For many, the central image of a bicyclist remains a spandex-clad weekend warrior tackling the rolling hills of one of central Maryland’s counties. Not that there’s anything wrong with that—we love our rural road rides—but the images, interviews, and clips on the Bicyclists of Baltimore’s website reveal and chronicle the many different sides of the urban pedaling community. The profiles include an award-winning bike builder, kids, young African-American women, a college professor, Latino immigrants, everyday bicycle commuters, and people who just would rather explore and traverse the city outside on two wheels than inside an automobile.

Launched initially as a social media effort—Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram—Dahl and O’Guinn are now expanding their project, raising money for a feature-length documentary that will highlight the lives of individual cyclists while also showing how bicycling can assist in addressing social and economic barriers.

Dahl and O’Guinn note that until recently, it was a fairly rare sight to see someone bicycling through the streets of Baltimore. Today, however, city riders are “chomping at the bit” for more bicycling infrastructure as group rides, such as the Baltimore Bike Party and women-only Crank Mavens take hold, and bike advocacy organizations, such as Bikemore and Bike Maryland, continue to grow.

With their film, Dahl and O’Guinn, who are partnering with the nonprofit production company From The Heart, say they want show how bicycles have the potential to change the city and the people that live within it.

“Our city is reaching for social justice, and this film offers a lens into the lives of people from all corners of Baltimore who are connected to their communities through the bicycle,” says O’Guinn.

So far, they’ve raised nearly $5,000 via Indiegogo toward their goal of $19,000, with a little more than three weeks to go in their fundraising campaign.

“The goal of the project is to connect people, and this crowdfunding strategy offers a means to not just raise money, but to uncover new stakeholders,” Dahl says, adding the project has received broad support from other local bicyclists, bike shops, and social advocacy organizations.

About the film, from Indiegogo:

By creating a documentary film we not only celebrate individuals, but also bring them together in a visually compelling narrative that transcends social and economic barriers.

We follow the lives of bicyclists from all corners of Baltimore exploring how the increase in cycling in Baltimore helps to shape the city as a whole, and strengthen our different communities. We examine the ways in which Baltimore, a city with deep socio-economic and racial divides, can become united through the use of a human-powered vehicle.

Source

There are also other reasons, specific to Baltimore, why it’s good for our state of mind. Pedaling downtown alongside a 15-foot pink poodle and her friends is bound to make anyone smile, for example, and discovering the city’s amazing urban green spaces by bike enables us learn more about our community. Also, the fresh peaches at the Civil War Century are the best thing ever—although you do have to wait ‘til September for those.

So with summer here, consider these seven rides our local favorites this month:

June 14: Tour dem Parks, Hon!—13^th annual ride connects bicyclists with Carroll, Patterson and Herring Run parks as well as some tucked away gems. There are 14, 25 and 35-mile options, with registration offered online until midnight Thursday or in-person Sunday morning—all in support of Baltimore City parks programming. The event starts early at Druid Hill Park. If you hustle, you can finish and still make it to the next ride on this list.

June 14: American Visionary Arts Museum Kinetic Sculpture Race—free, 17^th annual, amphibious art-bike extravaganza kicks off at 11 a.m. and pretty much lasts all day as it hits Federal Hill, Canton and Patterson Park. Join for some or all of the fun. Check the spectator’s guide for details.

June 17: Bike Through History Series NCR Trail—this is a guided tour offered for six more successive Wednesdays through July on the Torrey C. Brown Rail Trail, formerly known as the National Central Railroad trail. Each tour, this one starts in Monkton, is led by a Maryland Park Service volunteer and local history expert and tackles about 10 miles on the trail.

June 20: Bikes & Beer—First-time event in Baltimore features a 15-mile ride, starting from Union Craft Brewing in Woodberry, trekking through the city to Heavy Seas Alehouse in Upper Fells Point. Riders will get a chance to taste two new beers at Heavy Seas—as well as down a full pint—before heading back to Union Craft for live music, food trucks, games and prizes. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Bikemore and Bike Maryland.

June 26: Baltimore Bike Party—the last Friday of every month event is always a recreational ride/costume party on wheels. Generally about 12 miles or so, each month there’s a different theme—June is “Baltimore Boastin’ & Maryland Mania!”—and meet-up begins at 6:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s Park. (Below photo courtesy of O’Doherty Photography.)

June 27: 45th Annual Flatlands Tour—a non-supported (meaning bring plenty of water and spare tubes), but awesome Baltimore Bicycling Club ride that starts in Chesapeake City in Cecil County and explores much of the Delaware River wetlands. Routes vary from 35, 54, 63 and 77 miles to a full century ride. Just $5 for BBC members and $6 for non-members.

June 27: Two Rivers Bike Ride—opportunity to pedal the gentle rolling hills of Maryland’s Eastern Shore while checking out the scenic Corsica and Chester rivers in Queen Anne’s County. Multiple distances offered, with the longest route leading through Tuckahoe State Park. This isn’t far from Baltimore, about 60 miles to the start in Centreville.

*We also want to note that there are a number of informal, but regular Baltimore group rides, including the women-only Crank Mavens Monday Night Riders, the Thursday Night Indeterminately Named Baltimore Social Bike Rides, and Fun On Bikes! Weekend Distance Rides.

*Nearly all local bike shops organize group rides of one sort or another, too. The Biking in B-more meetup.com group is another good place to find rides, especially recreational-paced rides.

Just pedal.

Source