Celebrate National Bike Month All Year

May is celebrated in cities across America as National Bike Month. It's a healthy lifestyle that can be enjoyed all year. The goal is to get more people--adults and kids--out on their bikes for work, school or play. Biking is fun, healthy, and environmentally friendly.  Plus, it is a great way to keep active as a family.  The spring and summer seasons arethe ideal time of year to gear up the family and get rolling! 

Jonathan Seibold, owner of Family Bike Shop said, “Biking is a lot of fun. It is great for families; it doesn’t matter how old you are or how fit, everyone can have a good time.” Seibold is an avid cyclist who rides three to five days a week, races both road and mountain bikes, and enjoys family rides around town with Sarah and their children. He explained that biking is a low impact sport and is easy on your knees. There are many local trails that offer different levels of difficulty.

“This is a great area in which to be a bike enthusiast. The Baltimore, D.C. and Annapolis areas provide many different types of bike paths for all levels,” said Seibold. He described the B&A and WBA Trails as good paths for beginners because of the flat, paved and well marked surfaces. For the more advanced, he recommends the Patapsco State Park.   “This is for the more aggressive, off-road biker. A lot of fun but this is not for the beginner,” said Seibold.

Crofton mother Karen Jordan has purchased all of her children’s bikes at the Family Bike Shop. “You know when you purchase a bike here it is put together by a professional. Plus, it will be fit to the height of the child. Not to mention that it will last for years,” says Jordan. The Jordan family frequently visits the B&A trail. “It is great for the younger children because it is wide and flat,” explained Jordan.

The Annapolis Bicycle Club describes themselves as a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to the interests of recreational cycling enthusiasts. Their interests are recreation, exercise, safety and camaraderie.

“This is a wonderful club. We enjoy all aspects of biking and often make lasting friendships with club members. That’s easy to do when you spend 40 for 50 miles of biking with someone!” said President Ken Keeler.

“I encourage everyone to check out our website for more information about upcoming rides,” said Ken, a Harwood resident. He says they have regularly scheduled rides around the Anne Arundel county area on certain weekdays and on Saturdays (even in the winter). Plus, they visit some nearby scenic areas such as the Eastern Shore, Western Maryland and Virginia. During the summer, they have weekend rides to Bethany Beach, Gettysburg and the Shenandoah Valley.