Biking Through Baton Rouge: Reflecting on 2023's Highs and Lows

It's the first day of the new year, and what better way to celebrate than to go on a bike ride! But first, let's reflect a bit on 2023. At the end, I'll give you a little tease about what's to come in 2024.

The Rides Unridden

Other than 2020 (due to the pandemic), we canceled more rides than ever this year. I started the year off with COVID. It was my first time contracting the virus, and it was quite unpleasant. Thankfully, I recovered, but the weather was not very hospitable.

We experienced two major cold snaps this year. The second one came later than expected. Just as things started to get nice, the weather turned on us and became very hot.

The extreme heat was unlike anything we had experienced before. Although Louisiana has faced high temperatures and droughts before, we had never experienced such a combination for as many consecutive days as we did this year.

Records broken, rides unridden: The endless summer heatwave continues

Historic Events Memorialized

The Kress Department Store in downtown Baton Rouge now has a new historical marker outside its Third Street entrance. The marker commemorates the lunch counter sit-in that occurred on March 28, 1960.

Remembering the Kress lunch counter sit-in

Then in July, the Baton Rouge Gallery held a special exhibit in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the swim-in. The exhibit, titled "And We Went: 60 Years After the Baton Rouge Swim-In," featured a month-long series of events spotlighting the day activists tried to enter the segregated City Park pool. If you're thinking, "I didn't know there was a public pool at City Park," then you're not alone. Hence, the significance of the exhibit.

Remembering Baton Rouge's segregated pools

New Website

For those of you who don't know, designing and building websites is one of the many things I do professionally. I moved and rebuilt the website because I plan to add some more features in 2024, including a new feature that utilizes AI. Stay tuned for more details coming soon!

We Got Shirts!

After nearly four years I FINALLY got a shirt printed. This was a limited series, with only 24 printed. However, based on the interest expressed, I think I'll do a second run. If you're interested in getting one, please send me a message for first access to the next round.

Media Coverage

We received some attention this year from WBRZ and The Advocate. I was on WBRZ's morning show in the spring to talk about bike riding as a healthy, fun way to exercise. Then, Advocate reporter Jack Barlow joined us on Monday, December 11, for a ride around downtown. Throughout December, we've been exploring different areas to find the best Christmas lights, and we haven't been disappointed.

The article is part of a series they do highlighting different activities in the city. Originally, they intended to join Bike Baton Rouge for a ride but learned that the organization is currently on hiatus. Jack was referred to us by Front Yard Bikes, so he joined one of our rides.

READ THE ARTICLE: Baton Rouge Bucket List: Exploring the city by bike

Expect to see more media coverage this year as the Downtown East Social Ride celebrates its five-year anniversary! I'm planning a big celebration with fun rides and events.

Also, expect the occasional return of the brunch ride! We'll visit our old favorite, Leola's Cafe, and also stop at some other nearby brunch favorites.

So make sure you know how to stay updated. If you're reading this, you probably already do, but if you're here just for this newsletter, visit our website for all our social media channels. If you would like text message updates via the app GroupMe, send me a message with your phone number, and I'll add you to the group.

Thank you all for making this ride possible.