Cycling celebration, annual Laramie BikeNet swap and meeting on tap

“The event is open and free to anybody, not just our members,” Gobbersmith said. “If people come and opt to join, that is great, but it is not a requirement.”

For those with bikes or bike parts they’d like to sell, the bike swap kicking off the event is a great opportunity not only for sellers, but also for those looking for a new-to-them bike. Set-up for sellers starts at noon in the Kenny Sailers North Gym at the Civic Center. Cost is $10 for a table, or $20 for a business or bike shop. The fee for selling individual bikes is $10. For planning purposes, table registration is needed ahead of time via the Laramie BikeNet website laramiebikenet.org.

Doors open to the public at 1 p.m. with the swap lasting until 3 p.m. There also will be information and sign-up for the various programs offered by the organization. An emphasis of the gathering is recruiting volunteers to help with the various youth programs.

“The biking trails are here,” Gobbersmith said. “We worked hard with many collaborations to make all the biking opportunities here a reality. Now, we are focusing on getting our youth out on bikes to enjoy all those trails.”

The youth BikeNet programs includes the Youth Cycling Program for second- to eighth-graders. Registration for that program is open now with the event taking place four Thursday evenings in late May and early June. The 7220 Laramie Youth Mountain Biking Team begins practice in August, with the racing season extending to the end of October.

“We hope to recruit adult volunteers to become youth cycling coaches,” Gobbersmith said. “We will be a source for any cycling event in the region that needs coaches.”

BikeNet covers costs for volunteers to get certified, with much of the training online. Each volunteer also receives wilderness first-aid training.

“Our goal is to have coaches available for any group or event that encourages youth on bikes,” Gobbersmith said. “Be it a mountain bike camp, a racing team, or a clinic, we hope to have enough volunteers available to fill any of the needs in the region.”

More information about the training and effort involved with being a volunteer will be discussed at the event. The head coaches for both the Laramie 7220 Mountain Bike Team and the Cheyenne WyoX Mountain Bike Team also will share information on schedules and answer any questions about the middle school and high school mountain bike teams.

Presentations on other BikeNet programs and events also will be featured, including trail building and maintenance days, helmet giveaway events, manning the bike valet station at Freedom has a Birthday, and helping at the BikeNet booth during the summer Farmer’s Market in downtown Laramie.

A highlight of the celebration is the showing of the movie “In the Dirt” at 5 p.m. in the Gryphon Theater at the Civic Center. The inspirational documentary is about a group of passionate Native American cyclists who attempt to bring the sport of mountain biking to the Navajo Nation, where bike shops do not exist.

Through a grassroots native-led effort, this group of dedicated cyclists and their families overcame countless odds to build a cycling culture that today is the fastest-growing recreational sport on the Navajo Nation.

“The film is quite inspiring,” Gobbersmith said. “We thank board member Dewey Gallegos for securing it for our event.”

Now is the time to gather those spare bike parts lying around in the garage, or spruce up that old bike that needs a new owner. Join in “everything bikes” at the BikeNet celebration and membership meeting.