Why Ride Bikes? Insights from David Gelhar, Allen Ambassador

There are many benefits from riding bikes. My journey started with a mountain bike in early 2020 after not riding bikes for at least 10 years. Now as a kid I used to ride my Raleigh BMX everywhere; we would not tell our parents where we were going and then go ride around the city buying baseball cards, getting ice cream, and exploring all of the paths. Back to 2020, I wanted something to do to get in shape instead of running. I know, some people love it, but running just doesn’t work for me. So why not just throw yourself into something with dirt, thorns, mud, jumps and the opportunity to get hurt? To say the least, it’s because it’s exercise that isn’t boring!

Once I started riding my mountain bike, I started to meet new people, see new places, enjoy the pain, all while seeing some cool parts of Northeast Ohio I never noticed before. That’s where the other part of why I ride bikes come into play. It isn’t just about the exercise; it is the friendships and the community that keep you going. Yes, bikes give you a health benefit, but they also give you a mental health boost!

The weather in N.E. Ohio doesn’t always cooperate. Mountain bike trails are often closed due to the wet spring and, until recently, not too cold winters. The freeze thaw cycle ruins things for us. That’s when the suggestion to get a gravel bike came into play. The ability to get out there even when it was cold and damp to get the boost for your health. The gravel bike led to many more openings: gravel races, Sunday Group rides, riding in urban gravel settings, and being able to
just cover ground.

What I have noticed though in my time involved with bikes is that, no matter what you ride, getting out on a bike does wonders. It makes you feel like a kid again, it gives you freedom to go places, it even allows you to not use your car! So why ride a bike? You can answer that question, but for me, it was freedom, exercise, community, sport, and to push myself. So, no matter what you do, recreationally ride, race, exercise or just ride with the kids, enjoy the benefit of a bike and Get Out There.