If I'm gonna ride my bike for a living, I might as well also do something useful.

So it’s time to be honest with myself. One the positive side, racing professionally is becoming more of a possibility each year, month, and week. I am training my heart out day in and day out and it’s beginning to make a difference. I’m not there yet, but as I keep pushing through to the next level, I’m finding out more ways to make this dream come true. On the not so positive side, racing my bike isn’t really something that helps people. Realizing this fact got me thinking about things a little bit deeper, it got me wondering how I can help people.

How can I help people? That’s a tough question. So instead I thought, how was I helped, specifically by cycling? How has my life been changed, effected, bettered by riding a bike? The simple fact is that on a bike I’ve become a more health person, with drive and focus on life goals. I have learned to live in an efficient manner. Sure a car is useful, but I get along fine day to day without one. In fact I’d say things are better by bike! A little fresh air on my way to work always gets the day started right and a calming ride home chills me out.  I have become more energetic and productive on and off the bike. Thinking about all these things, it became clear that for me I could help my community by getting more people riding bikes, embracing a healthy lifestyle, and truly believing in the power that bikes have to change our world for the better.

This idea isn’t something new. It’s something many of my sponsors do. Trek Bikes has a ton of programs and systems to help spread the message. They give away tons of money to tons of organizations that are helping the get the message out there and improve people’s lives. KS Energy Services is hugely charitable and with them I’ve help out at the Make a Wish foundation’s annual run/walk on Milwaukee’s lake front. This is on top of a ton of other work the entire company does to help people in all walks of life.

While a person could make a full time job out of this, and many have, I’m not in a position to do so, but I still want to help. So I will be working with the Wisconsin bike fed. Volunteering my time to help do whatever they need. I hope to work with some local WIN cycling teams to help teach kids how to ride bikes. I’ll start small, but who knows where it could take me.

I encourage anyone reading this to take a step to do this as well. Contact the Wisconsin bike fed, start riding into work, encourage your friends to join you even! Replace your short trips around town with a little bike ride. I know that the majority of the people reading this already do a lot of these things, but if you don’t consider trying it!

At the very least, check out The Wisconsin Bike Fed and consider becoming a member.

Thanks for reading!