BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — April showers bring May bikers.
"Just have fun,” President of Slow Roll board of directors Janelle Brooks said. “That's the most important thing."
Monday evening marked the kickoff of Slow Roll Monday night community bike rides.
Anyone can become a Slow Roller they have 27 rides this year, through October. Click here for their ride schedule.
Each week, the ride starts somewhere new; Slow Rollers started this ride from the Ukrainian Cultural Center in Buffalo.
"We are an organization that connects community by bike,” Brooks said. “And a part of that is also creating platform for issues that matter."
Along the way they make stops, one of those stops Monday night was at city hall to hear from a member of the Ukrainian community.
"We have a very large Ukrainian community here in buffalo so we're bringing more attention to that," Brooks said.
The start of bike season also means safety reminders.
Brooks said bikers should remember to wear bright colors, have a white light on the front of their bike and red on the back and wear a helmet.
"We take spills all the time,” Brooks said. “Sometimes if we hit a rough patch of road, or whatever it is that’s there, helmets help object individuals from head injuries."
Helmets are required for anyone under 14, but Brooks encourages all riders to wear one.
As for drivers, Slow Rollers want you to keep your eyes on the road.
"It’s easy to not hit somebody,” general manager of Slow Roll Tim Courtney said. “You want to pay attention."
Slow Rollers leave in pods fifteen minutes apart. Brooks said when they have around 600 people, there are usually about 200 in a pod.
"It allows us to work to minimize the congestion when we're on the road," Brooks said.
Courtney said pre-pandemic, they had 1,000 riders and 100 volunteers on an average ride, but the past few years they have had 500 to 700.
But Courtney said the club is about so much more than riding bikes.
"Getting out to different places and meeting different people in Buffalo, it’s fun," Courtney said.
