Growing group finds bikes, brunch good for soul and downtown

By GUY D’ASTOLFO

dastolfo@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The Bike and Brunch group is on a roll.

The bicycle-riding bunch was launched just over a month ago by Ray Culver of Youngstown.

Culver recruited a few friends to join him, and they brought in a few of their friends.

In just a few weeks’ time, the loose-knit group has grown to close to 30 riders, and that number climbs higher every week.

The cyclists meet every Sunday at 10 a.m. at Covelli Centre, and then map out an out-and-back route in the 15- to 18-mile range. The ride ends about noon every week at a different downtown-area eatery, where the group has brunch.

Twenty-six riders are planning to take part in the ride this Sunday.

Culver said it’s all about being healthy, having fun and giving back to the city.

“We wanted to do something where we had a chance to share ideas, commune with good people and focus on our health,” he said. “With cycling, you do that, and and also network with leaders of this community. It’s a diverse group of people. There are a couple of college professors, lawyers and architects involved, and we’ve come up with some good ideas on ways to make this city better.”

Anyone who wants to join in the ride should just show up by 10 a.m. Sunday with their bicycle.

Riders of all skill levels are welcome, said Culver, who is a Chaney High School and Youngstown State University graduate, and a long-time insurance broker.

“If we have a weaker rider, we stay with them until that rider gets stronger,” he said. “We’ll wait on them. We’ll pick a mostly-flat route.”

Culver has been contacted every week by people he has never met who want to join the group. “Once you have a core group together, word of mouth takes over,” he said.

Mayor Jamael “Tito” Brown and council president DeMaine Kitchen are expected to ride with the group Aug. 18.

Culver noted that urban cycling groups have long existed in many large cities.

While the Bike and Brunch rides include a lot of camaraderie, Culver said he started cycling for a more personal reason.

“I was having serious blood-pressure issues,” he said. After he heard the news from his doctor, he bought a bicycle the next day.

Culver rides about 23 miles every day, and has lowered his blood pressure into the normal zone without the use of medicine.

“My doctor couldn’t believe it!,” he said. “It’s inspiring other people to do the same.”

The exercise is one thing, but there is also something to be said for the relaxation that comes with having fun in the outdoors.

“Everyone is laughing and talking,” he said. “You just follow the leader.”