Bike Fest promotes cycling in Sudbury

The weather co-operated Sunday when Sudbury's cycling community descended to the Laurentian Conservation Area for Bike Fest 2014.

The Sudbury Cyclists Union collaborated with the Outside Store and the Conservation Area to put on the event which promoted cycling for all ages and ability levels.

The Outside Store's Sean Rogers said the store helped organize the first Bike Fest last year to allow its customers to try out high-end bikes on proper trails and push for the protection of the Laurentian Conservation Area, which he said has been on developers' radars in recent years.

“People can actually ride a high-end bike on the trails they're designed for, rather than our parking lot,” Rogers said.

The Outside Store invited sales representatives from cycling companies Kona, Specialized and Trek to bring their latest thousand-dollar models so visitors could take them out for test rides.

The event also featured a number of organized bike rides along the conservation area's mountain bike trails and on the nearby roads.
Rachelle Niemela, a member of the Sudbury Cyclists Union, said the event also served an educational purpose.

There was a bike rodeo that taught children how to safely ride on the road, use proper hand signals and work on their cycling skills.

“We're celebrating cycling in Sudbury,” Niemela said. “It's just one way of showing the city that cycling is a great thing to do.”
More than 100 cyclists attended the festival.