Sometimes You Need a Little Extra Support

by Leslie Aronson — April 29, 2008

This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the Blessing of the Bikes at New York City's Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. This simple ceremony (whether you take it seriously or not) is an opportunity to come together with other cyclists in the community and have your bike sprinkled with holy water. Though held at a church, the service is open to people of all faiths and is a chance to interact with fellow bikers as well as pay homage to cyclists who have passed away in the preceding year. If you're not close to NYC, consider organizing your own blessing ceremony for your community. This is a great way to network with other bike lovers as well as (depending on your belief system) get a little extra support to supplement your bike helmet and flashing taillight. For more information you can check out theblessingofthebikes.com. Glen, who is one of the main organizers, encourages people to take his idea and run with it, tweezing the ceremony to how it will fit individual community needs because that is the focus, essentially - the biking community. While the people who show up may not know each other, there is a distinct camaraderie between people who are passionate about similar things, and it's an opportunity to expand your network of people who love what you love.