Dickinson to Host Northside Ride: Community Bicycling Event with Partners
Cyclists participate in the 2023 Northside Ride.
The Northside Ride
Bicyclists of all ages are invited to join a community ride around Carlisle’s Northside neighborhood. The Northside Ride will take place on Saturday, April 20 (rain date: April 27), with registration, free minor bike repairs and free breakfast opening at 9 a.m. and an all-ages, all abilities 3.4-mile bike ride departing at 10:15 a.m. Participants will meet at New Life Community Church, 64 E. North St., Carlisle. The ride and its associated events are free and open to the public. No pre-registration is required, but participants can RSVP on Facebook.
The Northside Ride seeks to connect residents and community organizations while encouraging bicycle safety and bicycle use as an effective form of transportation within and beyond Carlisle. The event will provide free helmets, bike lights and bike locks to neighborhood riders who participate. All participants are required to sign a waiver, and participants under age 14 must be accompanied and supervised by an adult on the ride.
“Dickinson faculty, staff and students love working on the Northside Ride together as it puts us in direct partnership with some of the community’s greatest leaders,” said Lindsey Lyons, director of sustainability learning at Dickinson’s Center for Sustainability Education, which partners with community organizations to host the ride. “The ride shares a purpose of not just biking safely and providing an accessible option to local residents but also visiting local nonprofit organizations, parks and landmarks along the way.”
Cyclists are encouraged to gather at New Life Community/Lifecycle for free breakfast, minor bike tune-ups/repairs and safety checks courtesy of the Handlebar, LifeCycle Carlisle and Harrisburg Bicycle Club. The easy ride starts at 10:15 a.m. and travels to waypoints including the college campus, YWCA Carlisle & Cumberland County, Carlisle Tool Library, Heberlig Palmer Park and Project SHARE Farmstand. The ride ends at Memorial Park/Hope Station, 149 W. Penn St., Carlisle. Each of these partners will also offer a bike-related activity or demonstration.
“I'm excited to share the convenience of biking with Carlisle community members,” says Caleb Grim '26, one of the ride’s organizers. “The time I have saved from biking to class, work and extracurricular activities has been really valuable and made me more punctual.”
The Northside Ride has been an annual tradition since 2018 and is sponsored by Dickinson’s Center for Sustainability Education with community partnerships at the core.
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Published April 5, 2024