Melissa and Tom Courtway recently took up bicycling as an activity to enjoy together while remaining physically active. It’s an activity that appears to be gaining in popularity, especially among couples.

“We are the beginner recreational cyclists,” Tom said with a smile.

“And we love it,” added Melissa. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s good exercise and makes you feel good. To be our age, it’s a good way to keep moving.”

“You gotta get off the couch,” Tom said.

Eyeing the end of his service as president of the University of Central Arkansas in December 2016, Tom thought bicycling might be a good activity for the two to take up. During conversations over several months, he mentioned to Johnny Adams, an avid cyclist, that the couple was interested in learning more. The two met over lunch to discuss bicycling and Johnny shared with him some related magazines.

“After lunch that day, I went home and talked to Melissa. At that time, we were rolling out of the presidency at UCA,” he said. “We realized we had been pretty active for a few years and things were about to slow down and that we didn’t really do anything together as a couple. We didn’t play tennis, we didn’t play checkers.”

“I didn’t play golf,” Melissa added.

“We decided we would buy a couple of bikes,” Tom said, adding that they went to The Ride and talked with owners Erik and Tara Leamon. “We bought what I would call beginner bicycles. We still have them. She calls them ‘fat tire’ bicycles.”

The two began riding bikes in August of that year in their neighborhood. “I hadn’t been on a bike since grade school or junior high,” said Melissa. “And the bikes are different now.”

When they could, they would ride a few miles every day. As they became more comfortable, they eventually branched out to longer distances and other places, like the Conway bike trail.

“The first day we rode, we did three miles and we felt like we had really done something, which we know is nothing, but we felt proud of ourselves,” Tom joked.

At Christmas that year, the couple went to Destin, Fla., with two other couples and took their bikes along. “While we were down there, we went a little further,” Tom said.

“There is a state park at Destin and we would ride up in the park and venture out a little bit into the streets,” added Melissa.

Melissa and Tom discovered it was a fun activity that they both liked. “It became something we enjoyed doing together,” said Tom, who added that in conjunction with the cycling he did some other things and began to lose weight. “I felt better.”

In the fall of 2017, the two tried their first organized event – the Big Dam Bridge 100. 

The annual Little Rock event attracts around 3,500 cyclists from across the nation and multiple countries around the world. It celebrates the “Big Dam Bridge” over the Arkansas River, which connects more than 15 miles of scenic riverside trails between Little Rock and North Little Rock. (For more information, visit thebigdambridge100.com.)

The two made 32 miles that year during the event. “For us, that was quite an accomplishment,” Tom said. “On those fat tire bikes,” Melissa added. The two – who describe themselves as recreational cyclists – had to get off their bikes and walk on one of the hills in the Pinnacle Mountain area, but that was ok. 

“We don’t ride as fast as some people. We’re not in as good of shape, I’m certainly not, but I’m in a whole lot better shape that I was three years ago when we started,” Tom said.

In late fall, the two invested in new bikes, this time without fat tires. They considered the fat tire bikes a good investment and felt like they provided training for their new bikes. 

Last year, the Courtways rode 50 miles in the Big Dam event. “Our goal is to make it and not have a heart attack,” smiled Tom. 

He cites three specific outcomes of taking up bicycling:

A – It has been something they enjoy doing together.

B – “It has improved my physical health.”

C – “It sort of clears my mind.”

The two have enjoyed biking along the River Trail on weekends, in preparation for the Big Dam ride. “We would see deer and get off the bike, sit there and watch it and talk,” Tom said. “We have a good time. It’s become something very enjoyable.”

There have been a couple minor spills along the way, which they say will happen, but the two are adamant about safety and wear their bike helmets. Overall, they said cycling is not as hard on the body as other activities, like running.

Other Arkansas locations/events they have enjoyed biking include the annual Tour duh Sunken Lands Cultural Bike Ride in Eastern Arkansas and part of the Razorback Regional Greenway in Northwest Arkansas. Out of state, they have enjoyed biking in New Orleans, Orange Beach, Ala., and Fort Collins, Colo.

“We would not have done that had it not been for our interest in cycling,” Tom said, referring to a three and a half hour tour of New Orleans on bikes. “It sort of adds to a vacation.”

On their bucket list is the Katy Trail, along the northern bank of the Missouri River. “It goes almost from St. Louis to Kansas City and it’s an old railroad bed that they have converted into a state park,” Tom said. “They have a lot of little towns where you can stay at bed and breakfast inns. You can ride 30 or 40 miles in a day, and then spend the night.”

Melissa and Tom know several other couples who enjoy cycling together, and agree that it appears to be growing in popularity. “It is becoming more couples, I think,” Melissa said. 

“It’s just a great activity for our age, or any age,” Tom said. “We thoroughly enjoy it.”

In the 501, closer to home, Melissa and Tom enjoy parking their vehicle at Cantrell Field near Conway and riding their bikes through the Lollie Bottoms along the Arkansas River. “A lot of people ride bikes out there,” he said. 

For those considering biking, Tom and Melissa are willing to loan their old bikes to try out. “Anybody can borrow my old bicycle for a week or two to see if they like it. They can start out the way I started out, without having to make a financial commitment,” Tom said, adding he can be contacted through his UCA email address. 

“The only thing they will have to get is a helmet. I would not get on a bicycle without a helmet. Period. That is the No. 1 thing you’ve got to have.”

They both suggest starting out slow and talking to a friend who already rides. “Like any form of exercise, don’t give up the first three or four times you try. Give it a chance. See the health benefits that come,” he said. “It’s made a huge difference to me and how I feel.”

As far as equipment, they also recommend biking shorts. “They make a huge difference,” Melissa said. A cycling jersey and gloves are also helpful. They also suggest bike lights, especially a red light that flashes on the back of a bike. 

“We’re learning as we go,” Tom said. “Everybody has been very encouraging and everyone we’ve encountered has been very helpful.”

The two see Conway as a great city for biking, with its trails and designated bike lanes. They hope to see more trails in the future. “Conway is a great cycling community. There are a lot of people who do it, and a lot of people support and encourage you.”