Poky Pedaling Stevens Point

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. Continue reading →

After great consideration, I have decided to postpone the “P”-Street Bellringer Ride. Originally scheduled for this Saturday, this Poky Pedal will now take place two weeks later on Saturday August 6. We will still meet at 12:45 PM in Iverson Park near the Green Circle gravel path.

The reason for rescheduling is that I am dealing with a minor health issue that has shut me down for the past several days. Although it is not serious and has been steadily improving, I have had substantial difficulty doing much of anything besides resting in bed over this time. Even today, walking up and down a flight of stairs has been difficult.

It seems unreasonable to expect that in two days I’ll be able to spend a couple of hours robustly sharing Bike Fun on our Poky Pedal. In light of this, I would prefer to reschedule early than to be overly optimistic, only to discover hours before we meet that I am still unable to comfortably ride a bicycle. Continue reading →

[Update 1 PM Thursday 7/21: I will wait until late afternoon or early evening to make my next decision and post something new about the status of Saturday’s ride. Please check the PPSP blog this evening or tomorrow for more info.]

I had intended to post an announcement today for the “P”-Street Bellringer Ride scheduled for this Saturday. But as things are playing out, I am simply posting a heads-up to Poky Pedalers of the possibility that this Poky Pedal may be postponed. There are two unrelated issues that create uncertainty for keeping to our Saturday schedule.

First, the weather forecast for Saturday is of concern. As of around 3 PM Wednesday, the forecast for Saturday shows a 50% chance of thunderstorms. I am well aware that the predicted timing, likelihood, and severity of such storms could change substantially (either better or worse) over the next few days. Nevertheless, this is the current prediction.

In addition, I have a minor health issue that has prevented me from riding a bicycle or pretty much doing any other activity for the past few days. It is nothing serious and my condition is improving. Although I am optimistic that I will be well enough to ride on Saturday, there is significant uncertainty that this will actually happen. Continue reading →

Under warm, clear, sunny skies, Saturday’s Tiny Museum Ride exposed 21 Poky Pedalers to a few of Stevens Point’s cultural gems. During our 8-mile loop ride, we visited three tiny museums and spent a bit of time exploring what each had to offer.

Purists may quibble about whether our three destinations were actually museums or not. But PPSP is happy to disregard any such nuances in the interest of maximizing Bike Fun. Continue reading →

[Weather update: As of Saturday morning, the weather forecast has improved considerably, and the Tiny Museum Ride will proceed as scheduled. See the note at the end of this post for more detail on the weather forecast.]

There is more Bike Fun to share this weekend on the Tiny Museum Ride. This will be the third time since 2012 that PPSP will expose Poky Pedalers to a few of the museums in Stevens Point that feature local tributes to history, nature, art, and science.

The Tiny Museum Ride will meet on Saturday June 25 at 12:45 PM in Goerke Park near the entrance to the municipal swimming pool. As with all Poky Pedals, the Tiny Museum 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. Continue reading →

We had to wait a couple of extra days due to threatening weather on Tuesday, but our reward was a pleasant evening under clear sunny skies for our Poky Pedaling Potluck Picnic last night.

Eight Poky Pedalers met at our starting location at Goerke Park. From there, we took a route through Iverson Park onto the gravel Green Circle Trail path to Patch St. We then headed east across Hoover Ave to Joerns Dr. But before reaching the path under I-39, we took a right turn into the Stevens Point Industrial Park. Continue reading →

The Poky Pedaling Potluck Picnic originally scheduled for Tuesday has been postponed two days until Thursday June 16. We will still meet at 5:30 PM in Goerke Park. You can read all about what to expect in the update to the original announcement here.

I originally posted the announcement on Saturday evening. At that time, the forecast showed a dramatic increase in the chance for rain to around 50% at 7 PM, right around the time we would be packing up from our picnic and heading back to Goerke Park. Wind speeds were predicted to be in the high single-digits. It appeared from that forecast that at worst, we’d encounter a bit of sprinkle or light rain as we rode back.

Since then, the forecast has stubbornly predicted an dramatic increase in storm potential at 7 PM. Now the chance for rain is 60%. Of significantly more concern, however, is that there is a similar increase at 7 PM in the chance for thunderstorms. Also, winds are now expected to be around 10-15 MPH all afternoon, with gusts up to 20 MPH. Continue reading →

[Update Monday 6/13 12:15 PM: The weather forecast for Tuesday has gotten somewhat worse and has prompted me to postpone our Poky Pedaling Potluck Picnic until Thursday June 16 at 5:30 PM, still meeting in Goerke Park. I have updated this post to reflect this change. A more full explanation of why I’ve postponed can be found here.]

Another Poky Pedaling Potluck Picnic is just days away. So it’s time to get ready for culinary-themed Bike Fun set in a lovely park location.

Our Poky Pedaling Potluck Picnic will meet on Thursday June 16 at 5:30 PM in Goerke Park near the entrance to the municipal swimming pool. Those who have enjoyed these Poky Pedals in past years should note that our meeting time is 15 minutes later than in the past. And those new to Poky Pedaling Potluck Picnics can rest assured that we won’t actually start our ride until 5:45 PM.

The Poky Pedaling Potluck Picnic is free of charge, and all Poky Pedalers are welcome. If riding slowly and sharing Bike Fun sounds like a great way to spend some time, then you are a Poky Pedaler. Continue reading →

The 2016 Bike Fun Calendar is available for Poky Pedalers to view and make their plans for the months ahead. We’ve already shared Bike Fun on the kickoff event, Shop & Donate by Bike (read the Bike Fun Report here), but there are six more Poky Pedals to come.

The Tiny Museum Ride returns as part of the 2016 Bike Fun Calendar

All of the Poky Pedals on the 2016 Bike Fun Calendar are free, and all Poky Pedalers are welcome. If riding slowly while sharing Bike Fun sounds like a great way to spend some time, then you are a Poky Pedaler.

We always ride in one contiguous group on calm streets and non-motorized paths. See the Are Poky Pedals Family Friendly? webpage to get a better idea of what takes place on a Poky Pedal.

Read on to discover all the Bike Fun you’ll be sharing between now and September. Continue reading →