Reno Reporter

A University of Nevada, Las Vegas Ph.D. student says that cycling is a great way to clear your mind and stay active.

Johanne Albrightson, a Ph.D. student in the graduate program of  the school’s Hydrologic Sciences, has been riding bikes since she was in elementary school and wouldn’t have it any other way, according to a news bulletin provided by the university.

‘’I've been riding bikes since childhood,” she said in the release. “Stepping up my casual bike cruising, I raced cross country and downhill mountain bikes in high school and for CU Boulder as an undergrad. Now in grad school I've circled back from racing to viewing bicycles as vehicles of joy.’’

Albrightson added that when she encounters new areas, she prefers to travel with a bike in tow.

“From renting an ebike to cruising around the hills of San Francisco to a 1,500-mile bikepacking trip around Alaska last summer, traveling by bike allows me to feel connected to the land I'm moving through,” she said. “Bikes can be incredible tools for community building and self-discovery."

Albrightson is on the leadership team of the Reno chapter of Radical Adventure Rider (RAR), where she is an advocate for gender inclusivity and racial equity in cycling and the outdoors.

“RAR Reno connects folks in the greater Reno area through hosting rides, events and facilitating an inclusive bike community,’’ she said.

‘’I love riding along the Truckee River and being able to connect all the way up to campus through downtown on the new protected bike lanes installed this summer! Plus, the Steamboat Ditch trail is a lovely way to unwind after a long day on campus.’’