If you've been to a downtown festival, chances are you've seen Asheville on Bikes in action. The local cycling advocacy group's most public face remains its regular "bike corrals," which offer free and secure bicycle parking at a variety of local events, from Downtown After 5 to LAAFF and Bele Chere.
The organization also hosts a number of community-oriented events (the annual Bike Love party) and organized rides (Bike of the Irish, the Pumpkin Pedaller and Summer Cycle).
But behind the scenes, AoB is busy guiding master plans that will effect generations of WNC cyclists to come. In the past year, the organization has been instrumental in garnering attention for the Land of Sky Regional Council’s Regional Bike Plan, a two-year study whose recommendations will impact everything from the number of bike racks on busses to which roadways have bike lanes. The organization has also ensured consideration for cyclists in the National Park Service's Draft Management Plan for the Blue Ridge Parkway, encouraging local riders to offer their feedback and speak out for cyclists rights.
"As our organization grows, we need to keep an eye on cycling issues outside the city that impact the region," says Asheville on Bikes founder Mike Sule. "We see ourselves as a strategic partner of The Land of Sky Regional Bike Plan process. … Asheville on Bikes has really taken off over the last six years and we need to stay current with the issues. The overall theme, for me, is that we are in a position to guide plans and policy as opposed to react to them. It’s an energizing place to be."
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