Biketoberfest 2015: a community event of lasting impressions
Photo taken at Wooden Robot Brewery by Rachel Safren, The Vital Form.
Our inaugural Biketoberfest was an unprecedented community event, full of fun and excitement for people of all ages! This event was all that we had hoped it would be, as it inspired Charlotteans and visitors alike to open their minds to the joys and benefits of riding a bike around town. Here’s what some of our participants had to say:
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT BIKETOBERFEST?
“Biking around with other people with similar interests. The awesome people I met and the cool places we were able to see. I also enjoyed that I felt like I was helping out our community by answering the questions and participating. Biketoberfest was the coolest thing I’ve done in Charlotte and I have lived here for 4+ years!“
“Spending time with my daughter and one of her friends. My daughter is 26 and we usually meet for lunch or dinner….same ole stuff. I haven’t seen her laugh and smile in awhile as much as she did on our adventure! She kept thanking me for taking her, even again the next day. She said it made her feel so relaxed biking and being outside. She was acting like a kid on that bike 🙂 (We used the b cycles.)”
“Going on an adventure with my friends to learn more about our city!”
“Learning I could ride my bike to all of these places I never realized I could.”
“Being outdoors and challenging our thinking about sustainability.”
DO YOU PLAN TO ATTEND BIKETOBERFEST NEXT YEAR IF YOUR SCHEDULE ALLOWS?
“I wish this event would occur several times a year!”
“Honestly, wouldn’t miss it. We had a great time!”
“Absolutely!!! Loved it :)”
“I hope we don’t have to wait a whole year!!”
“I took the day off work for this year’s event — I’ll be there next year! :)”
OUR GOAL WAS TO CREATE AN EVENT TO HIGHLIGHT HOW FUN AND EASY IT IS TO TRAVEL AROUND SOUTH END AND CENTER CITY WITHOUT A CAR. DID WE SUCCEED IN DOING THAT?
“This was great. I had been afraid to ride my bike around the city because it didn’t seem safe and this event really opened my eyes and now I want to ride as often as possible“!
“My daughter went with me and she had never biked around Charlotte. She now wants a bike!“
“I am definitely going to try biking to more places from where I live now that I know how easy that was.“
“I just recently got my bike (August) and still felt slightly uncomfortable riding around. Every time I ride around South End and Uptown, I get more comfortable. I felt 100% comfortable the entire Biketoberfest.”
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