Inaugural ‘Cave Creek Bicycle Festival’ and Soldier Ride set for
Nov. 13 – 15

November 4, 2009

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Mountain Bike Race, Discovery Road Ride; Country Western Classic Music Fest; Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride

CAVE CREEK – The Town of Cave Creek and Flat Tire Bike Shop will host the inaugural “Cave Creek Bicycle Festival” Friday through Sunday, Nov. 13 – 15. Geared towards outdoor enthusiasts and bicycling participants of all ages, the event will feature cycling rides and races throughout the pristine Sonoran Desert.
Highlights also include a “Cave Creek Country Western Classic Music Fest,” Fireworks Display, a Fat Tire Beer Garden, the Luv Shack Ranch Horse Rescue Kids Zone, and Deb’s Dragons & Other Misunderstood Creatures at the Silver Spur Saloon at Frontier Town; the “Burning Bicycle Man” and “Ride In Theater” at the Buffalo Chip Saloon, an “Outdoor Adventure Vendor Expo,” and other fun activities throughout town. Entry fees are $60. Proceeds benefit the Town of Cave Creek’s “Open Space” preservation efforts.

“Come experience Cave Creek’s scenic roads and trails, cooler temperatures, grand vistas, and challenging hills by registering for either our Mountain Bike Ride on Saturday or the 35-mile or 50-mile Cave Creek Discovery Road Ride on Sunday,” said Mike Rigney, assistant utilities manager for the Town of Cave Creek and Cave Creek Bicycle Festival event chair.
Mountain Bike Ride participants will take off from Linda Lane, just east of Silver Spur Saloon at Frontier Town, at 10 a.m. on Saturday; the Cave Creek Discovery Road Ride begins from the same location at 8 a.m. on Sunday.

Rigney hopes the Bicycle Festival will inspire bicyclists of all ages and levels to support the town in its efforts to preserve pristine Sonoran Desert lands north of the Phoenix metropolitan area. “This land must be purchased from the State Land Department. To raise the funds necessary for this critical preservation effort, the town is hosting this event to showcase the lands being protected.”

Get Back on the Bike
While the Cave Creek Bicycle Festival will attract many seasoned bicyclists, the event will also provide opportunities for beginners to try cycling. Event co-sponsor Flat Tire Bike Shop will rent cruisers, mountain bikes and road bikes throughout the weekend and bike manufacturer Trek will give demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14 both at Silver Spur Saloon at Frontier Town and at the parking lot of the Spur Cross Conservation Area.

Dave Thompson, owner of Flat Tire Bike Shop, offered a few tips for beginners:
Get a full bicycle fitting to ensure that you are getting the proper bike size.

Buy whatever accessories you will need to make sure you have a positive biking experience, including a helmet.

Learn how to change a flat and have all of the equipment required with you.
Discuss nutritional and hydration requirements, even when just starting out.
Ride with an experienced bicyclist.

W. Alan Hall Band Kicks Off Event
In true Cave Creek style, the town has a jam-packed weekend planned with live music, food, and entertainment for both event participants and those who want to take in all of the fun.

One of Cave Creek’s most legendary citizens, country rock star W. Alan Hall, returns to his “home away from home” for a special event kick-off party Friday at 7 p.m. at Silver Spur Saloon at Frontier Town. The W. Alan Hall Band concert is the first of six bands set to perform at Silver Spur Saloon during the free Cave Creek Country Western Classic Music Fest on Saturday and Sunday. The exciting Saturday line up features: The Brandon Shepard Band from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Rage ‘n River from 2:30 – 6:30 p.m.; and The Spin from 7 – 11 p.m.; and Sunday: Greg Jaymes from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Jeff Stevens from 1:30 – 5 p.m.; and Rage ‘n River from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Hall used to manage the original Silver Spur Saloon in the early 1970s before taking a manager position at The Maverick Palace, which is now the Buffalo Chip.

“My band used to play there a lot and we’re excited to come back and kick off such a great weekend event with Jerry Crivello, Tom Neal, J. Bentley, Jason Hall and a few more,” said Hall.

An Ohio native and self-proclaimed “old rocker,” Hall works as an associate on-air disc jockey for KORT-FM/AM radio in Idaho, but said he still considers Cave Creek to be home.

“We’ll perform some original songs and some covers … everything from Johnny Mathis, Merle Haggard, Waylon and Neil Diamond to the Doobie Brothers and the Rolling Stones,” he said.

Saturday, Nov. 14 Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride
Prior to the Cave Creek Bicycle Festival Mountain Bike Ride on Saturday, spectators are invited to the Cave Creek Maricopa County Sheriff’s Main District Office, 37622 N. Cave Creek Road, at 9 a.m. to show their support for some 30 veterans who will participate in The Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride to Bartlett Lake. The ride will finish at Silver Spur Saloon at 1:30 p.m.

Director of media and public relations Joanne Fried, U-Haul International, which is sponsoring the team of cyclists, said “Many of these men and women have been physically active throughout their lives. This special ride recognizes the incredible sacrifices these soldiers have made and helps to raise awareness and money to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.”

To register or for a detailed event schedule for the Cave Creek Bicycle Festival, call
480-437-3580 or visit www.CaveCreekBicycleFestival.com.

For information about The Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride, visit
www.woundedwarriorproject.org.