The backcountry trails of Alabama’s Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores are being featured at a nine-mile scenic cycling event. The 15th annual Good Life Bicycle Ride taking place Saturday, May 4, Tuesday, May 7, Thursday, May 9 and Saturday, May 11.
The event is put on through a partnership between the state park and the Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF), a nonprofit based in Mobile, to host the rides. Tickets are $15 and can be purchase here.
At each event, groups will gather at 8:30 a.m. in the parking lot to the east of Lake Shelby Playground. Every ride will begin at 9:00 a.m. after a safety briefing. Cyclists will take a built-in break during the nine-mile trip at the park’s Nature Center to learn more about the Alabama Gulf Coast environment and ecosystem.
Mark Berte is the Executive Director of the ACF. He said the event was originally only one ride, but because of its popularity, the cycles have grown into a four-day long celebration.
“The purpose of the Good Life Ride is to allow people to enjoy, in a slow fashion, the beauty that our coastal environment offers,” he explained. “We have the opportunity to partner with Alabama Gulf State Park and to ride along their beautiful backcountry trails.”
Besides cycling on the scenic trails, Berte said the bike rides also offer an educational and awareness aspect for riders when it comes to bike safety.
“The funds that we raise help to support our Livable Communities Coalition, which helps to educate people about the safety of bicycles on the roads and educates the cyclist, as well as the motorist,” he said. “We have a free continuing education unit for any of the police officers in coastal Alabama, that’s a one-hour training that we offer free of charge.”
The ACF’s Livable Communities Coalition is a community organization that focuses on creating a safe and healthy lifestyle on the Alabama coastline. The committee has created educational videos on bicycle safety, given resources to make cyclists easier to spot on the roads and updated the Alabama State Driver License Manual.
The Good Life Bicycle Ride also has t-shirts and cycling jerseys for sale at this website. The ACF is also promoting discounted hotel rooms on the Good Life Bicycle Ride website.
