If you know how to ride a bicycle, Bethel Strong wants to be your BFF. Or, rather, if you want to ride a bicycle in Forney, Strong wants you to join his BFF – Bike-Friendly Forney.
Bike-Friendly Forney, an organization created by Bethel Strong to encourage cycling and accommodations for cyclists in the Forney area, will be sponsoring a city bike ride on July 13, 2013.
The free event will start and finish at Doe Belly's in downtown Forney with participants meeting at 11:30 a.m. The scheduled departure time for riders is at noon and the slow-paced ride should take about an hour.
"Patrick McCrea, the owner of Doe Belly's, has welcomed us," Strong said. "With their open patio it will be a great place to meet up, and of course for anyone who wants to eat, sit and talk or have something to drink then that will work well."
In addition, Strong will help riders learn how to perform a safety check on their bicycles prior to the ride. While state law does not require helmet use, Strong said it is encouraged. He also recommended water bottles to combat summer heat.
"We will go downtown and down to the community park, around that trail and wind our way back to Doe Belly's," Strong said. "It may be too far for kids with training wheels, but most older children should be able to do this ride, and we won't leave anyone behind."
"A lot of cities have a bike-friendly organization to create family-friendly rides for everyday cyclists, kids and whoever would like to take part," he said. "Any kind of bike, whether you have a road bike or the old bike that has been hanging in your garage for two years, everyone is welcome."
The larger goal for Strong is building up the number of cyclists in the Forney area while making the city a more welcoming place for people on two wheels.
"My main goal is helping get people outside and off the couch, getting kids and families out and exercising," he said. "Of course it is also a lot of fun for everyone to just get to know each other and have a good time."
If he can get people out onto the streets, Strong hopes that cycling safety and accommodations will improve.
"I have talked to mayor Darren Rozell about things like adding bike lanes, and I understand that it costs money, which is a struggle," he said. "I figured if I am asking them for something, I should also show some initiative and do something myself to show the interest in the community."
Regarding future planning, Rozell said he was not aware of any current plans to add bike lanes to Forney roads.
"As cycling grows in popularity, it could become a part of the transportation conversation, similar to how urban planners now discuss pedestrian-friendly designs," he said. "I would encourage bike enthusiasts to keep riding, stay safe, and continue to share their thoughts."
State control of several major routes through town also adds a layer of complexity when discussing roadway alterations.
"For the most part, all of Forney's major thoroughfares are TXDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) roads," he said. "Any conversation regarding adding bike lanes to these roads would have to include them."
Beyond the roads themselves, becoming a bike-friendly city means more than making room on the road.
"If I were to ride to a restaurant in Forney to eat right now, there wouldn't be a place to lock up my bike," Strong said. "In places that have already become more bike-oriented, those types of things are in place. In some areas businesses go so far as to offer slight discounts for bicycle riders. Things like that can really encourage participation."
More information about the ride and Bike-Friendly Forney can be found at the website www.bikefriendlyforney.com.