We made a quick trip to Laramie, Wyoming over the weekend. I lived there as a kid, and as an undergrad, and during both periods I recall it as being a great place to ride a bike. I'm happy to report that it has only gotten to be more bike friendly over time, with improvements to bike infrastructure and a blossoming bike culture.
For those of you unfamiliar with Laramie, a reasonable facsimile of it as a town may be that of the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska from the 1990s TV show Northern Exposure; a largely sleepy community that is at times quirky, with an occasional edge of sophistication. A recent development has been several public art projects in the downtown area, including some
terrific murals and some highly functional and fun,
locally produced bike racks that feature native animals and scenes.
An indicator of further change in advancement of bicycle support in the community was in a campaign sign for a local candidate. The sign featured a bike in place of Steamboat the bucking horse from the iconic symbol of Wyoming. For a sitting state representative, in a state where registered automobiles have historically outnumbered people, this is a bold statement.
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| Thematically appropriate bike racks in this railroad town, and a wall growing food. |
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| The ramp to the bike/ped bridge over the rail yard is a Laramie landmark. |
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| From the bridge, a wave to the engineer returns a horn blast, as it did when I was a kid. |
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| Galloping antelope rendered in green steel sure beats a standard bike rack. |
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| As does a blue moose. |
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| The Pedal House bike shop has been a fixture in the Laramie bike community for more than a quarter century. |
Hey, thanks for the good wishes. I won that election in 2016 and then again this year.
ReplyDeleteThe bucking bike, by the way, is my version of truth in advertising. I raced for 15 years and also worked for VeloNews for 17.
I've never been been bucked by a horse, but sure as heck have been thrown by a few bikes.