I Love Riding in the City
NAME: Dan Kitchen
LOCATION: Kalamazoo, MI
OCCUPATION: Co-Founder of Fixed 269
Where do you live and what’s it like riding in your city?
I live in my hometown of Kalamazoo, MI. My city is a great place to ride due to the always growing cycling culture and awareness that surrounds us. The city riding is not terribly challenging but a ton of fun. Downtown is all sprawling four-lane one ways with a ton of back and forth cut through streets. If city street riding isn’t your thing, the last couple of years have sprouted the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail (KRVT), which provides a safe two-way path for cyclists from one end of town to South Haven, nearly 70 miles outside of town on Lake Michigan.
What was your favorite city to ride in, and why?
Being that I have three small children, getting out of town is a little difficult with my bike. So my favorite city to ride in is Kalamazoo. Not only because I live and ride here, but because I, as well as the other cyclists who live and ride here, love our city. There is no shortage of coffee joints, bars and night life to ride to and from; also the summers are filled with downtown festivals that shouldn’t be missed.
Why do you love riding in the city?
I love riding in the city for the everyday surprises. There is always new pavement to explore, a new route to take, traffic to get around and people to meet. Having a great community of riders here has really brought the consciousness of cyclists on the road to the front of motorists minds so the daily commute or evening bomb around downtown is all the more enjoyable.
