All riders followed the Mickey Shunick Memorial Bike Loop from Rotary Point off West Bayou Parkway, around town, hitting Johnston Street, Bertrand, Cajun Field, the Saint Streets, the UL campus, and Girard Park, before returning to Rotary Point. The almost eight-mile loop took us a little over an hour to ride.
We took a water break at Mickey's ghost bike on St. Landry and had a chance to take a space on the provided canvas to share why we love bike lanes. There were so many good reasons, and the canvas filled up very quickly.
I heard one older couple on a tandem bike talking about how they ride to a dinner date once a week. I love hearing the snippets of how bicycles are part of each person's life, and learning why they ride. There are so just so many whys - leisure, recreation, social, sport, exercise, eco-friendliness and necessity are just some of them.
It was certainly a hot ride, with the heat index still well into the 90s. But we stayed hydrated - always with our reusable bottles, although the ride's organizers did announce that all plastic water bottles and cups would be recycled (another awesome step in the right direction.)
And according to my Fitbit stats, I burned an extra 300 calories while riding almost 8 miles at an 11mph average pace. Leisurely...ha! Huffing, puffing, and sweating was more like it.
Mickey's Loop connects many parts of Lafayette by designated and shared bike lane, just as Mickey's legacy has connected many riders in Lafayette over the past four years. Her memory won't fade and her impact on our community is tangible.
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| Photo from The Advocate |
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