Nestled in the beautiful Rockies lies a state called Montana.

And in that state of Montana there is a town called Bozeman.

There are also some sheep, to answer the curiosity of some people when I lived on the East Coast. There’s also a college, a few yoga studios and new locally-owned organic-minded restaurants that put me in a good state.  There’s bluegrass, country, and a bunch of committed folks who ride bicycles every day all year ‘round, even when there are feet of snow and the temperatures are down below freezing.

These biking enthusiasts ride everywhere, do cyclocross races and play bike polo. It’s a game that consists of hitting a ball around with long sticks while riding bikes in the designated field. There’s even a couple that played bike polo on their wedding day, white dress, high heels, tuxedos and all.  This group informally refers to themselves as the “Wolfpack,” a kinda sorta “biking gang.”

While in Bozeman, I lived in the basement of my Dad’s large suburban home. It’s the same house I lived in during my senior year in high school, when my family moved to Montana from Wyoming 13 years ago. It was a good year and a half living rent free, reconnecting with my dad, and hiking almost every day with my sister’s dog, Atella.

I met the group of biking all stars through a mutual friend. My first experience hanging out with them was at an event where we biked from one bar to another, ate bbq and drank booze. One of the first things I noticed about one of the people was his level of commitment to sustainability. On another occasion, he recommended we walk rather than drive to a downtown bar to get a beer. As we walked, I also noticed his pants wrapped tightly around his lower legs to avoid being caught in the spokes.

While the extent of my involvement with the “Wolfpack” was attending a few social events and cheering from afar the summer cyclocross, I appreciated their hard core attitude and the level of fun felt with this group. In a still somewhat conservative town like Bozeman, it takes an exceptional group of people to start a new trend. I believe this group has started it by bringing their passion for biking to life.

In the past couple of years, one of the biking peeps named Sam has collected a series of videos documenting successes moving from one apartment to another completely by bicycle.

Looking back on those experiences with the biking crew in Bozeman, I smile a great big one. They left an imprint, and even though I didn’t take to biking regularly in Bozeman, a year later I have greater desire to be in the open breeze and getting exercise going from one place to another, not to mention cutting back on pollution and burning of fossil fuels.

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Meredith J. Potter lives in Boulder, Colorado. She enjoys biking, yoga, art, hiking, and exploring her environment.  She supports local agriculture, as well as people’s timing and choices in moving toward a healthier life for the planet.  She has a M.Ed and is certified to teach yoga.  Her background in education and yoga inform her current perspectives and lifestyle.