Well here we are in 2021! We hope this year will show us some mercy and we can slowly come together and enjoy a ride or two. 2020 was interesting for the Green Bay Bicycle Collective, as we limited our interaction with the community, via events, rides, and our Earn A Bike program. However, at our community bike shop, our bike sales were up considerably. Due to Covid-19, local bike shops and box stores sold out of their bike stock, so people were scouring Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and rummage sales for bikes. We met dozens of people who had just found out about us and we were happy to outfit them with refurbished bikes that will certainly outlast any box store bikes. That being said, we are looking forward to going back to regular hours in April and will have plenty of bikes, thanks to continued bike donations from the community and countless volunteer hours to refurbish donated bikes. Thanks for thinking of us! Your donations keep us moving…
Speaking of donations, Giving Tuesday was a great success, in that we raised $1500 for our Earn A Bike program. Those funds will pay for safety manuals, lights, locks, and instruction. There is no cost to participants, as this is a community program.
During our winter break from the shop, we worked with Green Bay officials and employees to outline bike use in our parks. One park in particular, He-Nis-Ra, has several dirt, mulched, and groomed ski trails that have been enjoyed by residents for decades. Fat bike trails were recently added separately from ski trails, but some residents were concerned about the safety of walkers and the issue of removing bike use in the park came before the City Council. After some community outreach and amicable discussion with concerned parties and cyclists, the City Council voted 12-0 in favor of the park being open to all non-motorized users. This may seem like a small win for cyclists, but the real accomplishment was how different park users came together and realized we are all enjoying a beautiful park and time spent outside during a pandemic.
Over the years we’ve been a part of numerous projects and agendas concerning multi-modal mobility in the Greater Green Bay Area. All of our success has been rooted in finding common ground where all users will benefit and its been a pleasure to see our community thrive because of it. So no matter what 2021 has in store, be sure to get out and enjoy. Ride on!
Lastly, we are postponing the spring Bike Banquet until summer, so people waiting to be vaccinated have the opportunity to do so. Stay tuned for updates. In the meantime, we do have several new items in our shop, both in person and online. Visit https://green-bay-bicycle-collective.square.site/ for more info. P.S. we have hats coming in a week or so too, Cheers!