This Saturday, Poky Pedalers will be ding-dinging their bike bells all over Stevens Point on the “P”-Street Bellringer Ride. The first bellringer Poky Pedal was in 2013. Just like then, we’ll discover the pure Bike Fun of participating in a chorus of bike bells while riding through pleasant neighborhoods.

The “P”-Street Bellringer Ride will meet on Saturday August 6 at 12:45 PM in Iverson Park near the Green Circle gravel path. From there, we will ride a 12-mile loop at our usual slow pace on calm streets and non-motorized paths. At about the halfway point, we will have the option to stop for ice cream and other snacks.

The “P”-Street Bellringer Ride is free of charge and all Poky Pedalers are welcome. If riding slowly and sharing Bike Fun sounds like a great way to spend an afternoon, then you are a Poky Pedaler.

This Poky Pedal was originally scheduled for July 23 but was postponed due to a personal health issue. I am happy to report that I have recovered and can once again share Bike Fun with Poky Pedalers.

During our Poky Pedal, every time we ride on a street whose name starts with the letter “P”, we will all ring our bike bells. This ride may seem completely pointless, yet in a manner along the lines of learning from a Zen master, Poky Pedalers will discover how much fun ding-dinging your bike bell truly is. Especially when you are surrounded by a swarm of Poky Pedalers doing the same. (Note: I actually have no experience learning from a Zen master, but I strongly suspect they would experience true Bike Fun if they joined us.)

Poky Pedalers will also discover the surprisingly large quantity of streets in Stevens Point whose names begin with the letter “P”. PPSP has a particular fondness for the letter “P”. In fact, I would claim that “P” is the most fun letter in the alphabet. This makes it the best letter choice to inspire our bike-bell-ringing expressions of Bike Fun. You might want to limber up your bike bell thumb, or other digit as appropriate, as it will get a workout on this Poky Pedal.

Those whose bikes have an alternative to a bike bell, such as a horn or other noisemaker, are also welcome. Although my personal taste runs to bike bells, diversity is always welcome in the sphere of Bike Fun. Whatever noise you contribute to our chorus will be sweet.

And if you don’t have a bike bell, there is still plenty of time to stop by your favorite bicycle shop and pick one up. Their prices span a wide gamut with just as wide a variety of tones. Even an inexpensive one will allow you to share ample Bike Fun on the “P”-Street Bellringer Ride.

For those without any sort of bike bell or alternative, you are of course welcome to silently join our Poky Pedal. I assure you, though, that from the first “P”-Street we encounter through the end of our Poky Pedal, you will wish you had one.

By the way, Poky Pedalers should keep in mind that your bike bell is also useful for alerting other users of streets and paths to your presence. For example, it is polite to alert a person walking ahead of you on the Pfiffner Park path that you are about to slowly pass them via ringing your bike bell.

The weather forecast for Saturday calls for sunny skies and temperatures approaching 80 degrees. It should be a lovely afternoon for bicycling though the streets of Stevens Point. In the event that the forecast changes and becomes more threatening, I will update this post to indicate any schedule change for this Poky Pedal.

The simplicity of the “P”-Street Bellringer Ride will provide the essence of Bike Fun. And you don’t have to find a Zen master to experience it. I look forward to sharing Bike Fun with all Poky Pedalers on Saturday.