OCTOBER 26, 2011
Cave Creek Bicycle Festival set for mid-November
CAVE CREEK – Purchasing 4,000 acres of open space – over $1 million; organizing a weekend cycling event to raise money to buy open space – difficult; watching bicycle riders cross the finish line knowing they helped the cause – priceless.
For the third consecutive year, the Town of Cave Creek is hosting the Cave Creek Bicycle Festival to raise funds for open space and increase awareness in the tremendous outdoor recreation potential of the Cave Creek area. The Festival takes place from Friday, Nov. 11 – Sunday, Nov. 13.
The weekend’s festivities begin on Friday with a bicycle maintenance clinic for children at the Flat Tire Bike Shop in Cave Creek.
Saturday the fat tire bike riders take to the hills for a 22.2 mile mountain bike race. Later in the afternoon, kids race around a 1/3 mile loop. A late afternoon event called “the Alley Cat Race” requires riders to solve clues, ride to local shops, ultimately transporting objects back to the finish line at Frontier Town.
Saturday’s festivities culminate with a “Ride-in-Theater” at the Buffalo Chip Saloon and a special competition to see who can throw a derelict bicycle frame the farthest.
Sunday, Nov. 13 the “skinny tire” riders take to the road for “what we’re calling the North Valley Bello Fondo after the Italian tradition of beautiful rides along scenic country roads” says Festival Coordinator and Cave Creek Town staffer Mike Rigney.
For the safety of the participants the right lane of north bound Cave Creek Road will be closed on Saturday, Nov. 12 from 8 a.m. until the last mountain bike rider finishes, which should be about 1:30 p.m.
Rigney and his team of volunteers wish to thank the sponsors whose generosity make this event successful. “Our festival is unique since it combines a mountain bike race, kid’s race and road ride. Nobody in the state is doing this. We hope Creekers will come out and cheer the riders on as they raise money for open space protection”, says Rigney.
For more information visit their Facebook page or www.cavecreekbicyclefestival.com.
Courtesy photo by Gaired Fressadi
