Riding around Logan for Biketober

That familiar saying to ‘go for a ride’ takes on a special meaning in October this year, with the month being declared Biketober by international cycling enthusiasts.

There’s even an event all month to celebrate cycling and community, known as the Love to Ride Logan Biketober Challenge.

It’s the annual event tied to the Love to Ride campaign, which is backed by many organisations and businesses including Logan City Council, Logan Leisure Centres, Logan Bicycle User Group, Logan Hospital, Griffith University Logan Campus and more.

Love to Ride is a friendly, fun, online bike riding community with the simple mission to get more people riding bikes and making their local area more bike-friendly.

At the beginning of October, Love to Ride had recorded more than 370 people from the City of Logan had registered since the app began, riding more than 1 million kilometres totalled from just over 36,000 rides.

Once signed up to Love to Ride, riders can take part in Biketober, as well as:

• Record all rides
• See carbon savings
• Set distance goals
• Earn badges
• Access educational content
• Discover tailored information
• Connect with an online community of riders
• Win prizes for riding a bike and encouraging others

Logan Leisure Centres, which has joined the Biketober challenge, is encouraging members to participate for a variety of reasons, including boosting mental and physical health, sharing time with family and friends who ride together, and reducing carbon emissions.

Logan City Council also has riders signed up for the challenge, and has a wealth of information on the Council website for the community to find great parks and bike trails to ride.

ABOVE: Logan’s bike trails, such as Daisy Hill Conservation Park, are popular with bike riders.

Underwood Park is a favourite spot for Logan resident Christine, to enjoy a bike ride on the mountain bike trail. ‘I had been playing sport all my life and had so many injuries, so I had to find something else to do,’ she says.

‘There’s different features in different parts of the trails. If you want something harder you try those features. So yeah, it’s all good for all ages and all levels.’

Another local, Farah, who rides with her friends regularly on the Slacks Creek Green Link, says she often goes on a weekend ride. ‘We decided to just get on, do some cycling in and around the neighbourhood, and that just led to wanting to explore more,’ Farah says.

‘A big worry for most of us, because we’re not professionals, is being on the road with cars so having facilities like the bikeway is amazing. It’s so safe, it’s so easy and … it just takes all of that nervousness away.’

The Logan Bicycle User Group also organises regular social rides around different suburbs in the City of Logan, suitable for riders of all ages, with details of the Discover Logan Rides regularly updated on its Facebook page.

To find out more about cycling in Logan, visit Bike riding in Logan | Logan City Council.

Learn more about Love to Ride and the Biketober challenge, visit Love to Ride.

PHOTO AT TOP: Logan locals exploring the bike trails in Daisy Hill Conservation Park.