Hello fellow cycling enthusiasts!
Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Kayt, born and raised right here in Lincoln, Nebraska—the place where I learned how to walk, talk, and got my very first set of pedals: a very cool Little Mermaid bike, complete with handlebar streamers and training wheels. I put my feet on those pedals, and I was off.
Biking has always meant freedom and adventure to me. On my two wheels I could ride as far as my imagination would take me. For many years, I pretended my bike was a horse named Cheeko. I galloped through mountains, raced along ocean shores, or trekked across wild safaris. Around the cul-de-sac, my friends and I played cops and robbers, laughing and chasing each other. We flew down hills with our arms and legs stretched out, rode to the library and the YMCA on hot, school-free summer days, took the Williamsburg Trail to buy candy and silly string, and stopped by the pond to feed the ducks. Those days left me with countless memories, all made from the seat of a bike.
As I grew older, I stepped away from cycling. Cars became more important and my bike sat in the garage collecting a thick layer of dust. But the summer after high school graduation my bike started calling out to me. I hopped back on and immediately felt the surge of joy and freedom I had felt as a kid. I started exploring some of the local trails and quickly discovered the Jamaica North trail. I fell in love. It’s still one of my favorite trails I’ve ridden, both beautiful and nostalgic.
I began participating in some group rides, my favorite being the “Prom Night Ride,” racing from spot to spot to meet my “date” for a corsage exchange, dance, and eventually post-prom at O’Rourkes. I also took an easy peasy one-credit cycling course at UNL. Our final was a miserable windy, cold, overnight bike camping trip in October. Despite the cold, we had a great time, and felt a deep sense of accomplishment after fighting the wind all the way back to campus.
I’m so grateful that I found my way back to cycling. It’s allowed me to turn my childhood imaginings and dreams into real-life adventures. Everywhere I’ve lived, I’ve made sure to find a bike. I’ve ridden alongside rice paddies and Kaeng Krachan Jungle in Thailand, along the River Shannon in Limerick, Ireland, by the beaches of Samos, Greece, and around Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin. There’s something about biking that lets you experience a place more intimately—the scents, the sights, the sweat dripping from your brow as it meets the road beneath you. It’s truly exhilarating.
While living in Madison, I worked at Machinery Row Bicycles, right off the Capital City Trail overlooking the lake. It is where I began to expand my knowledge of bikes. It became about more than just my own rides—it became about helping others on theirs. I gained a greater appreciation for the cycling community, its challenges, and the importance of advocacy.
Now that I’m back in my hometown, I’m thrilled to return to the trails that first sparked my love for cycling. I feel honored to be part of BicycLincoln, an organization dedicated to making cycling safer, more enjoyable, and more accessible for everyone in our community.
I’m also one of the happy new faces working at the Lincoln Trek store on the weekends. If you’re looking for a new bike, or just want to chat about your shared love of bikes and ideas for improving cycling in the city, feel free to stop in and say hello
Otherwise, I’ll see you out on the trails.
And don’t forget to wear a helmet!