CHaFE 150 bike ride rolls into Sandpoint

SANDPOINT — Bicyclists will converge on scenic Sandpoint this week to take part in the second annual CHaFE 150 ride on Saturday, just as organizers wrap up the final details in what is sure to be another stellar, high-quality event benefitting early childhood education.

So far, 110 riders have registered to participate in this year’s ride, and event coordinator Geraldine Lewis suspects that the addition of the 1/2 CHaFE — at 82 miles — may have played a part in the ride’s growing popularity, with 35 bicyclists opting for the shorter ride. In addition, this year’s ride date was changed to mid-June (last year’s event was held in mid-September), and appears to fit better with cyclists’ busy summer riding schedules.

It’s still possible to register, right up until Friday. Riders can register online at www.chafe150.org, or come in person to the rider check-in Friday, 4-7 p.m. at the Panhandle State Bank building in downtown Sandpoint.

The gorgeous CHaFE 150 course — which won high praise from bicyclists last year — leaves Sandpoint and winds its way eastward along Lake Pend Oreille into Montana, where it heads north up the beautiful Bull River Valley, before heading west down the Kootenai River Valley to Bonners Ferry, and then south back to Sandpoint.

There’s a new start and finish point in downtown Sandpoint — right near City Beach at the Edgewater Resort on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille. The lakefront location offers fuller amenities, and organizers have planned a fun new series of post-finish happenings where riders’ companions and local residents can cheer the returning bicyclists back into Sandpoint.

This year’s new addition of the 1/2 CHaFE ride was meant to entice riders who were hesitant to undertake the elite-length, 150-mile full CHaFE. With the 1/2 CHaFE, riders will bike to the halfway point in Troy, Mont. — still a challenging distance at 82 miles — and buses will return riders and their bikes back to Sandpoint.

Catering to the bicyclists’ quest for fuel, the 2009 edition of CHaFE has a few new elements in the food category to suit their needs. Organizers will provide a riders’ breakfast buffet at the new Trinity Restaurant at City Beach beginning at 5:30 a.m.; the restaurant will also be putting together a Saturday night “Rider Menu” for those who want a tasty post-ride dinner. Participants also will receive a complimentary dinner coupon for dinner on Friday, June 12, at Ivano’s Ristorante. The dinner is meant not only to thank riders for their participation, but to give everyone a chance to socialize and meet other bicyclists. And during the actual ride, bicyclists will be treated to five break stops along the route, each complete with high-quality food and drinks.

All proceeds raised from the CHaFE 150 and the 1/2 CHaFE help fund the Ready! for Kindergarten program in the northern Idaho region. Last year’s inaugural ride was instrumental in getting this great opportunity for local children off the ground, and the momentum continues to build. Learn more at ReadySandpoint.org.

For more information contact Events Coordinator Geraldine Lewis at (208) 290-7148, or visit “www.CHaFE150.org.”