Lauren

I rode bikes growing up in Miami, but it was always at a destination. We'd drive to Shark Valley and ride the fourteen-mile loop - easy to park, rent bikes, bring your own, and see lots of wildlife. Dad also used to drive us to Key Biscayne where we'd ride in deserted parking lots and the abandoned zoo. It was never, "Let's bike from home!" where I grew up.

My craving to ride more really took off in Colorado. I got into races and group rides, but I kept thinking, "Wouldn't it be amazing to just hop on my bike and go to work or the grocery store?" But in Colorado Springs, it wasn't quite accessible. In Raleigh, I’ve experienced how easy it is to commute everywhere on bike, adopting that lifestyle and doing something I'd always wanted just made sense.