Introducing Monday Meandering and Musings Rides - Hosted by Mona Will

Introducing Monday Meandering and Musings Rides - Hosted by Mona Will

The Monday Meandering and Musings rides are for women only. This ride is best for women that are ready to move from exclusively city trail riding to some trail and protected road riding. Each week the ride will leave from a different area in town and we’ll cover somewhere between 7-10 miles. The ride will be at a leisurely pace and no one will be left behind.

The idea behind “Meandering and Musings” is to discover the “backroads” of different neighborhoods in town by bike. Some of the rides will be led by local riders; someone that lives in the area. She will show us some of her favorite places to ride, share a story or two about the neighborhood and most likely lead us to a local “watering hole” or small café for a short refreshing break.

We will be learning how to ride as a group, proper signaling when making a turn in traffic ,and how to smoothly transition from trail riding to road riding. This will be presented mostly by example rather than sitting behind a school desk with a teacher at the chalkboard. (or dry erase board in this day and age)

Everyone riding will need to have a bike that is in good working order, tires have been recently inflated, a helmet, some cash for refreshing break options, a willing attitude to learn, and an extra inner tube and CO2 cartridge. These can easily be purchased at any of our local bike shops. Also bring a filled water bottle on your bike or that you can carry with you somehow. Wear comfortable clothing for the weather we will be riding in. Sunglasses and sunscreen are also highly recommended.

The rides will begin promptly at 9A every Monday starting July 10th. You are welcome to ride to the starting point or drive in. The rides will always return to the starting point.

Come out and ride your bike with us each week that you’re available. My hope is that at the end of every ride, each woman will have learned something new and introduced herself to someone she met on the ride.

July 10-Meeting point, the statue of Martin Luther at Concordia Seminary. Statue is on Martin Luther Drive shortly after entering the campus. Today’s ride will be a combination of bike trails, multi-use sidewalks, and cut throughs. You will soon find that when riding a bike, we very seldom are able to take a straight path from point A to point B. This ride is a great example of how we wind around to get to our destination. Refreshment stop will be Old Crown Coffee. They have great beverages in addition to coffee.

July 17-Meeting point, the shelter house at Lakeside Gardens on Lake Street. Today’s ride will be some trail riding but mostly back streets. Our local guide Jade Kelsey, who lives in this general area will lead us around her favorite places to ride. Refreshment stop TBA.

July 24-Meeting point, parking lot of Lawton Park by the greenhouses. Today we will venture into downtown and have fun riding in the protected bike lanes. We will learn how to properly use the “green box” (our one and only so far), riding while cars are passing us, and what to do when the bike lane ends and you find yourself riding on the street. Do you quickly find a sidewalk to ride on or do you ride in the road as if you are a vehicle? Refreshment stop TBA. (I have a pretty good idea where it’s going to be but have to check their business hours.)

July 31-Meeting point, Foster Park shelter house by the tennis courts. Today meet with our neighborhood guide Angie Quinn, who is a very proud resident of south Ft Wayne. She loves riding and is happy to show us “her neck of the woods”. This ride will consist of trail riding, secondary city streets, protected bike lanes, and who knows what else. Only Angie knows where we’re going. All we have to do is follow her. Refreshment stop TBA.

August dates will be published when July is wrapping up and I’ve had a chance to scope out a few more interesting sections of the city to ride in that is a bit off the beaten path.

A little bit about me, your ride leader. My name is Mona Will. I discovered the joys of riding a bike when I was about 7 years old. My family thought that riding bikes as a family activity would be good for all of us. I rode a little blue bike that my dad bought at an auction on a Saturday morning. I was with him when he bought it and I could hardly wait to get home and learn how to ride it. It was just one speed-as fast or as slow as my legs could pedal. By the time I was 13 years old, I was allowed to ride by myself as long as my household chores were done. I would ride to my friend Polly’s house which was a few miles away and then we’d ride to the ball diamond for our daily softball practice, which was another couple miles further. We’d ride into town, with our 50 cents allowance jingling in our short pocket. We’d go to the small grocery store, buy an Elf brand orange pop and a Milky Way candy bar. Drink and eat out on the sidewalk by our bikes and then go to practice. Afterwards, head home. Those cool summer mornings and hot afternoons on the bike will always bring a smile to my face even 40 years later.

Fast forward to 2012, I’m a divorced mother of a teenage daughter, I’m working a full time job, a part time job, and going to college 2 nights a week. I’m in a long distance relationship that has been deteriorating for a few years but I am being bullheaded enough that I wasn’t going to be the one that ended another relationship no matter what.

In other words, my life was full, but my spirit was dead, I remember calling my mom; I was sobbing and telling her that I just couldn’t keep going much longer. She suggested that I cut back and do something for myself. She said “Mona, do something that brings you happiness.” I replied “I don’t know what that would be”. She said “Think about it for a few days. I’m sure you’ll think of something.” It took me about a day to settle down and sure enough I remembered. Some of the  happiest times in my life was when I was riding my bike in the summer. I was “free” on my bike. I had no one telling me what to do or not to do. I didn’t have to take care of anyone other than myself. I could be gone for a few hours or all day long, and as long as I was home before sunset, no one complained.

I took my mom’s advice, cut out one class during the summer semester and borrowed a bike from a friend. I started by riding a few miles on the Greenway and before long I was riding all the way to New Haven and back on the trail. I rode by myself most of the time but had a few friends from out of town come ride with me on a Saturday and we spent the better part of the day winding through the city on the trails. I was hooked. I started feeling that feeling of freedom again. No rules. Just me and the bike.

After about a year on the trails I wanted to try riding on the road again but really didn’t know where to go. I wasn’t familiar with this area so a friend suggested I try riding with a local biking group called Three Rivers Velo Sport. I found out about when they offered a group ride and very nervously showed up in the late summer for my first ride. I was warmly welcomed and to make a long story short, it’s 2017 and I’m still riding on the roads almost every weekend May-October. My longest single ride has been 162 miles. It took me 12 hours to complete the ride. I enjoyed it so much I did the same ride the next year. I have been riding in the winter now that I know how to dress properly for cold weather. I highly recommend you try it some time. Having a sunny day, with snow on the ground and a cold nip in the air is exhilarating!

I remember how empowering and how free I felt as a young girl and even now as a middle aged woman when I’m riding my bike. Riding turned my life around and I have seen how it has changed other women’s lives. It is both physically and mentally stimulating.

My hope and goal is that the Monday Meandering and Musings rides will spark or re-ignite a love for riding. It doesn’t matter to me if you ride 6 mph or 12 mph. It doesn’t matter if you ride 3 miles or 30 miles.  As long as you are willing to take a couple hours each week to get on a bike and ride I think you will find it to be fun and exciting. Please come out and ride with us and see for yourself.