How we’re inspiring people to bike in Charlotte

If you follow Sustain Charlotte’s work, you know we’re big advocates for trying to bike or walk instead of driving your car. But we know that can be really intimidating for folks who aren’t consistent cyclists, or who are new to the area, so we try to do what we can to make biking more accessible here in Charlotte.

Photos by Grant Baldwin Photography

That’s one of the great things that happens every year during Biketoberfest presented by The Charlotte Knights. Whether road cyclists or beginner bikers, we get a huge range of people who come out to explore South End and Uptown by bike and learn about how and where they can bike safely in Charlotte.

Photos by Grant Baldwin Photography

Despite having to reschedule the event due to rain, we still had nearly 300 people come out to this year’s event, on a beautiful October Sunday afternoon. After checking in and getting their event t-shirt at Triple C Brewing, participants were able to visit 23 local businesses, organizations, and parks and collect stamps along the way. We love that this event introduces people to places they never knew they could go on a bike, and even experienced cyclists come back with new ideas for how to get around Charlotte. In fact, 97% of people who took our post-event survey said we succeeded in creating an event that highlights how fun, safe, and easy it is to travel around parts of Charlotte by bike!

Photos by Grant Baldwin Photography

After finishing their ride, attendees met back at Triple C Brewing Company for the after-party. We had a blast listening to the local band Flat Tire Trio, drawing raffle prize winners, and even hanging out with Homer, the Charlotte Knights’ mascot. Special thanks to Uptown Cycles for donating our grand prize raffle package, a Cannondale hybrid bicycle!

We are so grateful to everyone who helped make this event happen, from sponsors to volunteers to participants, and we hope we inspired hundreds of Charlotte residents to choose a bicycle as a way to get around in the future.

Interested in learning more about how we’re making it safer and easier to bike in Charlotte? Check out our Shifting Gears workshop series!

Couldn’t make it out to the event this year? View the photos here. Photos by Grant Baldwin Photography.

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