There is a movement out there that flies under the banner of Cranksgiving. I’ve participated a couple of years, in Cleveland and Columbus, and the benefit to the communities where the rides are held is immediate.

Cranksgiving basically is a charity ride. It might be sponsored by a local bike club, or it might be led by a couple of riders who just thought it would be a good idea. The format is simple: A food bank or other community assistance group is lined up and the organizers of the ride determine a starting/stopping point as well as a way to measure amounts of food individual riders donate. The organizers let folks know, through social media or groups like the Ohio Bicycle Events Calendar, where and when the ride will occur. Riders come to the starting point and are given a list of local grocery stores and desired products for the food bank. Riders go to the stores, buy as much as they can afford and carry it back to the ending point. The amount of food is tallied, and the riders bask in the glow of having done something special for the community. If the organizers were able, they might set up a party for people to attend. And that is all there is.

I know that Outdoor Pursuits in Columbus and Bike Cleveland and its siblings Bike Lakewood and Heights Bicycle Coalition have celebrated Cranksgiving in the past; this year, Bike Lakewood and Summit Cycling Center’s Brian Bortz in Akron are scheduled to ride Nov. 14 and Outdoor Pursuits plans a ride on Nov. 7. Please consider joining them, finding a group in your neighborhood to join or setting up your own ride. Visit Cranksgiving.org for more information.