Time to ride! May is Shuswap Bicycle Month and the Downtown Salmon Arm has outlined riding events to keep everyone pedaling.
A month of bike riding calls attention to reducing air pollution and staying healthy.
May 12 is this year’s 12th annual Salty Dog 6-Hour Enduro mountain race hosted by Skookum Cycle & Ski and is expected to attract 750 riders from throughout B.C., Alberta, and Northwestern U.S.. Since the first race in 2001, the Salty Dog has grown to be the second largest one-day mountain bike event in B.C.
“(The bikers) really like our community,” said Tom Peasgood from Skookum Cycle & Ski. “They really like the family atmosphere of our community.”
Coinciding with race package pick-up for competitors, the Taste of Downtown Street Fair will take place on Saturday, May 11. There will be information booths including Shuswap Tourism, the Shuswap Bike Club and the Shuswap Trail Alliance.
“The Taste of Downtown was seen as an opportunity to start engaging some of these visitors and showing off our downtown,” said Roger Parenteau, of Downtown Salmon Arm. “We’ve got shops, we’ve got some really cool boutiques, and we have an awesome downtown.”
Events throughout the day will include bike yoga with Dakshina Yoga at 10 a.m. on Hudson Street. The Candy Vault kids ride throughout downtown will start at 11:30 a.m., in addition to an obstacle course.
“People can join in and race each other and just generally be silly,” Parenteau said.
At 1:15 p.m., The Shuswap Pie Company is having a pie-eating contest. From 12:45 to 3:30 p.m. there will be live music in front of the art gallery and at 6 p.m. there will be live music back at The Shuswap Pie Company.
The newly formed Shuswap Bike Club will be involved throughout the week. They are hosting a movie fundraiser at the Salmar Grand at 4 p.m. on May 11 as a part of the Taste of Downtown.
On May 24, the Shuswap Bike Club has also joined in hosting the Twilight Family Fun Ride from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The core of the downtown will be blocked off as business set up bicycle-themed skill stations and participants have the opportunity to win tickets that will enter them into prize draws.
May 26 to June 1 is bike to work week across B.C. and is a challenge to avid riders and new cyclists alike to pedal instead of drive.
Skookum Cycle & Ski hosts a selection of weekly group rides all month and Ridetech will be doing the Shuswap Bike Tour on May 25.
For a full list of events visit Shuswap Bike on Facebook.