Since my participation in the SVBC Bike-To-Wherever-Day in May, I have been inspired to bike more often, sometimes for exercises, and sometimes for errands.

I biked to the post office to mail important documents, biked to local restaurants to pick up takeout orders, biked to local stores for small purchases, biked to meet friends for hiking and get-together, and even biked to Walk-Bike Cupertino’s volunteer potluck social with two bags of fresh cherries. So glad I could plan these biking trips purposefully to cut down my car usage and add more workouts to my routines. 

A few weeks ago, I shared my biking experiences with a friend, and she became very interested in biking too. She also read about Cupertino’s Summer Bike Challenges, and suggested we bike together with more friends to participate in the “Group Ride” challenge. Since we three friends got to know each other through volunteering for the Kennedy Middle School (KMS) PTA, we decided to bike to the KMS campus and take a photo.

The streets were so quiet without much traffic during summer, so we could bike side by side talking to each other. The fresh breeze blew onto our faces, cooling down the summer heat and relaxing our minds. After the ride, we discussed our theme for the ride, and named it “Forever 13, Moms on Bikes”. Truly, we felt so young biking together, seemingly being back to our childhood when we biked to hangout with friends. That evening, my friend emailed the theme and photo to the city. Very soon, we got a reply from Cherie Walkowiak, the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Coordinator, that we all each earned an ice cream at Cupertino’s 8th annual Fall Bike Fest on Saturday, September 25. What a sweet prize! Many thanks to Cupertino SRTS for organizing such fun biking activities!

In the following week, I invited two more friends to join us. Three of us biked down McClellan Road to meet the other two friends near Linda Vista Park. Five of us biked together in the neighborhood, then we also walked on Linda Vista Trail, the newest hiking trail in Cupertino. Note that bikes need to be dismounted for this trail, according to the signs posted at the entrance. The slopes and turns may not be safe for pedestrians if biking is allowed. 

On the way back, we biked through Blackberry Farm Trail and several local streets. Around Monta Vista High School, we noticed some streets do not have bike lanes or “Share the Road” bike signs. Without biking around the schools, we would not be aware of these safety issues. We will find opportunities to inform the city of keeping improving traffic safety.

I am very thankful to have great friends like these to join me in the fun rides to get physical exercises and share our experiences and conversations. For our second ride, we coined our theme “Staying Fit and Connected, Moms in Motion”. Again, we earned the sweet prizes, but most importantly, biking and walking bond us closer, help us stay healthy physically and emotionally, and rejuvenate our mind and spirit in the midst of our challenging parenting journey. Also, one friend in this newly formed biking group organized another family bike ride with even more friends last weekend. So glad that we continue to pass on this great idea to our families and friends, growing our local biking community bigger and stronger! 

This summer is almost over, but the season for biking and walking will continue. I am very interested in the “Bike to Art” challenge, and will definitely plan a bike ride with friends on a beautiful autumn day to explore the art in the city, then enjoy a delicious lunch in a local restaurant. Stay tuned for more biking stories from me!