BY WIL CREWS
SPORTSCREWS@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
AUBURN —
The Auburn Bicycle Committee is hosting a new, biking-safety event, Ride & Seek, Aug. 26 at Chewacla State Park in Auburn.
“We hope it’s going to be one of our big, annual events,” said Auburn Bicycle Committee Chair Todd Deery. “It’s going to be a really fun day. They are going to learn a lot, and they are going to learn how to ride in groups and have a lot of fun.
The Auburn Bicycle Committee works with the city of Auburn to educate children and citizens how to ride more safely and have fun on two wheels. Deery has been serving on the committee since 2020, and has acted as chair for the past two years.
“I’ve been a mountain biker and road biker for about 18 years,” he said. “I moved to Auburn four- and -a-half years ago, and immediately wanted to get immersed in the bike community that was here. So, I learned about the committee and started volunteering, and of course one of my big passions is riding bikes, so it seemed like a natural fit for me.”
Ride & Seek is designed for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, and provides the opportunity for attendees and their parents to ride their bikes on mountain biking trails within Chewacla, and the paved trail that runs along Shell Toomer Parkway outside of park.
“Every time I ride Chewacla, I meet someone from out of town who has come to Auburn specifically to ride the trails,” Deery said. “It’s a destination for people to hike and bike. It’s an amazing resource. It’s a great place for people to go and get away, and certainly to mountain bike. We should not take it for granted.”
At the inaugural Ride & Seek event, high school students in the Alabama Cycling Association (ACA) will be providing safe riding demonstrations and attendees will be eligible to receive a number of giveaways and raffles for bike equipment, including a new bike from Trek Bikes of Auburn.
“They are going to meet us at Chewacla,” Deery said of the people who attend the event. “They are going to get their bikes inspected by the two local bike shops here in town, James Bros and Trek Bikes. They are going to get a whole safety discussion on how to ride mountain biking trails, as well as paved trails. Every kid that comes, and their parents, if they want to ride, are going to get a chance to do a mountain biking trail and paved trail.”
The goal of this event is to teach children how to ride safely, while having fun, on two wheels.
Registration will remain open up to and through the day of the event. Early registration guarantees participants a free t-shirt. To register, visit the Ride & Seek: A Bike Safety Adventure Facebook event page, or visit auburnal.myrec.com. The registration fee is $10. Check-in for the event begins at 8:30 a.m.; mountain bike riding begins at 9 a.m.; and road riding begins at 9:30 a.m. Food trucks will be on site.
“Our goal is to do a few things,” Deery said. “We are trying to educate the citizens in Lee County about bicycling and how to ride safely. We also hold webinars in the spring, where we bring in guests from all over the country to talk about things like what is gravel riding or what are the rules of the road and what are your legal rights if you are in an accident as a bicyclist.
“One of our major goals is to educate people. We also advocate for better biking infrastructure in the city of Auburn. So, we work with city leaders and make sure they understand the needs of cyclists and what they are looking for like more bike lanes, more bike parking and places to lock up your bike and stuff like that. And then we throw events for the community and try to build that awareness. When I say cycling, I mean that in the most general sense — commuters, people who ride for recreation and fitness and just as well as kids and parents who may be riding around their neighborhood.”
RULES AND EVENT INFORMATION
1. Bicyclists must obey all traffic signals, stop signs and police officers as required by law. Bicycle riders obey the same rules of the road as do drivers of motor vehicles.
2. Be considerate; share the road with motorists. Move to the right of the road to allow motorists to pass on the left.
3. Ride & Seek is NOT A RACE. Ride at a comfortable pace, enjoy the scenery and chat with your fellow riders.
4. Helmets, properly worn, are required on all participants while bicycling during Ride & Seek.
5. Riders age 12 or under must be accompanied while riding. A parent or guardian may accompany the child, or an Escort Permission Form must be on file, naming an adult to ride with the child in place of the parent/guardian.
6. Riders age 13 to 18 may ride unaccompanied if their parent or guardian grants permission on the registration form. Otherwise, a parent/guardian or escort must accompany the rider as described above.
7. Any photos taken at Ride & Seek by the city of Auburn personnel or their agents will become property of the city of Auburn.
8. Door prize drawings will be held at 10:30 a.m. You must be present to participate.