Day 1 of 30: No Time Like the Present

It's April 1st, and that means my favourite annual tradition has come around once again. Not April Fool's Day, which does hold a very dear place in my heart, but 30 Days of Biking. If you're unfamiliar, it's pretty simple: it's a pledge to ride a bike every day in April, and share on social media with the hashtag #30DaysofBiking. No mileage goal, no other goals except riding a bike every day.

You might be thinking to yourself, why would I want to go outside and ride a bike when the vast majority of the world has been told to stay home? Even though 30DoB comes around at the same time each year, I always feel that it comes up at just the right time, and I think this year's timing couldn't be more perfect. Here's why:

Certain outdoor activities have been deemed acceptable
In fact, they're good for you if you're in good health. Taking a walk or a bike ride should be totally fine as long as you maintain appropriate social distancing practices (the Ohio Coronavirus Information Page has some great info on this and more, and I encourage you to seek out similar resources in your state). Speaking of social distancing...

Auto and pedestrian traffic is as low as I can remember
This means riding a bike on a road shared with cars might actually be safer than usual. Furthermore, pedestrian traffic is also somewhat lower, making potential run-ins with either much less likely than normal. It's been a bit spooky at times, being alone on a normally busy road, but I don't mind not having to dodge aggressive motorists. If you still don't feel like going outside, the good news is...

ANY bicycle riding counts
If you have a trainer, and you hop on while you watch TV, it counts as a ride. You can still join the 30DoB challenge while staying home! Now, that's not my cup of tea, but it's a nice added option so that as many people as possible can get involved.

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I'll be posting here every day with my adventures along the way, as has become my tradition (now 5 years running!). You might find quite often that adventures don't have to be all that epic. In fact, sometimes they take the form of a simple morning commute:

Hey, any ride counts, right? My friends from Roll: Bicycles have created a Facebook Group in a similar vein titled "Riding is not Cancelled." The mission is as follows:

"We could all use a little motivation and inspiration to keep us moving forward in our lives and connected in our communities. Riding is NOT cancelled is an opportunity to perspire, inspire, and educate one another to get out there and ride at appropriately social distances."

I couldn't have said it better myself. They're upping the ante with some fun challenges and prizes to boot. For me, the prize of riding every day is enough. Riding has tended to be a bright spot in my life, and we all need some positivity now more than ever. That's really why the timing couldn't be better to be on a bike every day.

So I encourage you to join me and all the other crazy cyclists out there, and share it wildly. It might make you feel good. I just ask that you do all of this safely. With that, it's time to ride...