Annual biking event is a 'wheel' success

SANDPOINT — Farmin-Stidwell principal Anne Bagby had a problem Wednesday morning — a big one.

Yet never before had a problem been so welcome, or made someone so happy.

“It was fabulous, the most wonderful problem I’ve ever have in my life,” explained Bagby on Wednesday afternoon, while standing amid a sea of colorful bicycles.

The problem was not having enough free water bottles to distribute to each of the nearly 200 Farmin-Stidwell students who rode their bikes to school as part of Sandpoint Bike Week’s Bike to Work and School Day.

Based off the success of last year, Bagby and her staff were expecting about 80 participants, and thus asked for that many water bottles. Suffice it to say, they ran out about a half hour before school started, and promptly had to ask for more — many more.

They also distributed 150 donated bike helmets, which were presented by Diane Arrants, the Safe Routes to School coordinator for the district. Area firemen also dropped by for a bike rodeo, which included a valuable lesson on the importance of wearing helmets.

“They dropped a watermelon from six feet and it exploded. The kids all said, ‘Oooooooh,’ ” recalled Bagby. “Then they dropped the watermelon with a helmet on and it was fine.”

Kootenai Elementary reported more than 60 students biking to school, and they also ran out of water bottles. Washington Elementary reported more than 40 bikes stacked in the racks. The bike racks at SMS and SHS were also burgeoning with bicycles.

Jim Seyfert, one of the driving forces behind Bike Week 2009, went and collected all of the remaining water bottles he could find to ensure that each kid who rode to school eventually gets one. He called the turnout of students very satisfying.

“We should be pleased to have this problem,” he said of the shortage of bottles, while also noting the beautiful weather played a big factor in the high turnout. “It makes me feel like my efforts have been worth it. To get that many kids riding bikes speaks well to the future of biking.”

Local businesses got into the act as well, with eight people at the Bonner County Daily Bee riding their bikes to work. Of the four downtown banks, Panhandle State Bank had the highest turnout with three riders. Nearly every bike rack in town was more congested than usual.

Local bike shop Sports Plus saw an increase in business, as more than 15 people, of all ages, came in for reasons relating to Bike to Work Day.

Bike Week 2009 continues on Friday with a free showing of the Sandpoint Bicycle Film Festival at the Panida, where all registered entrants can win an assortment of prizes. Saturday is the Rails to Resort Climb, formerly known as the Schweitzer Hill Climb.

For more information, visit “www.sandpointbikeweek.com.”