Bike Riding in Memphis

Memphis rated among nation's worst for bicycle enthusiasts
By Tom Charlier

Friday, May 16, 2008

The song by Grammy-winner Mark Cohn rhapsodized about walking in the Bluff City, but no one's singing a tune called "Biking in Memphis."

That would be one sad song.

Memphis, along with Dallas and Miami, has been named one of the nation's "worst cities for cycling" by Bicycling magazine.

Citing the absence of designated bike lanes and other facilities, the magazine criticized Memphis city government and its "layers of bureaucracy" for figuratively running cyclists off the road.

For many local riders, the city's new dubious distinction comes as no surprise.

"We believe it," said Hal Mabray, an avid rider and co-owner of the Peddler Bike Shop. "It's not very user-friendly for cyclists."

The best cities for cycling, according to the magazine, are Portland, Ore.; Boulder, Colo.; Seattle; Chicago; and San Francisco.

It's not as if Memphis doesn't have a lot of enthusiastic riders. The Memphis Hightailers Bicycle Club counts 400 members with another 300 who participate in rides and other events, said club president Bill Abney.

"There's a strong cycling community here," Abney said.

City engineer Wain Gaskins said Memphis is working to better accommodate the cyclists.

"Historically, we've been behind the curve," he said.

A major reason Memphis has no bike lanes -- while suburbs such as Germantown and Lakeland do -- has to do with storm-drain grates, Gaskins said. The ones traditionally used have had slots running parallel to the curb, meaning bike wheels could fall into them.

"We were not going to put the city in that kind of liability situation," he said.

However, the city has begun replacing the older grates with "bicycle-friendly" ones. The new grates will help pave the way for new "bike facilities" -- possibly designated lanes -- in the Shady Grove-Brierview area, Gaskins said.

The city also is working on the design of the Wolf River Greenway, which will include paths for biking.

The lack of facilities might help explain why Memphis, along with four other cities, ranked next to last in the percentage of commuters using bicycles to get to work, according to Census Bureau estimates released last year. Of more than 279,000 workers in Memphis, only 214 -- less than 0.1 percent -- commute by bike.

Thursday was national "Bike to Work Day," and one commuter who pedaled to a job was Bobby Singley, repair manager at Peddler. He uses side streets for his almost mile-and-a-half commute each way and says that if care is taken, it's not too difficult to bicycle in Memphis.

With gas now topping $3.50 a gallon, Singley saves money by cycling. But there are other advantages.

"A lot of it is the personal freedom -- freedom from the gas pump, freedom from being inside," he said.

-- Tom Charlier: 529-2572

Today's Commercial Appeal has a story by Anthony Siracusa, the founder and Executive Director of Revolutions Bike Shop. He says things are improving for Memphis cyclists.


Click here for information about Memphis Hightailers weekly rides.

Click here for maps of Stanky Creek Mountain Bike Trail.

Click here for a listing of local bike shops and times for their daily rides.