GSS ‘Biker Gang’ Inspiration

If you need inspiration…

for a New Year’s fitness goal, check out the ‘GSS Biker Gang’ from our downtown site. This fall, they started cycling into work each week. Sounds pleasant, right? A little fresh air and exercise. But this was a lot of fresh air and exercise. Their 17-kilometer route took them from the far south Terwilliger area, down to and across the river valley, then into downtown Edmonton. That meant starting the day with an hour-long bike ride. Sounds daunting, right? But this also meant an hour-long ride home at the end of the day.

Who are they and why are they doing this?

Well, the ‘who’ part is easy: The more regular riders, from MDU, live in the Terwilliger area: Leah-anne Graham, Assistant Manager, Jackie Harrison, Clinical Registered Nurse Educator, and Mehvash Qureshi, Clinical Director - Nurse Practitioner. Ginger Whittal, Manager of SCS, has also joined in but lives in Sherwood Park so that is really a complicated way to get to work.

It sounds like the ‘why’ just evolved from conversations. They just kept talking about cycling, two of four had bikes, they all had a spirit of adventure, and ….one thing led to another.

Getting geared up to start

Leah-anne was a regular cyclist and Jackie had done some cycling but Mehvash and Ginger had to get equipped. Picking a bike was the most complex and costly step. For this type of cycling, the group advises not to get a beginner bike. Mehvash now has a hybrid bike, and Lean-anne, Ginger, and Jackie have trail bikes. Jackie started with a cruiser bike but found it didn’t perform well out of the suburbs so switched to a trail bike instead.

A good starter bike is likely to cost between $700 - $1100. It turns out Edmonton has a very supportive online bike community so prices asked for secondhand bikes seem quite reliable. Then bike shops will help tune up the bike. To help with a purchase, remember the GSS Personal Spending Account because a bike is an ideal way to invest those funds.

Getting started also involved planning and strategizing for safety, comfort, and work. Cycling gear has to keep you safe and warm, so visibility and layering are important. But clothes for cycling may not be appropriate for a work meeting and cycling with a laptop isn’t ideal, so some pre-planning is needed.

For Mehvash, “The first time was hell - the second time was lots easier.” She has an indoor bike and works out regularly which helped. But, in addition to some fitness and strength, it’s important to understand roadside etiquette and how to handle the bike. That’s where mentoring from experienced cyclists really helps.

What’s Next?

The group didn’t think of starting this initiative until the fall and enjoyed it so much, they hope to continue in the winter but for safety, the cut off would be -10 or the level of wind or ice. In the meantime, though, they’ve started a running club and are experimenting with wall/rock climbing. Speaking of mentoring, they are recruiting for the upcoming spring cycling season. (Word is that Jeff Walker, Senior Manager at MDU, will become a bike ‘gangster’ in the spring.)

Cycling may not be the adventure that fits for you. But is there another type of fitness adventure you can explore? Maybe with your family or your work team? Go for it! Let’s make 2023 a year of wellness and strength for us all!