Many generations, types of bikes, and beings — bears, turtles, reptiles, fireflies, Austrian yodelers, and a bike lane — were represented Saturday, November 2, for the first annual Halloweekend Community (E-) Bike Ride that took off from West Lebanon’s Kilton Public Library. About 25 folks chased the chill with hot cider, coffee, and snacks like cider doughnuts and themed cupcakes and looped in a group from West Lebanon through White River Junction, including a small stretch of the reconstructed length of Route 5, which calms car traffic and offers much greater safety for bikes and walkers.
The event marked the end of the 2024 season of the Upper Valley E-Bike Lending Library and was a thank you to the volunteers that host the library as it goes from town to town to allow people to try out e-bikes as a way to do less driving.
Wrote Karl Kemnitzer of Hartland, a bike and e-bike advocate and volunteer, “I loved it when a lady took a video as we rode by, another at the bus stop yelled, ‘Bikes rule!’, a kid rolled down the back window to talk to me, and a man in an SUV gave me a thumbs up. All in all a great community ride.”
Thanks to our partners in bike/e-bike promotion and this event: Kilton Public Library, VTrans, Hanover Bike-Walk, local e-bike enthusiast volunteers, and the members of the Upper Valley Transportation Management Association!