E-Z Roll Offers an Easy Ride for Everyone

Story by Sara E. Teller
Photos by Bernie Laframboise

The Oak Park E-Z Roll, a popular bike-riding event, began three years ago. But the concept came to founder Aaron Tobin well before the first ride. “Four or five years ago, I wanted to start a weekly bike ride. A group of my friends said they were interested. But when it came down to it, we never actually got out,” he said. “So I decided to start a Facebook group. The first time we rode, there were probably 25 people. Now we get 150-200 riders each time.”

The E-Z Rollers meet on a weekly basis, every Tuesday evening at 6:30 P.M., at the Oak Park Library, when the weather is nice. “We ride from the beginning of summer sometimes through Halloween, or whenever it gets too cold,” Tobin said. “We have a hard-core group that is out with us every week, and many others who drop in when they can.”

The E-Z Roll is family-oriented, and the group considers safety first and foremost. “The environment is entirely family-friendly,” Tobin explained. “That means no drinking, no smoking, no loud or offensive music. You can’t wear anything offensive, either. We go out for about an hour, and we just ask that riders leave that stuff behind. We have handheld radios, and we direct bikers along the path. We’re always focused on safety.”

The E-Z Roll was organized as an entirely free event to promote community togetherness. “It’s just a great way to get people off their couches and kids away from their games and devices. The ride promotes comradery, a sense of neighborhood and friendship,” Tobin said. The rides are open to cyclists of all ages. “We have riders who originally brought their kids in carriers on the back of their bikes, and now the kids are riding their own attached bikes. They’ve participated for years. We also have college professors, father-son and mother-daughter pairs, business owners and fast-food employees. Even City Manager Erik Tungate rode with us.”

There’s a different route for riders each week. “Paul Levine maps out our path. He even considers elevations to ensure all riders can come out. We have a different route each time: riding in Oak Park as well as in neighboring cities, including Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge, Ferndale, and Berkley,” Tobin explained.

“We promote the event on our Facebook page. We also have a text messaging network that alerts bikers who don’t have Facebook about upcoming rides,” Tobin said.

The E-Z Rollers are not affiliated with any political party, or third-party business or organization, and do not intend on monetizing in any way. Yet, Tobin said, “We do sell t-shirts for just a couple of bucks if riders are interested. And, ‘Ken the light man’ is always around to sell bike lights. We also work with local bike shops, like D&D Bicycles in Berkley, to offer riders discounts on purchases or repairs.”

As interest in the group grew, Tobin also began to print off business cards to direct people to the Facebook page. “People see this massive group of cyclists riding by and they come out on their front porches, waving and cheering us on. They want to know who we are and what it’s all about. So I pass out the cards.”

The E-Z Roll offers a few special events throughout the year, too, including after-ride dinners and a Fourth of July ride. “Chef Cari’s Street Eats offered a fish ‘n chips dinner after one of our rides last year. We’re hoping to do this again this year,” Tobin said. “It offered more of a social atmosphere for riders where we could have more in-depth conversations. The E-Z Roll has helped neighbors meet for the first time, even if they’ve lived next door to each other for years.”

The E-Z Roll team is looking for sponsors for a free helmet giveaway. Business are encouraged to email: oakparkE-Zoll@gmail.com.