Charlotte Spokes People founder wants you to be Savvy in the saddle.
One in a series of Open Streets 704 profiles on Charlotte’s bike and pedestrian advocates.
If it’s Tuesday night in Plaza Midwood and you see a large group of bikes roll by, chances are that Pam Murray is rolling with them.
The Plaza Midwood Tuesday Night Ride — or PMTNR to those “in the know” — has become somewhat of a tradition, and the rides are Murray’s chance to get people out of their cars and onto two wheels. The group takes meets at 7:45 and takes off at 8:00 from Common Market and rolls back in a couple of hours later. It’s just one of many ways Murray encourages people to ride their bikes instead of driving.
“Plaza Midwood has a great bike culture,” says Murray. “People are used to seeing bike riders, and accommodate them.” Pedestrian improvements have also helped, and neighbors are enthusiastic hosts and participants when Open Streets 704 events roll through the area.
But Murray wasn’t always such an enthusiastic supporter of cycling. A Financial Advisor in her early career, she didn’t gravitate to bikes until 2006, when she was teaching her own children to ride. “I got on, and just kept going,” she says with a laugh.
Murray says Charlotte is one of the best places in the country to ride a bike because you can ride almost year-round. She cites the lush tree canopy and mild climate as reasons people can ride all over town, all year long. “It’s really fun to do in Charlotte,” she adds.
As her children grew, so did Murray’s love of cycling. At first, she learned about routes from friends and that made a big difference. “The route is the most important thing in neighborhood streets,” she advised. She also rides on main roads, but says knowing where to cut through town makes trips quicker.
Four years ago, Murray took a “Cycling Savvy” course in Orlando, and her skills took a huge leap forward. “It changed everything,” she says. “I can ride anywhere.”
The course, based in Orlando, teaches bike safety, strategy, and technique. She thought, “Everyone needs to take this!” She trained to become an instructor, and brought the course to Charlotte. About 200 people have completed the course here since 2014.
Murray’s enthusiasm doesn’t stop there, though. She is one of the founders of Charlotte Spokes People, a clearinghouse of sorts for all things cycling in Charlotte. The website cltspokespeople.org lists a revolving calendar of group rides and fun activities for bike riders. It also has information about Bike Benefits, a program where businesses will offer discounts to members who buy a helmet sticker and ride their bikes over to visit.
Murray believes the bike community in Charlotte is growing, and infrastructure is slowly changing to accommodate it. Even greenways are getting more popular, but Murray warns folks not to wait for a greenway to jump on. “You should ride anyways,” she says.
She’ll be more than happy to tell you how. Don’t be surprised if she asks you to join her on a “rolling meeting” to talk about it!
Want to join in on the ride? Check out the PMTNR and Charlotte Spokes People on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PMTNR/
