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photos by CeCe Hugo
Bicyclists of all ages are invited to participate in the second annual Sonoma Springs Bicycle Festival on Saturday, Oct. 10 in Depot Park. The free, fun-for-the-whole-family event is jointly hosted by the Sonoma County Bike Coalition, Sonoma Valley Cyclists and new partner, the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance.
“Sonoma is known as a great, bike friendly city and this event is a wonderful way to promote cycling,” said Sandra Lupien, development and outreach director for the SCBC. “With our new partner, the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance, we’re expecting even more people to attend the festival what with their strong presence in the Valley and the level of participation the new ‘Miles for Mentoring’ 25-mile ride will draw.”
This year’s festival will include two rides: a short guided ride around the Valley and the new 25-mile ride. The guided ride will take place during the festival’s hours of 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will be led by Martin Clinton, a League of American Bicyclists certified instructor. Clinton will lead riders through scenic Sonoma Valley, pointing out existing facilities for bikes while giving tips and tools for navigating difficult biking spots like altered traffic patterns and construction zones.
The inaugural Miles for Mentoring ride is a more challenging, yet fun, 25-mile “out and back” through the Carneros region. It will depart from Depot Park at 9 .am. on Saturday. Participants must register in advance at sonomabikefest.org. Race fees are at $15 for kids and $35 for adults. Proceeds from the ride will benefit the Mentoring Alliance.
Chip Roberson is a local cycling advocate who started Sonoma Valley Cyclists five years ago. He sits on two Sonoma County bicycle/pedestrian advisory committees and was the instigator for last year’s bicycle festival here in the Valley. He is a huge cycling fan, traversing Sonoma alone or with a group of cyclists. “When I’m on my bike I see and observe more. Sonoma is the perfect place to ride. Even Lance Armstrong comes here to train so it is definitely the place to be.”
Roberson also promotes cycling whenever possible, especially to his mentee, a fifth-grader at Sassarini Elementary School. “My mentee gives me as much as I give him so sharing my love of cycling is just one more thing in a string of enormously rewarding experiences for both of us.”
The Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance has worked closely with the Valley of the Moon Teen Center and Kiwanis on a bike donation and repair drive. As a result, a select group of students in the mentoring program will be receiving refurbished bikes during the festival.
In addition to “all things bicycle,” the festival will feature food, live music by The Whiskey Thieves, Uncle Jessie and the Porch Junkies. Children’s bike helmet giveaways are scheduled as well as prizes, bike art projects, bike raffles and even a bike-powered smoothie machine.
According to Lupien, the Sonoma Police department will have officers on hand to provide bike skills training to children. One fun and photo-worthy feature will be the “turtle race,” where children ride their bikes as slowly as possible to learn good balance.
“The collaboration between the three organizations – SCBC, Sonoma Valley Cyclists and the Mentoring Alliance – has been fantastic. And what’s really super is that we probably wouldn’t have ended up crossing paths with one another without it,” said Laura Zimmerman, development director for the Mentoring Alliance. “Everyone is enthusiastic and inspired to make this a great annual event and to promote biking not just as transportation but as away of life.”
