CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The interest in bicycling is not expected to die down anytime soon. We first saw the trend pick up at the beginning of the pandemic.
Now with rising gas prices, once again, people are being drawn to bike stores.
According to the city's website, Charlotte has nearly 200 miles of bikeways focusing on building the Uptown connection. Uptown CycleLink is the result of four years of planning and evaluation in Uptown. The end goal is a seven mile network of separate bike lanes connecting over 40 miles of bikeways in around Center City.
The idea of bike versus car traffic does get people riled up. There is a tradeoff in areas where some car lanes are being re-configured. But a local instructor for Cycling Savvy says the time is now to get on a bike. Pam Murray has a car, but still puts 20-30 miles on her bike everyday.
"I'm basically driving my invisible car. It just looks like a bike," she said.
Murray says we're years from the proper infrastructure to make Charlotte completely bike friendly so education is key. Planning your route is also important. Apps like Ride with GPS and Strava make it easy to see where you're going before you hit the road.
"Don't get frustrated with me. Just go around. That's what you would do with a vehicle in front of you going slow," Murray said.
Murray believes the occasional irritated driver is a small price to pay for an otherwise pleasant experience.
"You're not creating any emissions which is a good thing. you don't have to buy any gas, which is a good thing. you're getting exercise which is a good thing. It's all positive," she said.
Murray teaches a safety skills class followed by a bike ride. Her next class will be in April.
Contact Jane Monreal at jmonreal@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.