Slow Roll Buffalo kicked offits weekly ten mile ride on Monday. The first trip of the season rolled out of Big Ditch with stops at Front Park and MLK Park.
“I’m feeling good," said rider Kenneth Lawrence. "It’s excellent, I didn’t do nothing last year, but I’m doing it this year.”
Slow Roll Buffalo Board Member Janelle Brooks said the toughest restriction is the state's 200 person limit on large outdoor gatherings. In the past, Slow Roll has had groups of more than 1,000 riders. This year, Slow Roll will group riders 50-100 at a time, with staggered starts.
A similar model to other summer events like the Buffalo Marathon.
“It’s good to be able to gather and get together, but we also want to be able to respect and maintain a reasonable distance and insure that folks are safe while they’re riding,” Brooks said.
Slow Roll's 2020 season began late due to the pandemic, and was modified.
Brooks said she hopes as the weather gets better, and more people are vaccinated, more riders can join. She said Slow Roll stresses that if you can't properly wear a mask the whole time, you can't participate.
“For other individuals that are looking to do larger events, setting those guidelines and kind of knowing your population and understanding what it is that needs to happen for you to have those events and have them safely,” Brooks said.
It's the first large outdoor event in Buffalo of the summer, and the first big group activity for Gary Wolfe since the pandemic began.
“It's a little different, but it’s starting to feel more like we’re moving towards whatever the new normal is going to be,” Wolfe said.
Slow Roll will be riding every week through October. The first half of their season is already scheduled, and they said they're waiting to put out the second half in case state guidelines change.
