Logan’s biking community emphasizes inclusion: Anyone can hop on a bike
Rock music filtered through the speakers and mixed with the sound of bicycle wheels turning and the clank of various tools at Aggie Blue Bikes, Utah State University’s bike shop.
Founded in 2005, Aggie Blue Bikes is the heart of the campus biking community and welcomes students wanting to get involved in all things bicycling. They provide bicycle education; students can bring in their own bike and be taught how to fix it.
Avery Cronyn, a student at USU, started working as a mechanic four years ago and has been the program coordinator since July. He said that everyone is welcome to stop by, experienced biker or not.
“There’s no stupid questions,” Cronyn said. “We’re all about trying to get people on bikes and feeling more comfortable. We try to provide a lot of opportunities for people who might not feel comfortable breaking into the biking industry, whether that’s riding bikes, racing bikes, or fixing bikes, just based on who’s already in the industry.”
Biking is a predominantly white sport with mostly male riders and mechanics, he said.
“If we can try to create an environment here that’s different from that — hopefully more welcoming to people who don’t feel like they fit into that — then hopefully we can start to diversify the sport and the lifestyle,” Cronyn said.
Aggie Blue Bikes currently has seven AmeriCorps paid volunteers. Cronyn said that many volunteers didn’t start with any bike maintenance experience but are now proficient mechanics.
The shop provides long-term bike rentals for free to students. Aggie Blue Bikes is funded by its inclusion in tuition, which costs $1.11 per student, per semester. Those wanting to rent for three months or more are able to do so at no additional cost. The charge for 24-hour rentals is $5 during the week and $10 on the weekend.
“On the individual level, I think it’s important that everybody has access to transportation,” Cronyn said. “Logan is small, but it can also feel really big, and on a greater organizational level, it just fits in with our goals.”
Currently, over 200 three-month rental bikes are checked out, and roughly 300 students a month have used the tools and maintenance services provided by Aggie Blue Bikes.
Cronyn said sustainability has become a main focus for the USU and they are working toward carbon-neutrality by 2050.
According to the UCLA transportation department, a moderate increase in commuting via bicycle saves 6 million to 14 million tons of carbon dioxide and 700 million to 1.6 billion gallons of fuel.
Aggie Blue Bikes is hosting an upcoming event called Cranksgiving in November. Cronyn described the even as an alleycat race, a type of informal bike race meant to engage the local cycling community. Using bikes with bags on the handles, participants will stop at different grocery stores in the valley to ask incoming shoppers to pick up an extra item or two to donate to the Cache Community Food Pantry.
Aggie Blue Bikes also works with other programs and organizations around town. Bikes are currently being prepared to be donated to Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection. Aggie Blue Bikes works with CAPSA and Athletics United by donating bikes to those who need them and helping people integrate into the community through sports.
Cronyn said they are looking for volunteers to help with the Cranksgiving event. To get involved with Aggie Blue Bikes, direct message them on Instagram @usuaggiebluebikes, send an email to aggiebluebikes@usu.edu or stop by their location, located on campus between the Fieldhouse and the Military Science building.
Paige Johnson Sophomore Preston Searl tightening a bolt to keep the tire on the bike frame.
Beyond campus, Logan is a community with multiple services available for beginning and seasoned bicyclers.
Sunrise Cyclery, owned by Jeff Keller, has been open since 1981. Surrounded by bike bags, helmets and racks upon racks of bicycles, Keller can be found discussing bike maintenance with local cyclists while the song “Soul Man” plays in the background.
Sunrise is a family-friendly bike shop with a welcoming environment, Keller said. The name was chosen because Keller said there is no better way to greet the day than with a bike ride.
Along with bikes, the shop sells biking gear and equipment. Keller’s advice to new bikers would be to invest in a good quality bike and to do the proper research before making the purchase.
Keller said that riding a bike is the most effective and efficient mode of transportation society has.
“You look how far you can go on a bicycle — I used to say that you could go 1, 000 miles on a bicycle — and the energy equivalent is one gallon of gas in a car,” Keller said. “On a bike, you could ride to Salt Lake on a gallon of Welch’s grape juice and a bagel, you know?”
Keller co-founded the annual Logan to Jackson bike race known as LoToJa, which is the longest distance amateur bike race in the United States at 206 miles. LoToJa just celebrated its forty-year anniversary, and tens of thousands of bikers from all 50 states and several countries have participated since its beginning in 1983.
Other full service bike shops in Logan include Joy Ride Bicycles and Al’s Sporting Goods.
Joy Ride, managed by Jeff Bruce, has been open since 2001. The shop has 15 employees, 12 of which are students at USU. Joy Ride sells bikes and offers maintenance. They sponsor the annual local bike races Cache Valley Century, Cache Gran Fondo and the Boy Scouts of America’s Bike the Bear event.
Zackary Hansen, the bike repair shop manager at Al’s Sporting Goods, has worked there for six years. Bike services at Al’s include bike maintenance, rentals and sales. There are 15 bike shop employees, 11 of which are USU students.
Hansen said he loves biking because it’s cost-effective and a “green” lifestyle to live.
“Take it easy and have fun,” Hansen said. “Find what you love and go for it.”
Al’s sponsors the Logan Race Club, a local biking club that meets weekly on Tuesdays for night rides. Like Joy Ride, they sponsor local races, including the Cache Valley Century and the Cache Gran Fondo. They provide mechanic stands to be of service during the races.
SPEEDMountain, a shop specializing in mountain biking, opened in Bear Lake in 2011 and relocated to Logan in 2016. It transitioned from mountain bike rentals to a full-service shop.
The shop is owned by Dave Jensen and managed by Aaron Mecham. Mecham grew up in Cache Valley and has been mountain biking since he was a child.
“I’m passionate about biking because when you’re sixteen, you feel like you gain all this freedom when you get your license. Then you realize you have to pay for insurance and gas,” Mecham said. “So there are nights where you just have to say, ‘OK, I’m not going anywhere because I’m not paying $5 per gallon.’ But you don’t get that with a bike. With a bike, you ride until you’re hungry, you eat, then you’re good to go again.”
According to a study done by the Institution of Transportation Engineers, biking saves 3¢ -5¢ per mile in energy costs, 1¢ -12¢ per mile in air pollution costs and 2¢ -5¢ per mile in noise pollution.
SPEEDMountain operates exclusively by appointment. To schedule a consultation, call ahead at 435-535-1113 or email aaron@speedmountain.com.
Mecham said new bikers should take it slow, start out small and be patient.
“You are forced to pay attention to what’s going on in front of you and around you,” Mecham said. “You can’t think about all the other things you have to do, because that’s when you crash. It’s a very meditative state of mind.”
Utah is ranked #10 for best biking states in the U.S. Listed below are the most popular mountain biking trails in Cache Valley, along with their difficulty level:
200 South Street Trail – easy
Bonneville Shoreline Trail – easy
Jardine Juniper – moderate
Green Canyon – moderate
Stump Hollow – moderate
Logan Peak Trail – moderate
Ricks Canyon – moderate
Herd Hollow – moderate
Spring Hollow Trail – hard
Smithfield Canyon Trail – hard
Featured photo by Paige Johnson