The Springfield Bigfoot Social cycling group welcomes participants of all levels

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When Grant and McKenzie Hutchison asked their friends to join them on a bike ride this summer, they expected a handful to show up. To their surprise, 12 cyclists of varying skill levels joined them for a bike ride through the city center. Now the husband and wife team are brainstorming how to manage a rapidly growing group after 73 cyclists joined in on a bike ride last week.

The Hutchisons, born and raised in Willard, are the minds behind Bigfoot Social, a community cycling group that meets every Wednesday night. The free, accessible group is a way for cyclists of all levels, from professional racers to casual riders, to get outside for a few hours. Bigfoot Social held its first 11-mile ride on June 19. The group held its sixth meeting on July 17, with a ride of nearly 9 miles.

Bigfoot Social meets at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays at Fassnight Park, located at 1305 S. Main Ave., and rides begin at 7:15 p.m. The routes travel throughout the city center and are typically about 10 miles long. The group will make a stop for snacks and light socializing about halfway through the ride before concluding back at Fassnight Park around 9 p.m. So far, Bigfoot Social has made stops at places like Kum & Go and Mother’s Brewing Company.

For most of the rides, the group rides on roads with bike lanes or shared lanes. Grant said the group rode on greenways for the first few rides, but as the group has grown, the greenways aren’t wide enough for everyone.

After the rides, participants are encouraged to hang out and socialize. Grant recently said the post-ride gathering spot was The Flea, a dive bar at 637 S. Kimbrough Ave.

The group’s seventh ride will be a little different, as Bigfoot Social is coming to Willard on Wednesday, July 24. The ride starts at 7 p.m. at the Willard Recreation Center, located at 233 N. State Highway Z. The ride follows a Willard Parks Pump Track Focus Group event at 6 p.m. The focus group is how the park board gauges interest in future projects.

“We just need as many people as possible, whether they participate or not,” Grant said. “This would be huge for cycling in our area. The closest thing to this is in Bentonville, Arkansas.”

Unexpected growth

The concept for Bigfoot Social blossomed about two to three years ago when Grant and a few friends rode their bikes 35-40 miles to his mother’s property, ending with a campfire. It was from this ride that the name “Bigfoot Social” was born.

A few years later, Grant was interested in picking up the idea again, albeit with fewer miles. He set a date, shared the information on social media, and waited in Fassnight Park for people to show up. For that first night, it felt like 12 people, he said.

As an experienced cyclist, Grant is familiar with several local cycling groups in Springfield, but he wanted to organize something different.

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“You could basically do a big community group ride here any day of the week, but they’re all very serious road riders,” Grant said. “This is supposed to be fun and easy. You don’t have to wear spandex to do this ride.”

Since the first ride, Bigfoot Social has grown steadily. Grant said 25 riders gathered the second week, then 31 the week after, 49 the fourth week, 57 the fifth week, and finally 73 for the most recent ride.

“I didn’t expect it to grow like this,” Grant said. “I expected about 20 people because I come from regular cycling, I do other group rides and even if you have 100 people that you ride with seriously, you can’t always have everybody. You never have more than 20 people on a proper group ride. I thought, ‘If we get 20 people, that’s crazy.'”

Bike rides fall into place

Other than mapping out routes, the Hutchisons generally didn’t have to make concrete plans for the weekly bike rides.

“It all fell into place without a lot of organization, which is kind of crazy,” McKenzie said with a laugh. “We have a lot of good friends who are really excited about it and are willing to help in any way they can.”

There will also be a number of seasoned cyclists stopping at intersections to block the road for their fellow cyclists.

“Some of my friends who are cyclists, they just take the initiative,” Grant said. “When we crossed National (Avenue) last night, they just blocked the road. We had a green (light), but they blocked the lane in case it turned, so we could get through as one.”

According to McKenzie, one of the biggest surprises of Bigfoot Social has been the community’s response.

“You walk through a neighborhood and people are standing outside in their front yard and they just stop and smile and wave and say, ‘This is awesome,’ and encourage us,” McKenzie said.

So far, the Hutchisons have only promoted Bigfoot Social on Instagram (@bigfoot_social) and through word of mouth.

“We have a guy who’s been there since the second we saw him in the park (Fassnight). He’s an older guy on an e-mountain bike and he’s a cool guy,” Grant said. “He came up to us and he was like, ‘What is this?’ We told him and he’s been there every week since. He didn’t have Instagram … so (our friend) helped him get an Instagram and (Bigfoot Social) is the only thing he follows.”

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Looking to the future, the Hutchisons acknowledge that more safety measures may need to be taken. For example, they are considering contacting the city to let them know about the weekly rides, in case community members have questions.

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Participation in Bigfoot Social is free and open to all ages, but so far it’s been mostly adults, Grant said.

For each ride of the week, Grant will post a route he created on Strava, a platform for tracking running, cycling and walking, on the Bigfoot Social Instagram. People don’t have to sign up for the ride, they just have to show up at Fassnight Park between 7:00 and 7:15 p.m.

The Hutchisons recommend that riders wear a helmet and use bike lights, but they are not required. Riders do not need expensive cycling gear to participate in Bigfoot Social. Any comfortable clothing and shoes will do.

“There are a lot of people out there with bikes that are maybe intimidated and don’t know where to start, and I think this is a good place to start if you want to get into cycling,” McKenzie said. “I would just say, give it a try.”

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For those looking to purchase a bike, Grant recommended checking out Facebook Marketplace and visiting Springfield Brewing Company’s Community Bike Shop. The bike shop is located in the basement of The Fairbanks Community Hub at 1126 N. Broadway Ave. and is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m.

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The bike shop offers a variety of new and used bikes for children and adults. The bike shop’s founder, Neil Chanter, previously told the News-Leader that most of the bikes sell for $50-$100. All proceeds from the shop benefit the Drew Lewis Foundation, which operates The Fairbanks. The bike shop also offers safety gear, equipment and repairs.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. She has more than five years of journalism experience covering everything from the history of the Ozarks to Springfield’s LGBTQIA+ community. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Have a story idea? Email her at [email protected].

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