BikeColumbus Festival Exceeds Expectations

Jul 30th, 2010 | By | Category: News
BikeColumbusTHANKS for your support! The BikeColumbus Festival has exceeded our expectations! We ended up with close to 500 riders EACH, for both the Mayor's Twilight Tour and the Steve Barbour Memorial Tour.  That's over 1,000 unique participants that came out to support bicycle safety and active living, and to have a great time in a multitude of fully supported events. Not bad for the first year of this concept!  And…..there's still an upcoming weekend of racing too. 
 
swapThanks to the Columbus Crew Stadium for hosting our events on Friday evening. The Ineeda Bike Swap initiated the festivities Friday afternoon by hosting multiple bike shops and individuals who wanted to sell their bicycles and cycling accessories. 60+ people came early to enjoy the friendly and welcoming atmosphere the swap provided. The buyers and sellers were happy; each will spread the buzz that this event laid a foundation for future swap events. We've heard many folks say in the following week, "I wished I'd have signed up to sell the stuff from my garage. We made a mistake by not participating."

 

 

 crew stadium venue pic_recAs 8:00 pm came closer, more and more people crowded the registration booths to sign in for the Mayor's Twilight Tour. Thankfully, individual volunteers and the capable volunteers from the Westerville Bike Club were able to manage the assumed-impending chaos and allowed the entire registration process to run smoothly. All registrants received a rear blinkie light courtesy of Trek, one of our primary sponsors for the Twilight Ride.  Thanks to our friends at TrekStore Columbus for pumping up lots of tires, adjusting bikes, and helping provide safe support during the ride. 

 

 

 
aep ridersWe'd also like to recognize and thank American Electric Power for their title sponsorship of the Mayor's Twilight Tour.  Through AEP's wonderful support, we were able to raise $10,000 for active living initiatives through this event. Thanks! The proceeds of the Mayor's Twilight Tour will be split between Consider Biking and the Institute for Active Living.
 

 

mayor ridingMayor Michael B. Coleman and Health Commissioner Dr. Teresa Long created the Institute for Active Living at Columbus Public Health in 2008. The Institute works with community partners to increase access to physical activity and nutritious food, to tackle the childhood obesity epidemic. It supports everthing from community gardens and local food systems to physical fitness equipment and bike safety. Working together, we can help our kids to grow up with healthy weights and enjoy an active and healthy life.

 

 

 edible arrangementsThanks to the Institute for Active Living, many riders received swag in the form of reusable bags, water bottles, restaurant coupons, and more. Next year, we'll prepare for a last-minute wave of registrants and have a few more swag bags. Kroger provided pre-ride snacks, bananas and granola bars while Edible Arrangements/Polaris was a huge hit with their fruit baskets and chocolate covered apples and strawberries. Those who tried out COTA's bike rack also received a voucher for free Jeni's ice cream! 
 

twilightThe excitement was palpable as the ride was about to start and Mayor Coleman and members of the Crew team, Robbie Rogers and Duncan Oughton, entered the stadium. The Mayor led the ride from the stadium to tackle the 10 or 20 mile city ride, followed by hundreds of people lined up on their lit-up bicycles with glow sticks wrapped around their arms. 
 
The procession, escorted by 10 Columbus Police motorcycles, made its way through the ravines of Clintonville. Families sitting on their lawns gave riders encouragement while the patrons of the bars in the Arena District cheered everyone on as if it were a race. Over 35 street corners were marked by volunteers wearing bright green vests and waving flags. This level of support and visibility helped the riders feel safe as the daylight slipped away.
      
police motorcycleThe rest stop at McFerson Commons provided a nice place to take a break and snack on some fruit and granola bars. The sun had set for the return trip to Crew Stadium. The stream of bicycle lights, rear blinkie lights, and glow sticks made for a festive procession. When people returned, they were welcomed by live music by the Odd Job Millionaires and Tailwind, Danny's Deli sandwiches and dozens of Donato's pizzas, which volunteers from Columbus Gives Back worked hard to serve to the continuous line of hungry cyclists. What a great night! 
 
 
barbourstartSaturday morning came early! Riders for the Steve Barbour Memorial Tour began arriving at McFerson Commons in the heart of the Arena District as dawn broke. Staggered start-times allowed for a calmer, more laid-back registration and kick-off. People were excited to ride, while still remembering the sobering purpose of the event – to commemorate the beloved cyclist Steve Barbour, who was tragically killed last year by a distracted driver, and to raise funds to promote bicycle safety.  Breakfast and coffee from Sunny Side Café and Pattycake Bakery got everyone awake and ready for their rides! Trying to get out before the heat, the 200k and 150k participants rode off at 7:30am, the 100k at 8:30am, and the 50k at 9:30am.

 

 Barbour ridingThere were three rest stops where riders could refuel and attempt to stay hydrated amidst the stifling heat and humidity. Snacks and lunch were provided by Giant Eagle, Meijers, and Hoggys. Steve Barbour's family helped serve lunch at Ted Lewis Park in Circleville and riders were able to listen to stories about Steve and pay their respects. Steve's family had a remarkable impact on all the riders; and, the outpouring of love for Steve's humble legacy, eased the apprehension the Barbour family had about participating in this event.  Everyone left with a firmer resolve to make our world a better place to enjoy safe cycling.

 

 

 

 
 boston foodWhen riders returned McFerson Park, BikeSource provided every rider with a commemorative, iced water bottle. Ahhhhhh….!!!    Boston's Gourmet Pizza continuously kept everyone supplied with pizza, sandwiches, salads, and more. Further food came from Café Brioso.  There was also plenty of live music and free massages.

 

 

 We'd especially like to thank Columbus Outdoor Pursuits for managing the Steve Barbour Memorial Tour.  They put together a beautiful route and provided the majority of the volunteers and support. The route markings were a bit humorous; we'll work on an update for next year.


 
And of course, we'd like to thank BikeSource for their presenting sponsorship support of Saturday's event.  Again, through their support, we were able to raise significant money to establish the Steve Barbour memorial fund at Consider Biking and Columbus Outdoor Pursuits to invest in education, encouragement and infrastructure needs to increase safety of bicyclists on our roads.
 
festival signOverall, the BikeColumbus Festival exceeded our expectations! While there were glitches that need to be fixed for next year, we could hardly be happier with how everything turned out, especially since this was our first weekend festival. 

 

 

We would appreciate any feedback as to how we can improve the festival in the future

 
 
cb staff & mayorThank you to everyone who was involved, whether as a rider, a volunteer, or in any other form.  If you are interested in doing more for bicycle safety, please go to considerbiking.org to stay connected with us.  Through the BikeColumbus Festival and all of our other endeavors, we are working hard so you can just ride!
 

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