My awesome friend Michael takes photographs at every ride and bike-related event we attend. Over the course of the last few years, his photos have become a de facto journal documenting the extraordinary spirit of local cyclists. Below are my eleven favorite photographs from 2011. These are the pictures that remind me what I'm fighting for, and inspire me to try and be a better advocate for bikes.
 |
| Garfield Place, 1/13/11 |
Photo #2: After much grassroots lobbying, Cincinnati’s first artistic bike corral was installed on Main Street a few days before Bockfest began (one of Cincinnati’s beer festivals). We thought it would be a shame for someone to accidentally drive into the corral the same weekend it was installed, so some guerilla activists decorated the corral with lights in order to make it more noticeable to the festival’s potentially intoxicated patrons
 |
| Main Street, 3/3/11 |
Photo #3: The Thursday Night Slow & Steady Ride converges at the Cincinnatus statue for Kelon's birthday. And Alan actually has a shirt on!
 |
Sawyer Point, 6/16/11 |
Photo #4: I love how Kelon is shaking his fist as if in victory! Our Thursday Night Slow & Steady numbers peaked around 130 over the summer (pretty amazing for what started four years ago as just a couple of friends going on a ride).
 |
| Spring Grove Ave, 6/23/11 |
Photo #5: The Red, Bike, and Blue Alley Cat. Our slogan was “Ride like a Girl,” so men who wanted to participate had to ride in drag. Riders raced to checkpoints throughout the city and earned points by completing tasks like putting a cloth diaper on a babydoll, shoveling compost, and getting take out menus.
 |
| Hoffner Park, 7/2/11 |
Photo #6: I love all the bikes in the air!
 |
| Fountain Square, 8/4/11 |
Photo #7: The city installed six temporary in-street bike corrals for the MidPoint Music festival. The corrals are now being made available to community organizations who want to borrow them for events.
 |
| Jackson Street, 9/23/11 |
Photo #8: Wes and his vintage bike on our first Tweed Ride. The ride was in October, but it was still over 80 degrees outside. This year I think we’ll hold it a bit later in the fall…
 |
| Uptown, 10/8/11 |
Photo #9: Thanks to the leadership and tenacity of Jason Berlin, the Cincinnati Recreation Commission built us a bike polo court. As far as I know, it's the only municipally funded/constructed court in the United States.
 |
| Joselin Ave polo court, 11/13/11 |
 |
| Central Parkway, 12/16/11 |
Photo #11: This one speaks for itself.
 |
| Lytle Park, 12/29/11 |