Oak Bay Bike Festival- Sunday, 10am-2pm Willows Beach Park

[Lister Farrar]

This is a great opportunity to share your passion for cycling with cyclists of all ages and persuasions among your family and friends.

(Cool poster from Tripleshotter Brent Scofield eh?)

Activities include:

• 9:00 am Children's guided bike trains from Carnarvon Park and Monterey schools to Willows Beach Park
  10:00 Family oriented ride on a closed section of Beach Drive
  11:00 Tours of Oak Bay history, food, studios, and architecture (designed by Tripleshotter Adam Fawkes)
  all day:
  The AFD petroleum airbag for the teenaged hucker in everybody (good for about 11 yers and up)
  the Margaret Jenkins Elementary and Monterey Middle schools bike clubs props. Think teeter totters and cool stuff to ride over. Last year we had 2-year olds on run bikes, and 16 year-olds going for air in the same line-up.
  Police bike rodeo
  John Webster trials riders, former world number 6
  Barb Bialokoz demo of bike fitting
  Oak Bay Bikes, Fairfield Bikes, and Marty's mountain cycles displays and tune-ups
  mini cyclocross course

The team room at the beach is open at 8am with breakfast sandwiches etc.

[JohnT]

"Team Room" - I like that Lister. I'll be there after a shortened Sunday ride. In fact, if anyone wants to meet at 6:30 am instead of 7:30 am, we might be able to get a good Sunday ride in before helping out in Oak Bay.

JT

[Lister Farrar]

"Team Room" - I like that Lister. I'll be there after a shortened Sunday ride. In fact, if anyone wants to meet at 6:30 am instead of 7:30 am, we might be able to get a good Sunday ride in before helping out in Oak Bay.

JT

Oops. That should have been Tea Room. There's no m(mmm) in tea, sez the coffee drinker.

By the way the weather looks very dubious for Sunday.

Sunday, 29 September
Rain. Windy. High 15.

http://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-85_metric_e.html

Oak Bay Rec has offered their indoor turf field for most of the activities (sadly, not cyclocross), and is still working out if the airbag will fit. If the festival moves there, the community ride will likely get cancelled as the rec centre is too far from beach drive, but most activities and displays can go ahead. Its a great place for kids to ride the props from Margaret Jenkins and Monterey. (How cool is that the cycling rates the turf field?) The new tours would move to the rec centre for the presentations, and head out from there. (Maybe have a sauna after?) The bike trains from Carnarvon and Monterey would go ahaed, but end up at the rec centre instead of the park.

I will post the final decision when it's made; likely noon or 4 pm Saturday. Stay tuned.

Speaking of props, Rolf's email to the couple of hundred parents of the Margaret Jenkins school bike club, suggesting they attend the festival and acknowledging Oak Bays leadership, found its way to the mayor. Who was very happy to see their support of Oak Bay's cycling initiatives. And showered a little praise on their staff in rec and police and parks who are making it happen. Nice. Thanks Rolf.

[Rolf]

No prob, Lister. Sycophancy's my middle name.

I really hope you don't get rained out, but the kids may even have a better time burning around on the indoor turf. There's something excitingly illicit-feeling about riding indoors—I used to ride down the halls at school for a guilty pleasure...

[Lister Farrar]

Official word is in. The festival (most of it anyway) is moving indoors to Oak Bay Recreation indoor field on Bee street.

Monterey and Margaret Jenkins bike club props, John Webster trials demo, Oak Bay Bikes, Marty's Mountain Cycles, and Fairfield bikes, and Barb Bialokoz physio and bikefitting, are continuing. Also the tours of Oak Bay history, studios, food spots, and architecture will start there.

The history and architecture tours are guided. Architecture by Tripleshotter Adam Fawkes of HCMA architects (with colleague Steven Meldrum), and history by Ben Clinton-Baker, historian and member of Oak Bay's heritage advisory committee.

Tweed food writer Pam Grant will introduce the food tour, and the artists on the tour will meet you at their studios. All stops are on the same map, so you can modify your route to catch other things.

Our motto for the tours tomorrow:

No bad weather, only bad clothes.


If you're interested, meet in the conference room off the cafe at 11 for the introductory comments from the leaders. A sauna pass will reward those taking the tour. Maybe bring a change of clothes, warmup after, and have a snack at the cafe?

Taking part in the festival is free.

The community ride, mini-cross course, and airbag will have to wait for next year.

A press release is being prepared now and will go to media. If you know any journalists, encourage them to come and cover the first ever indoor cycling event there, and the intrepid tour riders.

[Lister Farrar]

The elementary school kid's bike trains from Carnarvon and Monterey are also continuing as far as I know. They are meeting at 9:00 and riding to the rec centre. I will post an update when I hear from the leaders.

Maybe get an early start on introducing your children to the Tripleshot winter routine, do a tour, and have a sauna?

[BRob]

My kids had lots of fun today at the bike festival. Thanks to you Lister and your crew for putting it on.
Blair