Boone toasts ‘Biketoberfest’
Second annual event Oct. 26

By Scott Nicholson

In celebration of Boone’s official “Bike Day,” The Boone Bicycle Initiative is holding its second annual

Biketoberfest on Sunday, Oct. 26.

The festival will roll onto the Greenway Trail near State Farm Road in Boone and include many family-oriented events such as bike races for kids, bike-wheel bowling, and other celebrations of two-wheeled, foot-powered transportation.

The event builds on the official recognition of bikes by the town of Boone last year.

“This is our second year,” said Alex Moody, who is heading up the Boone Bike Initiative. “There’s going to be bike dress-up and we’ll have people in Halloween costumes. We’re going to have a solar stage and some bands will play, powered off of that.”

There’s also a “slow race,” in which the goal is to roll as slowly as possible without falling over and to be the last rider to complete a short course. “Bike bowling” features rolling a bike wheel into the pins, and snack foods will be served throughout the day. The event starts at 12 noon and goes on until about 4 or 5 p.m.

The Boone Bicycle Initiative is a non-profit organization located behind the Turchin Center.

The group rents out bikes for a small refundable deposit.

The organization’s mission is to promote alternative transportation by providing free bicycles to the community.

“We’re raising awareness for biking,” Moody said of Biketoberfest. “We just want to have a fun, bike-oriented event to show how they fun they are. We’ll also have bike tune-up stations so people can learn more about their bikes and how to fix them.”

People who are not able to attend Biketoberfest are still encouraged to support the Boone Bicycle Initiative by donating time, money or materials. Used bikes are the heart of the program, though the organization did receive some funding for new bikes and odometers. Donated bikes can be dropped off at the Boone Bicycle Initiative office or can be scheduled for home pick-up. Shop hours are Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. and Monday from 6 to 9 p.m.

The organization now has about 45 bikes on the road. The bikes are loaned out on a two-week to two-month basis, with a deposit required. The bikes are tuned up and then loaned on a first-come, first-serve basis, with riders bringing the bikes back for regular maintenance.

“We definitely have more applications than we have bikes to repair,” Moody said. “We’re always looking for parts and those old, dusty bikes. We’re looking for a core group of volunteers for repairs, public relations and general events like this (Bike Day). We’re also looking for someone with a truck, because people are more likely to donate if they don’t have to bring it in. “

The Boone Bike Initiative hopes to raise funds or get a grant to hire a full-time bike mechanic next year. The group received some grant money for new bikes, which can be checked out with a credit-card deposit. The cards are only charged if the bike is destroyed or not returned, and the loans are renewable. The bikes also have odometers to track the numbers of miles traveled in order to calculate gas- and greenhouse-emissions savings.

However, the immediate goal is to get more pedal power in the Boone area. “We have about 40 people wanting bikes and we’ve only got two to repair,” Moody said.

For more information on the initiative or Biketoberfest, contact Moody at bikeboone@gmail.com or (757) 642-0282.