Have you ever been running late to a Memphis Grizzlies game and gotten stuck in traffic? You’re desperately searching for a place to park before tipoff but there are limited options and they all will cost you $20-$35 bucks. We’ve seen all of you waiting in traffic, and we’ve zoomed by on a bike, parked at a bike rack next to FedEx Forum for free, and walked right in.
Biking in Memphis is FUN.
Memphis Social Bicycle Club hosts weekly rides around midtown and downtown Memphis. We average 50+ cyclists every Thursday and we continue to grow! We have become an active community that has welcomed new Memphians and new cyclists into our midst while creating amazing friendships along the ride. We range in age from early 20s to 70s. If you have a working bike, a helmet, and bike lights, you are welcome to join us. We believe that Memphis has so much potential to be a bike and pedestrian friendly city. It is just time to advocate for ourselves.
Last year, Memphis, TN was ranked the most dangerous city for pedestrians and least bike-friendly city in the nation.
Memphis had good momentum adding 270 miles of bike and sidewalk infrastructure between 2010 and 2020, but if it is not maintained it becomes obsolete if not dangerous. Cyclists in Memphis struggle with a lack of bike lanes and infrastructure, potholes, and obstructions in bike lanes like glass, parked cars, and trash bins. Additionally, we must contend with Memphis drivers, and we all know that is a challenge, but we keep riding because we love it and we have the same rights to the roads as any car.
So we are ready to make a change and want to make sure Memphis knows it.
- Why isn’t infrastructure being maintained properly? (ie: glass and trash in bike lanes, broken crosswalk signs, and constant unfinished pedestrian positive projects.)
- How come the bike infrastructure momentum has not continued?
- How can we make bike transportation more accessible for Memphians?
- How can ensure city leaders prioritize cyclist and pedestrian safety?
We know that pedestrians and cyclists deserve to feel safe and will continue using car-free modes of transportation in Memphis so it’s time to focus on fixing these issues as a community of safe infrastructure advocates.
“People like riding bikes. They don’t like being vulnerable. That’s why people don’t ride bikes. Remove whatever is making people feel vulnerable and more people will ride bikes.”
So what?
We encourage everyone with a bike and helmet to join us to advocate for safe streets and a more bike-friendly Memphis at Memphis Social Bicycle Club’s Memphis Critical Mass on Sunday, November 3rd starting at noon at Wiseacre Downtown HQ. We are commuters, hobbyists, and a little bit of both. This will be a chance to show Memphians that we have a robust bike community and everyone deserves to be safe when they’re on two wheels.
We will take to the streets for a short, family friendly 5 mile ride around downtown Memphis. Meet at 12 pm, we will roll out at 1:00 pm from Wiseacre Downtown HQ, (398 S B.B. King Blvd).
Following the ride, we will have a celebration at Wiseacre Downtown HQ where you can learn more about safe riding, community partners, and the MSBC bike community!
If you’d like to get more involved in our bike community, please visit https://www.msbc-ride.com/
