Make the Most of Bike Month in Greater Des Moines (DSM)
Biking: The best thing to ever happen to this young professional. I’ve always loved to bike since learning at a young age. Growing up, before I could drive, biking gave me the opportunity to explore Greater Des Moines (DSM) with friends and family. DSM prides itself on being a biker-friendly community and this is just one of the reasons why I love being a young professional living in Downtown DSM.
May is Bike Month in DSM. It is an opportunity for all of us to embrace the warmer weather and to learn more about initiatives the region has taken to support and promote biking. There are many opportunities to get involved with Bike Month from volunteer opportunities to exploring DSM’s bike-friendly community.
BCycle is easy and affordable
For those who do not own a bike, Downtown DSM has a great program that links the city called BCycle. You can check out a bike at one of several hubs and ride across town either one-way or round-trip. I live in the Historic East Village and use BCycle to take rides all over town including to Ingersoll Avenue. I pay a flat rate of $80 for the year to use the program. I love how convenient and easy it is to check out a bike at point A and return it at point B.
Cycling to support the community
Especially during Bike Month, I love to volunteer at the Des Moines Bicycle Collective, a nonprofit bike shop in Downtown DSM. Their Earn A Bike program assists community members in obtaining their first bike. As a volunteer at the Collective, I assist new bikers with repairing donated bikes and teaching them bike safety around the DSM trails.
DSM has great trails
In DSM, we have great access to trails. I enjoy biking on these because I always discover a new part of Iowa’s beauty and I don’t have to worry about vehicle traffic. One of my favorite trails is the Neal Smith Trail, a 26 mile trail running north along the banks of the Des Moines river through Downtown and up to Saylorville Lake. Along the trail I also enjoy meeting up with friends from YPC at Captain Roy’s for a drink.
DSM has awesome opportunities to participate in group rides for all age and experience levels. BikeIowa has a full list of group rides throughout DSM. One of my favorite group rides during the summer is City Ride, which aims to promote safety and awareness of using your bike. The rides usually occur every Monday throughout the summer and they are designed to accommodate all biking experience levels. YPC is partnering with City Ride again this year for a young professionals ride on Monday, July 30.
Biking is a great activity for all young professionals in DSM and a great way to stay active by exploring the community with friends and family. One of the reasons I love DSM is because of the abundance of biking trails and the initiatives the region has taken to support a biking community. It would be great to see you at an upcoming Bike Month ride. After all, YPC is about connecting people to have a good time together.
Young Professionals Connection (YPC) aims to attract and retain young professionals in Greater Des Moines (DSM) by connecting emerging leaders to each other and to the community through social, civic, charitable and professional development endeavors. Learn how you can get involved.