National Bike Challenge Stories

Have you joined the National Bike Challenge yet? It's a nationwide event uniting thousands of bicyclists every summer. We asked a few Po Campers to share their biking stories, and invite you to do the same.

About the National Bike Challenge

The Challenge runs from May – September when days are long. Ride for fun, to work...Anytime you can.

The National Bike Challenge is a nationwide event uniting thousands of current bicyclists—and encouraging countless new riders. It is a free and easy way to challenge yourself, your colleagues and your community to ride more while competing on a local, state and national level. The Challenge is put on by People for Bikes, and they aim to unite 100,000 riders to pedal 35 million miles from May 1, 2015 until September 30, 2015.

Join the National Bike Challenge today!

Bike Stories from Po Campers

As part of the Challenge, we asked a few Po Campo fans to share their stories about biking on the People for Bikes blog. Below are the stories they submitted for your reading pleasure.

Want to add your story? Submit your story on the People for Bike site, and then send us the link when it is posted. Bonus points if your photo includes a Po Campo bag! 

Trisha from Nashville, TN
@editrish

Trisha with a Loop Pannier in Umber

Riding my bike allows me to notice more than I would while in a car. Birdsong; the way the trees change with the season; the scent of honeysuckle or lilac in the spring. It also allows me to wave to my neighbors or ring my bell in solidarity with kids biking in their driveways. It's a great way to see the city.

Unity from Chicago, IL
@unityo30

Unity with her Pilsen Bungee Bag in Fanfare

Not sure if it's because I just started biking, but I've never really noticed the wind in Chicago before. Now that I'm commuting to work, the wind can't be ignored. I never thought a gentle breeze could feel no-so-gentle when you're biking. Story on People for Bikes

Becky from Burbank, CA
@travelerbeki

Becky with her Loop Pannier in Coral Bike Ride

On a particularly sunny Southern California day, I feel very cosmopolitan riding through town on a slick blue bicycle with folding baskets attached to the rear tire, working lights on the front and back and a small Po Campo bag stylishly hung over the handlebars. However, this cool, eco-friendly, economical, health-conscious adult feeling doesn't last long because when I ride my bike, I will always have a moment when I can't help but take on a childish grin.

As a 30-year-old, I feel like I might be of the last generation to consider "going for a bike ride" a common activity in my childhood. It's this connection between my childhood and biking that brings forth this inevitable nostalgia I get while on two wheels.

When I was living on a Navy base in Port Hueneme, California during my elementary school days, my friends across the street and I would go for a bike ride nearly every day to explore the base. We would pass by the "witch's house", a small cottage strangely out of place on the edge of a field, and dare each other to peek in the window. When it rained, we rode over to the recreation fields, peddling down the grassy slopes into giant puddles trying to make it through the mud without getting stuck. Our bikes were our transporters, taking us anywhere, further and faster than our small legs could ever go. We rolled down steps, jumped wooden ramps, zipped each others tires in the commissary parking lot and rode home when the street lights came on.

It's these memories that flood my mind every time I get back in the saddle, that make me smile and forget my high and mighty adult self. It's these memories that keep me joyfully going for a bike ride.

See Becky's story on People for Bikes.

Mee from Chicago, IL
@meefourfive

Mee with her Bike Share Bag in Emerald Bike Ride

Biking in the city can be a little terrifying. But once you're out on the road, you'll find yourself wondering why you didn't try it sooner! Perhaps it’s the wind in your face or the childlike sense of joy, or being able to cruise pass traffic on your on your bike that provides a sense of freedom. I enjoy being able to explore neighborhoods, and the flexibility of hopping on and off my bike as I please. It’s also a nice way to fit in an exercise while commuting, running errands or simply enjoying your weekend. I eased into city biking through the Divvy bike share system in Chicago, it was a great way to get comfortable on the road. Since then, I’ve graduated to my own bike and have continued to enjoy the benefits of biking from boosting my confidence to shortening my commute time. Original story on People for Bikes website.

Share your story on People for Bikes website, and then send the link to us! Bonus points for including your Po Campo bag in the photo.

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