Let’s face it – sometimes, in their crusade to share their love of bicycles with the rest of the world, espousing cyclists tend to exaggerate the ability of bikes to solve all the world’s problems. Fortunately, I often also see examples of cyclists doing things simply for the sake of cycling that positively impact our community in very real ways, ways that serve as a reminder that the über-advocates are in it for all the right reasons.

Take, for example, the recent efforts of one Michael Babcock to give the Lansing cyclocross scene a much needed shot to the heart. Before this season it’d been over a half decade since the capital area had played host to a ‘cross race, and clearly the Lansing cycling community hadn’t been capitalizing (get it?) on the rapid growth in the discipline to promote the sport locally. This year, however, that would change. (more…)