Art, Books, Bikes for All!

By Alicia Spence-Schlesinger, Nashville BCycle Partner

2 min read Nashville BCycle, Nashville Public Library, the Arts Business Council of Greater Nashville, and the Music City Dope Pedalers joined forces to develop Art, Books, Bikes for All program in efforts to encourage ridership by making e-bikes more accessible and providing safe urban bike routes.

There’s no better way to explore Music City than on a pedal assist e-bike. E-bikes allow you to ride twice the distance in half the time, providing confidence to roam car-free. Not only will commuting by bicycle relieve our congested infrastructure, but it will also help reduce our carbon footprint! Yes, Nashville might like it hot, but not as hot as the Summer of 2022.

BCycle, a public bikeshare system and a subsidiary of Trek Bikes is on a mission to change the world by getting more people on bikes. The premise of a bike share is simple: borrow a bike, ride your commute, then dock at your destination, where another rider will use it or where it’ll stay until you’re ready for your return trip. Trek has invested in growing BCycle’s presence across the U.S. because they believe these systems can do a whole lot of good in helping shift mode share to bikes from more harmful modes of transportation.

Biking can be safe, accessible, and fun

Over the Summer, Nashville BCycle, Nashville Public Library, the Arts Business Council of Greater Nashville, and the Music City Dope Pedalers joined forces to develop Art, Books, Bikes for All program in effort to encourage ridership by making e-bikes more accessible and providing safe urban bike routes. Funded by a mini grant from a Better Bike Share Partnership, Nashville BCycle was able to expand their NPL BCycle pass to all 21 library branches. This pass allows Nashville Public Library card holders to check out a BCycle when checking out books. The Arts Business Council commissioned three local artists; Aaron Grayum, IMGRNT and Caitlin Mello to create BCycle Art Bikes. The Music City Dope Pedalers, a local bicycle group created 10 safe urban bike routes to help riders navigate your neighborhoods with comfort and confidence.

On Saturday, October 22 we gathered at the newest BCycle docking station at the Edgehill Library for a celebratory bike ride. The confluence of moving elements that produced Art, Books, Bikes for All was ready to be shared.With this blog post we want to introduce you to three different points of views from Nashvillians who have ventured out to ride one of our ten Art, Books, Bikes for All ride routes.

Hear from Local BCycle Advocates!

I’ve been a bicycle commuter for 12 years and love the freedom, physical activity, and connection to my community that bicycling provides. I started riding an electric cargo bike when I became a mom and it’s been a complete game-changer for our family, allowing us to leave the car at home for most of our trips. It’s also a ton of fun.

The Art, Books, Bikes for All program is a fantastic way to make e-bikes accessible to everyone.

I tried out the Main Library route and found that it was a great loop around downtown, connecting two library branches, several parks, the Farmer’s Market, the State Museum, and the riverfront. The majority of the route did not have bike lanes, but traffic was relatively light. This would be a perfect route to upgrade to protected bike lanes to make it safe for all ages and abilities!

*Isha El the “CopperQueen”, Native Nashvillian and BCycle Annual Member*

I am Isha El the “CopperQueen’ and I am a born Nashville native, so I grew up riding bikes in this city. What I’ve always loved about riding my bike is the peaceful state of mind I’m in. It’s something about riding in the wind releasing any stress or worries you may have and feeling free. It honestly makes me feel like I’m flying and I can achieve anything.

What I love most about e-bikes in particular is the convenience they provide for safer commute throughout the city. Nashville, Tennessee is a very hilly place, and not all riders are trying to get that kind of workout. They just need to get to where they’re going quickly and safely. The e-bikes are very convenient for riders who aren’t regular bikers. It also helps people be more open to change and how fun and healthy it is.

I love to ride at “Two Rivers Park Greenway”. As a healer, I heavily focus on mental health, physical health, emotional health, and spiritual health. A lot of my health techniques require being outside in nature. I love that the routes are in wooded areas with safe trails for bikers, joggers, runners, etc. It’s something about riding in the woods that is so uplifting to my spirit. I’ve literally cried while riding my bike in this element. It’s the great reset, what I like to call a spiritual cleanse. You will definitely feel clearer after a nature ride. Happy Healing!!!

I love our Nashville BCycle e-bikes! I love being able to pull out my BCycle key fob to jump on an e-bike and just ride from docking station to docking station to ride all day. I enjoy the freedom I feel when I'm on a bike and getting to spend time outside with nature. My favorite bike route is the Shelby Bottoms Trailway down to Nissan Stadium, however I wish there were more BCycle docking stations in the Inglewood, Donelson or Hermitage areas.

Thanks to all at Nashville BCycle for bringing bikes out for us to ride at the event at Edgehill Library on October 22 to encourage us to get healthier while also spending time with the universe.

Biking can be safe, accessible, and fun

All Ride Maps for the Nashville Public Library Bike Share Program

Creating Crosswalks on Gallatin Ave

Safer Chestnut Street