
Though the challenge got its start online, 30 Days of Biking participants often come together in real life, too.

Mario Macaruso, center, and Patrick Stephenson, right, of 30 Days of Biking and the Joyful Riders Club, go over the ride plan with cyclists gathered for a “bunny ride” Thursday, April 10, 2025, at Fulton Beer’s taproom in Minneapolis’ North Loop. (Anthony Souffle/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Stephenson and others host twice-weekly group rides under the moniker Joyful Riders Club. Seventy-five people attended a challenge kickoff event in late March.
The group rides are great places to not only meet people but to learn tips from other cyclists on tackling all-weather riding, Mitchell said.
The rides are “no drop” — meaning no one is left behind — and relatively short. A few miles on Thursdays before finishing with a beer at the Fulton taproom, or on Saturday mornings before stopping for pastries. With ample socializing time built into the group rides, it opens up the possibility for all kinds of connections at a time when Stephenson and others feel it’s needed most.
“You make friends and you develop relationships, and who knows what can come from that,” Stephenson said. “You might get a job from somebody as a result of that, you might fall in love with somebody you meet on the ride.”
Stephenson met his wife at a 30 Days of Biking event 15 years ago. They began dating a month later. Now, they ride with their two daughters.
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