A couple weeks ago we hosted our sixth annual West St. Paul Rider community bike ride. It’s a family-friendly, 7-mile ride around our community, highlighting the local trails so people can get out more.

It’s a fun time. We’ve got pics (courtesy of Jeannine Pohl of Block Portrait Studios).

I started this bike ride in 2021 to celebrate the opening of the Robert Street tunnel, a trail connection that made biking in West St. Paul a lot safer and easier. We had been pushing for that tunnel for years and it was finally happening. I thought we should mark that moment. Back then we went about a mile in one direction, turned around and went a mile in the other direction. We were hemmed in by construction and limited trails.

It’s crazy to see the change in just a few years.

We also went from about 25 on that first ride to 120 this year.

That’s also crazy.

I’m not exactly an event planner. I like sitting at my computer. A solo ride is just fine by me. Coordinating stuff like that isn’t my favorite thing to do. I’ve got about 20 volunteers and some great support (and donations) to make it possible.

Where am I going with this? Sometimes the person to do something is you. If you look around and see something you think should happen, sometimes you’re the person you’re looking for.