Bicycles are a Madison summer staple. From fancy Bianchis to mountain bikes bought at Target, we all love a good ride through the Arboretum, down the Lakeshore Path or beside Lake Monona. Biking is also an eco-friendly method of transportation to both work and play. And no group celebrates this healthy car alternative more than Madison Art Bikes and their annual Art Bikes Rally.
In collaboration with the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, Madison Art Bikes will kick off Bike to Work Week (June 6-12). This Saturday, June 6 at 10 a.m., the group will meet at the top of State Street near the Madison Children's Museum for bike decorating. Both Madison Art Bikes is a group dedicated to both their bicycles and their art. Since the rally's inception twelve years ago, Shannon and fellow coordinators Russ Bennett and Molli MacDonald have created an event that allows people to express themselves and revel in being a kid again. At the bike decorating parties they hold throughout the year, members deck out their bikes in outlandish ways. Some cover their bikes in grass, while others may bedazzle every inch of metal with sequins and puffy paint. The themes run the gamut, but the group's mission of health and creativity remains constant. "We encourage theatrics and getting people involved," Molli says. "We want to keep Madison weird and quirky. The rally is fun; it makes a point. And if we can get one more person on a bicycle, that's good." The group has a fleet of 25-30 bikes, many of which they picked up at Dig and Save or garage sales. Stored in a barn for the winter, the fleet comes out in the spring to be painted, gilded and welded at Russ and Shannon's south side home. If last year's event is any indication, the rally promises to be a spectacle. To find out more about the Madison Art Bikes and the Art Bikes Rally, check out their Faceobook group and event announcement.
