LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Michael Carroll weighed 325 pounds when he moved to Louisville to study engineering five years ago.
Then he began cycling around the university’s Belknap campus and lost 125 pounds. The convert to cycling graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business before opening the Old Bikes Belong two years ago.
The bike shop is stocked with new and used bikes, and Carroll told The Courier-Journal (https://cjky.it/1pX1x5T) his goal is to help more people get in shape and join Louisville’s growing cycling movement.
“I grew up in a small town in Kentucky, and I was very overweight, maxed out around 325 at 18 or 19 years old,” Carroll said. “I bought a really cheap bike and loved it. I was almost too heavy to be on a bike originally. After I started losing a little bit of weight, I really got into it. From there, it was more and more bikes, and now I have hundreds.”
Rolf Eisinger is a Louisville Metro engineering technician who focuses on building the city’s bicycling infrastructure.
He said many people want to bike, but they worry about safety.
“National studies show that 60 percent of people are interested, but may be concerned about safety while riding,” he said. “We are trying to target that 60 percent, that big piece of the pie that may have a soft spot for bikes.”
To target those people who are on the fence, as well as make biking safer for everyone, Louisville Metro plans to complete bike lane markings on 15 miles of street by June 30. The lanes will connect cyclists from neighborhoods to shopping and entertainment destinations.
In lieu of more expensive bike lanes, the city’s goal by 2015 is to mark 100 miles on local streets with small bicycle icons stenciled on the pavement and posted signs to mark routes.
“We have identified roads that have low traffic and low speeds but still provide connectivity,” Eisinger said.
Andy Murphy discovered cycling after retiring six years ago from Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant. Now he is president of a local cycling club with over 1,000 members.
“It is so cool to see somebody dust off their bike and bring it out of the garage,” Murphy said. “It is a great way to get around. People just want to get out there and ride.”
Katie McBride has been riding her bike exclusively for transportation since 2007. In 2010, she began organizing monthly “Louisville Car Free Happy Hour” gatherings at restaurants around town. Since then, she has seen bike racks come to buses and more acceptance of cyclists.
Louisville’s biggest challenge to cycling is speeding motorists, McBride said. She believes that getting information out to cyclists about safer routes will help the pastime grow.
“I got a lot of strange looks when I first started riding here,” she said. “I see a lot more energy and excitement for cycling now.”
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Information from: The Courier-Journal, https://www.courier-journal.com
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