Indian Creek Nature Center, Chain Reaction Bike Hub launch inaugural cycling rides to connect riders to nature, sustainable farming
As the cycle of plant life started to wind down this fall, Cedar Rapids nonprofits connected cyclists with nature through the launch of two new rides.
On Sept. 27, the Barn to Farm Bike Ride by Indian Creek Nature Center guided cyclists through trails connecting the Cedar Rapids nature reserve to its new permaculture property in Marion.
On Sept. 28, Chain Reaction Bike Hub convened with Open Garage to launch Harvest Ride, a 36-mile loop connecting riders to a fall festival of food, music and entertainment at Bloomsbury Farm in Atkins.
Here’s why cycling events are growing in popularity, what nonprofits hope to accomplish and why a subculture of cycling is growing in the Corridor.
What’s prompting these new events?
It’s not hard to find a herd of cyclists touring the Corridor’s bike trails on any given weekend in good weather, said Evan Schmidtke, executive director of Chain Reaction Bike Hub, a nonprofit program that promotes equitable bike ownership in Cedar Rapids.