Ghisallo Cycling Initiative

WE ENVISION A FUTURE IN WHICH ALL AGES AND ABILITIES CAN EXPLORE AND CONNECT WITH THEIR COMMUNITIES BY BICYCLE, AND ALL HAVE ACCESS TO BIKES AT AN AFFORDABLE COST. OUR MISSION IS TO ENABLE HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS TO ACCESS THEIR INTERESTS BY BICYCLE.

CYCLE ACADEMY INCLUDES SEMESTER LONG AFTER-SCHOOL WEEKLY BICYCLE MAINTENANCE, SAFETY AND RIDING CLASSES. IN AUSTIN DURING 2022, WE LED 57 IN-PERSON BICYCLE SKILLS CHALLENGES WITH 1048 PARTICIPANTS. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THERE WERE 13 BIKE CLUBS WITH 293 UNIQUE PARTICIPANTS AND 2015 ENCOUNTERS. THERE WERE 2 BIKESTART CLINICS WITH 14 PARTICIPANTS AND 1 EARN-A-BIKE CLINIC. TRICK OR TREAT ON THE TRAIL RETURNED IN OCTOBER WITH THE DISTRIBUTION OF 500 TREAT BAGS ALONG THE BOGGY CREEK HIKE & BIKE TRAIL. FOR THE AISD DISTRICT-WIDE BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY 2022, WE EDUCATED OVER 1800 STUDENTS ON BICYCLE SAFETY AND SKILLS. 19 SCHOOLS PARTICIPATED AND WE DISTRIBUTED 108 BIKES AND HELMETS WORTH APPROXIMATELY $50,000 IN MATERIAL GOODS. WE GOT APPROVAL AND SECURED FUNDS FOR THE FIRST MOUNTAIN BIKE FLOW TRAILS AND PUMP TRACK ON AN AUSTIN ISD CAMPUS. IN SAN ANTONIO, THE YOUR BIKE, YOUR RIDE WAS A LARGE PART OF 2021 AND OUR CYCLE ACADEMY PROGRAM COMBINING HANDS-ON BIKE EDUCATION CLINICS WITH EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTION. WE EDUCATED OVER 2,400 YOUTH IN 50 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT ALL OF SAN ANTONIO. THERE WERE 17 BICYCLE SKILLS CHALLENGE PROGRAMS WITH 2,100+ PARTICIPANTS, 4 BIKESTARTS, 15 BIKE CLUB AND 6 YOUTH FOCUSED EVENTS. WE DISTRIBUTED 25 BICYCLES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS WELL AS HELMETS, LOCKS, AND BIKE LIGHT SETS. IN SAN ANTONIO, CYCLING PROGRAMS WERE HELD DURING SPRING BREAK AND DURING THE SUMMER AT CITY PARK AND REC CENTERS. WE PARTNERED WITH AAA TEXAS AND THE DISTRICT 117 REPRESENTATIVE TO HOST A BIKESTART PROGRAM WITH A BIKE SKILLS CHALLENGE FOR 26 PARTICIPANTS.

GOLDEN ROLLERS IS AN ADULT TRICYCLE AND RECUMBENT BASED PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADULTS AGES 50 AND OLDER AND/OR WITH DIFFERING ABILITIES TO ENGAGE IN LOW-IMPACT, BICYCLE-BASED RECREATION, EXPLORATION AND TRANSPORTATION. IN AUSTIN, WE LED TRIKE CLUBS AT 9 SITES AND ENGAGED 179 UNIQUE PARTICIPANTS AND 907 ENCOUNTERS. THE PROGRAM AT MCBETH RECREATION CENTER IN AUSTIN FOCUSES ON ADULTS WITH DIFFERING ABILITIES WITH WEEKLY SESSIONS. IN SAN ANTONIO WEEKLY GOLDEN ROLLER RIDES HAD 66 UNIQUE RIDERS AS THE PROGRAM RESUMED FULL-TIME AFTER COVID AT OUR ONE LOCATION AT LIONS FIELD ADULT AND SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER. A MAJOR INITIATIVE WAS OBTAINING A GRANT FROM BETTER BIKE SHARE WHICH WAS USED TO PARTNER WITH BCYCLE BIKE SHARE AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT TO OFFER 10 CLINICS FOR 28 PARTICIPANTS TO EXPLORE TRAILS IN THE CITY. EACH PARTICIPANT RECEIVED A HELMET AND A FREE 1-YEAR PASS TO BCYCLE BIKE SHARE. THE SAN ANTONIO GOLDEN ROLLERS GROUP ALSO PARTICIPATED IN THE KING WILLIAM FAIR PARADE AND DISTRIBUTED SAFETY MATERIALS TO CHILDREN ALONG THE ROUTE.

CITY CYCLIST WAS INITIATED IN 2019 TO EDUCATE AND MOTIVATE THE GENERAL POPULATION BY HOSTING LOCAL EVENTS AND PARTICIPATING WITH LOCAL GROUPS, COMMUNITY NONPROFITS AND BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO PROMOTE CYCLING SAFETY. IN AUSTIN DURING 2022, THERE WERE 1 BEGINNING CITY CYCLIST CLINICS WITH 28 RIDER-PARTICIPANTS, 12 COMMUNITY RIDES ATTENDED BY 202 PARTICIPANTS AND 2 FIX-A-THONS WITH 21 PARTICIPANTS. GHISALLO LED AUSTIN'S CITY-WIDE BIKE TO WORK DAY AND COORDINATED 31 FUELING STATIONS WHERE WE DISTRIBUTED COFFEE, BOOKMARKS, RECHARGEABLE BIKE LIGHTS AND BIKE SAFETY INFORMATION. GHISALLO STAFF LED 2 GROUP BIKE RIDES WHICH ENDED AT CITY HALL FOR TACOS AND REMARKS FROM CITY LEADERS. IN SAN ANTONIO, WE HOSTED A BIKE-TO-WORK FUELING STATION AND PARTICIPATED WITH LESSONS, SAFETY INSTRUCTION AND MATERIALS AT COMMUNITY EVENTS INCLUDING FEST OF TAILS, WINDCREST CHRISTMAS LIGHTS BIKE RIDE, SICLOVIA AND INITIATED AND LED AN EARTH DAY GARDEN RIDE.