Jay (Narration): Deb Allen has just dropped off her bike at the event’s bike parking. She did the 35 mile route today. Her forehead is glowing from sweat and she’s clearly looking around for a place to sit. Yet, she’s wearing one of the brightest smiles, and her passion for the cause becomes immediately clear…

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Deb: Bikes Not Bombs! We want to support transportation, alternative transportation. And we also want to support giving kids, youth, and people around the world bikes. 

 

Jay (Narration): Deb is someone who has learned and lived the power of the bike in her own life: as a way to make a sometimes inaccessible Boston much more traversable. 

 

Deb: Totally. I ride the e-bike everywhere now, much less drive a car. I ride the e-bike. And I live in Roslyn. I either walk or ride now. So it's really changed. Paying attention to transportation has changed how I do my daily life. Absolutely.

 

Jay (Narration): For many in the city, the bicycle is simply a tool of transportation – just hop on and ride around to where you need to go. Yet, our cyclist Deb is clearly here for more than just the biking.

 

Deb: Well, it feels great to do it for a cause. And you know what feels great is – my partner, Andy, he's around somewhere – what's really great about doing it with others is you're with like-minded people who care about the environment, care about transportation, and just have a general sense of care. And those are the people you want to surround yourself with.

 

Jay (Narration): It’s obvious to me that Deb embodies care itself. Particularly special is seeing how she immediately bonded with a fellow cyclist named Ashley Callahan out on the trail this morning. 

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Ashley: I'm- What am I? Triple trouble.

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Deb: Triple trouble. We're double trouble. Andy and I, and we added Sky to the list. Now she's triple trouble.

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Ashley: Sky is actually my nickname now. My true name is Ashley. But I've adopted Sky.

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Deb: She's Sky. Sky's the limit. 

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Jay (Narration): Hearing about their navigational woes on the route seems like a party-pooper for me – but not for Deb and Ashley. 

 

Deb: Well, 35, but I think we put on about 10 extra getting lost.

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Ashley: Yeah, I would say so. That tracks.

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Deb: Yeah, that definitely tracks.

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Ashley: But we still found our way back.

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Deb: Absolutely. We- it just was perfect. And it was a beautiful day. The weather was awesome. The cause is wonderful, you know? It's a great day. 

 

Jay (Narration): Today is Ashley’s first time participating in the event. Deb, on the other hand, has attended for multiple prior years with her partner, Andy, and has no plans on stopping soon. After all, the sky’s the limit – and both cyclists plan to meet up again and up the ante next year. 

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Deb: Oh totally. We're going to meet here the same day.

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Ashley: Yeah. 

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Deb: Yeah. Totally.

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Ashley: We'll do a little bit. A little bit more miles next year. The 50?

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Deb: Yeah. We're doing the 50 next year. 

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Ashley: Yeah.

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Deb: Yeah, we're gearing towards that. 

 

Jay (Narration): The BikeAthon raised over $100,000 today due to bikers like Deb, who showed up ready to kick her passions for community and the cause into high gear. This is Jacob Kemp, reporting journalist at Northeastern University. Catch you out on the trails.