Courtesy of Pedestrian and Cycle Manitou
Greetings, Manitou Springs! PaC-MAN here, celebrating Bike Month in Colorado, which happens each June.
Bike Month is a way for communities to offer various ways to encourage citizens to replace car trips by bike. One such opportunity to try this out is during PaC-MAN’s Bike to Work or Wherever Photo Contest. We’re asking participants to tag us on Facebook or Instagram with their commuting photos.
We would love to hear your stories, and you could win a prize too — thanks in part to a Manitou Arts, Culture, and Heritage grant. For more details about the contest, please visit us on Facebook or Instagram.
And speaking of cycling as transportation, we recently caught up with one such resident who uses a bicycle to get around. Thanks to Matt Carpenter for sharing his active transportation story.
How long have you been a resident and why did you choose to live in Manitou Springs?
I started visiting Manitou in 1987 for the Pikes Peak Ascent and Marathon. I moved to Colorado Springs in 1991 but found I was always coming to Manitou for my longer runs. Therefore, to get easier access to Pikes Peak and the other area trails, I moved to Manitou in 1998 and took over the Colorado Custard Co. in 2012.
I have always run or biked to work wherever I have lived. Although I haven’t raced since 2011, I’m coming up on 11 years where I have run at least one hour every single day. I also have a scooter that is the perfect commute/errand vehicle for a small town like Manitou.
What are the pros/cons of cycling/running to not only work in Manitou but also to get around/run errands?
Trying to stay active and, hopefully, healthy is the most positive benefit. But parking, or rather not having to worry about parking, is the main driver for me. Because of our low speed limits (most of my 2.5-mile commute has a 20-mph speed limit) and many pedestrian crossings, I can bike to the shop faster than I could in a car when you factor in the time saved parking.
The trip home takes a little longer because it’s uphill, but I find a bike ride home the perfect way to unwind from a day of long lines at the shop. As far as cons go, some might call our hills a con, but I love hills! So about the only con that comes to mind is the occasional ride in the rain.
What infrastructure and/or esthetic improvement would have the most positive impact on your cycling/walking/running experiences in Manitou?
One of the reasons I took up trail running was to be in nature, which does not require “esthetic improvements.” Indeed, the more natural the better. As far as commuting to/from the shop on a bike goes, it’s just that, a commute, and I don’t really put much thought into it.
What advice would you give someone who would like to give walking/rolling/transit as transportation in and to Manitou but does not have much time?
Like anything new, just don’t make the mistake of doing too much all at once. Start out with the goal of once a week. Then twice a week. By then you will get the kinks worked out, find the best route, etc., and chances are you will find your stress levels going down and your quality time going up.
If your route is really hilly or you’re living outside of Manitou, an e-bike could be your golden ticket. They make you feel like Superman! You can try one out right at Manitou’s very own e-bike shop. (E-Bike Sales and Rental, 906 Manitou Ave.)
What do you think would increase more active transportation in Manitou?
With all the paid parking and congestion, I think the incentives are already there. You just have to wake up one day and decide to try something different.
What other form of transportation do you use and what has that experience been like?
I started out almost exclusively on my scooter because it gets about 120 mpg and is free and easy to park. Over the past three years, I have switched to just biking. Basically, I needed to get some pedal/seat time for a 767-mile bike trip to Phoenix in 2021, and a 464-mile bike trip to Mount Rushmore in 2022.
I still use my scooter on the days I need to stop by Safeway to get shop supplies. Most recently, while my daughter was away on vacation, I tried out her e-bike. I find that I still pedal at the same effort but I just go a lot faster. I even used it instead of my scooter for the Safeway trips. E-bikes are amazing!
Although I do lots of “errand runs,” in the 12 years of owning the shop, I could probably count on one hand the number of times I have run to/from it as a commute. Likewise, it would probably take only two hands to count the number of times I have taken a car. But even then, I was just dropped off/picked up, so no parking was involved. I have never tried a bus.