By Fran Smith, RABA Public Relations Director
As bike month 2017 unfolds, you can be assured that RABA has been front and center interjecting ideas, connections and information. We’re excited to be a visible partner in the RVA community in support of multiple options for safe, healthy cycling.
Partnerships with Sportsbackers Bike Walk RVA
We began some of these conversations back in March but they started to solidify in our April planning. The annual Bike Walk RVA “Annual Bike Month Calendar Planning Party” included several of us from RABA as we discussed multiple ride options for this important May event. You’ll find that we are prominently listed with our May “New Riders Ride” and a new upcoming RABA ride on May 28 that collaborates on the graduation day for Bike Walk RVA’s new crop of bike/walk champions from Hanover County. Moving forward, we are excited to have an ongoing spot at this annual planning event, a place to list several RABA rides on the Bike Walk RVA May bike calendar and ongoing opportunities to share on their blogged and Facebook posts.
Collaborating with Local Businesses
Last month RABA VP Kim Moore noted the beginnings of talks with the Richmond Urban Farmhouse (http://theurbanfarmhouse.net/) in Rockett’s Landing about new cycling opportunities. Seems that has been anchored and she is paving the way for a number of ways RABA can benefit from this collaboration including a place to hold our June “Ride with the Board” event and possibly some member discounts. Stay tuned to more details and perhaps a growing trend on how we can collaborate with our community businesses.
Getting the Word Out
By the time this newsletter goes to press, you should see a number of our New Riders Ride and Heart of Virginia posters throughout the area. Between Andrew Mann, Cristina Mooney and myself, we’ve managed to reach almost every bicycle shop, health club, and outdoor store in town. In addition, we’ve been lining announcements and poster images to a number of digital websites, travel blogs and cycling clubs. Below are just a few of the many places you’ll find our messaging around the community, state and region …
- Blue Ridge Outdoors, http://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/events/heart-of-virginia-century/
- VistRichmond.com, https://www.visitrichmondva.com/event/new-riders-bicycling-rides/12947/
- SpinGoNetwork, https://www.spingo.com/partners
- Penninsula Bike Association, http://www.pbabicycling.org/Riding-out-Yonder
- Philly Cycling Club, http://phillybikeclub.org/newbcp/events/calendar
A New “Cycling Kid” on the Block (Trail)
On April 2nd, several RABA members were found joining in the celebration of the debut party for the Virginia “Cap Trail Shuttle”( http://captrailbikeshuttle.com/). Clearly there were a number of cycling advocates celebrating this event and excited about this new opportunity. Now, if a cyclist is traveling the Virginia Capital Trail and cannot muster the energy for a return trip, a call to this service will bring forth a vehicle to shuttle you back to your car.
Model Citizens for an Important Cause
As we near the end of April, several RABA members joined in for a day of Virginia Capital Trail cleanup headed by RABA members Dee Nuckols and Gary Thabet. There’s another great piece on this you can read from Gary but the shout out from Virginia Capital Trail is commendable and just expands the many good things all of our members are doing out there. Kudos to this group for their documented efforts –
“The Richmond Area Bicycling Association (RABA) led by Dee Nuckols organized 16 strong souls to remove old tires and trash dumped in view of the Trail in eastern Henrico. Henrico County allowed them to use their disposal site at no charge. Love the collaboration! Check out more photos on their Facebook page here.” (Retrieved from News From the Virginia Capital Trail Foundation”