Happy Earth Day. A year ago, my friend Robyn Elliott enabled me to develop what was only the second ongoing bike tour in the world dedicated to sustainability* (the other one is in Copenhagen**). We had significant hopes for its impact leading up to the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day (today), and were grateful for the passionate sustainability leaders who took the tour. I have since moved on in preparation for leaving for Peace Corps Uganda, and Robyn’s bike tour business (the #1 Outdoor Activity in Atlanta with almost 800 five stars on Trip Advisor) is temporarily closed due to the global pandemic.
In honor of Robyn and the importance to our earth of bike travel (proven especially recently), I purchased a gift card for two from Bicycle Tours of Atlanta this morning. I invite you to do the same to ensure that her business remains a vital part of Atlanta’s future. It’s quick, easy, and worth every penny.
I am in awe of Robyn, and she has a stunning team of tour guides who are each the salt of the earth. If you haven’t ridden in awhile (or enjoyed how fabulous it is to ride in Atlanta’s neighborhoods), you will be shocked at how easy, fun, and safe it is with Robyn and her team. I strongly recommend every metro-Atlanta city hall consider sending people on her tours to see what’s actually possible.
For those who live elsewhere, please support your local bike businesses, such as the other companies I name in an article of mine that was published in Unearth Women (excerpt below). (I also love a woman-owned bike shop in Denver, Colorado named Bike Shop Girl Family Cyclery that specializes in cargo bikes, and a bike educator in New York City named Courtney Williams who goes by The Brown Bike Girl and who focuses on empowering marginalized communities.) Honestly, just getting a new bike tube or a tune-up at your local bike shop makes a difference. Bike businesses need you, and we need them.
JOIN A FEMALE-LED BIKE TOUR
Maybe you’re all in on the idea of bike riding but you don’t necessarily want to do it alone. Taking a local bike tour is a great way to learn about a city’s history, art, culture, and quirks while also getting a sense of your bearings. Many bicycle tour companies are owned by women, such as Robyn Elliott of Bicycle Tours of Atlanta, Nedra Deadwyler of Civil Bikes, and Barb Wittels of Pedal or Not Electric Bike Tours. You may also be interested in the wide range of both USA-based and international bike tours offered by WomenTours, which is not only owned by a woman (Jackie Marchand) but features only women guides and guests.
And, as always, proceeds from the sale of my book, Traveling at the Speed of Bike, are specifically dedicated to helping more women and girls ride bikes.
* From the description:
On this 3-hour, 10-mile immersion, you’ll see why Atlanta, a member of the global 100 Resilient Cities coalition, is increasingly earning accolades for green building, trees and greenspace, business vitality, water conservation, land use, innovation, bike friendliness, and more. With plenty of hands-on opportunity to experience a city embracing the defining challenges of our times (in ways that will surprise and delight you — I will even share with you my secret public fruit trees!), expect to have more fun than you thought possible regarding such an important and timely topic. We are all about a joy-based journey, and these issues are my personal and professional passions. Yet we don’t sugar-coat it — we also talk honestly about what could be better so you’ll leave with a realistic hands-on understanding of possibilities that may inspire you to make where you live or work more resilient as well.
** They have since added Malmö and Berlin
Traveling at the Speed of Bike 