The sun was shining and smiles were wide as Bellingham residents gathered at El Sueñito Brewing Company for Walk and Roll Bellingham’s first Slow Roll of the season on April 16. The cyclists looped through urban trails and revamped bike lanes on Eldridge Avenue, returning to El Sueñito for drinks. Each pint poured went to the cause, with $1 per drink matched to support Walk and Roll.
Bikes lined up outside El Sueñito Brewing Company in Bellingham, Wash., on April 16, 2025. El Sueñito donated $1 to Walk and Roll Bellingham for every pint purchased. // Photo by Tori Lehman
The Slow Rolls, organized by Walk and Roll Bellingham, are group bike rides designed to show off lesser-known trails and protected bike lanes. The monthly events aim to raise awareness for alternative modes of transportation, and to remind drivers to share the road with the numerous cyclists living in Bellingham.
The group keeps a slow pace to allow cyclists at any skill level to join the event.
“It will get people out and about that might be a little bit shy to ride their bikes,” said Sonja Max, a board member of Walk and Roll Bellingham. “It always feels better to ride your bike in a group.”
There are no registration requirements for the Slow Rolls, which are hosted every third Wednesday of the month between April and September at 5:45 p.m. Cyclists meet at a new brewery each month, information on where to meet up is included in Walk and Roll’s Instagram posts for the events. This year, there will be no Slow Roll in May in preparation for Bike to Work & School day on May 16.
Walk and Roll hosts the events in partnership with a local brewery, where cyclists can gather before the event and grab a drink together afterwards. Some proceeds from the drinks sold go towards Walk and Roll.
“The chatting time we have before and after the rides at the brewery is a fun way to meet people and join others in the community that have similar interests and concerns,” Max said.
A group of cyclists grab a beer after riding to El Sueñito in Bellingham, Wash., on April 16, 2025. From left to right: Rachel Schaeffer, Scott Pratschner, Sonja Max and Jim Fonte – Max and Fonte are members of the Walk and Roll Bellingham board. // Photo by Tori Lehman
According to Walk and Roll, about 25 people took part in the event, including a diverse mix of city residents, from seniors to families with small children, riding bikes or being pulled in carriages. Some have come to the Slow Rolls multiple years in a row, while others were joining for the first time.
Dayna Del Mar and Dana Maher are two cyclists who moved to Bellingham three years ago for the cycling community. They brought their children to the Slow Roll, tucked into a wooden wagon hitched to a bike with gleaming neon helmets.
“We tell [the kids] we’re going to a bike party,” Del Mar said. “Then they’re all partying and dancing on our bikes. It’s just so much fun.”
For Del Mar and Maher, the Slow Rolls are a safe way to explore the city and find new trails to add to their routes.
“With this organization, we’ve gotten to uncover more routes and paths that we haven’t seen on the maps,” Maher said. “Even though we’ve been here for three years, we’re still discovering new spots.”
Many of the trails and protected bike lanes explored during the Slow Rolls are part of Bellingham’s bicycle master plan. Created in 2014, the plan was updated in 2024 to reflect the changing needs of the city. The updated plan includes the recent changes to bike lanes on Holly Street and the goals of connecting northern urban trails with road infrastructure in downtown Bellingham.
The Bellingham bicycle master plan also includes data from a 2024 survey showing of the 1,512 people surveyed, 903 reported they walk, roll or bike in an average week to navigate the town. Biking serves as the primary mode of transportation for some people, including Thain Maurer, a Walk and Roll board member and slow roll attendee.
“This bike is my car right now – I do all my grocery shopping on the bike and it's great,” Maurer said. “Seeing how many people are out riding that are just going to work or doing errands and not just exercising, which is great, but it's nice to use it as transportation.”
Whether their bikes are their only mode of transportation or they’re in it for a fun workout, all the attendees spoke highly of the improvements made around the city in line with the bicycle master plan. However, there’s always room for improvement.
“Connecting things a little better would be great,” Maurer said. “There’s a nice bike lane through downtown on Holly Street, Eldridge north of downtown and on Broadway, but there’s nothing connecting them. That can get a little sketchy for bikes.”
The bicycle master plan recognizes these disconnects, noting there are abrupt ends to bike lanes, incomplete trails and barriers to crossing busy streets. While 50 respondents to the plan’s surveys and webmaps feel existing infrastructure is adequate, there was overwhelming support from the city’s surveys and the Slow Roll for continued improvements.
“Protected bike infrastructure is so important because it's the unprotected bike infrastructure that can feel stressful,” Max said. “When you're next to cars that are moving fast, it makes you have to go fast, which isn’t safe for anyone.”
For more information and updates on Walk and Roll Bellingham’s events, visit their website or check out their Instagram.
Tori Lehman (she/her) is a city news reporter for The Front this quarter. Tori is in her third year at Western majoring in environmental journalism and minoring in women, gender, and sexuality studies. She enjoys immersing herself in nature and reading essays from authors like Joan Didion and Rayne Fisher-Quann in her spare time. You can reach her at torilehman.thefront@gmail.com.
