them much safer.”
Bike To Work Day will be followed up with a free Saturday class, called bicycling skills for adults, that will teach practical aspects of sharing the road and using the coastal path system. The all-day class takes place at 8 a.m. at the Kapaa Public Library with certified instructors.
Info: 639-1018 or go to www.getfitkauai.com
•••
John Steinhorst, reporter, can be reached at 245-0435 or jsteinhorst@thegardenisland.com.
This is cute and nice, but if you really want to make a statement about supporting bicycles and bicycle infrastructure then do it every day, and vote for people who will build a trail system around the whole island so our keiki can be healthy and get around, so our kupuna can live long healthy lives, so our crazy endurance cyclists don’t have to trust their lives to inattentive and crabby motorists, and motorists who are drunk and on drugs.
It’s a good step, now take it a step farther.
A Saturday class in Kapa’a. Translation: You can’t ride your bike or take a bus to this event unless you live in or near Kapa’a.