If you stand still for too long at The Terraces of Boise, you just might get run over. The Idaho community’s constant hum of activity is audible, especially as more and more residents put the pedal to the asphalt.
“Right out our door is this beautiful greenbelt path. It’s just the perfect answer to biking,” says resident Syd Tate. “It’s virtually level, so it’s very adaptable to bikers of all abilities.”
The scenic Boise River Greenbelt runs 25 miles across the city — and straight through The Terraces. Tate and longtime biking buddy Jim DiNucci are at the forefront of the community’s cycling growth.
The two met in the mid-2000s when DiNucci and his wife, Karen, first moved to Boise from East Texas. At the time, he was a marathon runner.
“I met a group of individuals, all about the same age, six to eight of us,” DiNucci says. “I decided that biking is a whole lot easier on my body than running, and I’m kind of addicted to it now.”
The friends’ biking adventures haven’t let up since becoming neighbors at The Terraces.
“Every time we have our group go out for a bike ride, it seems we accumulate one more person who wants to go,” Tate says.
Though Tate and DiNucci’s rides are casual and advertised by word-of-mouth, Lifestyles Coordinator Sandahl Balding took note and organized the first campuswide trip on the greenbelt in March.
“We ended up going nine miles roundtrip. We all stopped and had a soda or a beer or a coffee,” she says. “We had a really good turnout.”
With a great deal of interest from those who missed the trip, the wheels are already turning as Balding plans for future excursions.
Easy access to the greenbelt is a big advantage that attracts residents looking to maintain an active lifestyle, says Tate. In particular, he and DiNucci have their eyes peeled for potential neighbors who share their love of biking.
“It’s a very good exercise. It isn’t as hard on the knees and hips as some of the others like skiing or tennis,” Tate says. “You want something you can enjoy forever.”
But as biking grows in popularity at The Terraces, it’s still just one of many ways residents get on their feet.
“The lifestyle program here is really outstanding,” says DiNucci. “Yesterday my wife and I went to a strength training class for half an hour, then a stretching class for an hour. Tomorrow we’re taking a trip down to Snake River to see the falls.”