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Produced & Maintained by Idaho Mountain Express, Box 1013, Ketchum, ID 83340-1013 
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Copyright © 2003 Express Publishing Inc.
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Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Features

Commuters cruise to work

National Bike to Work day a success in valley


By MEGAN THOMAS
Express Staff Writer

Mother Nature may have missed the memo on National Bike to Work Day, but the dedicated bicycling commuters of the Wood River Valley did not. Despite the patchy rain, cyclists rallied to the Wood River Trail System for national Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 21.

Roger Mankus, Nappy Neaman and Kate Walker commute to work in Ketchum. Photos by David N. Seelig

For the first time Wood River Rideshare celebrated National Bike to Work Day with Commuter Appreciation Stations along the trail system. At stations from Myrtle Street in Hailey to Warm Springs in Ketchum, volunteer sponsors served snacks, drinks and other prizes for those commuting to work between 6:30 and 9 a.m. Some stations reported over 60 cyclists stopping by. The national day of riding, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists and the Shimano Corporation, kicked off the annual Smart Moves Community Challenge.

Wood River Rideshare also challenged area businesses to compete in the Workplace Challenge. Scott USA of Ketchum won the contest by having the highest percentage of employees biking to work: 89 percent.

"It’s wonderful that the Scott staff is so enthusiastic and supportive of cycling," said Scott Montgomery, general manager of the Scott USA bike division. Cyndy Garvin, a Scott USA employee of 17 years, showed her support of the event by biking 18 miles, from Bellevue to Ketchum, on her yellow cruiser. "I started out at 6:30 a.m. with my cruiser. It was probably the heaviest bike out there … but I just wanted to cruise," Garvin said

A cyclist cruises the bike path for the daily commute to work.

Cruise she did, stopping at all of the Commuter Appreciation Stations and keeping up with other co-workers, who rode lighter and faster bikes. Garvin was cheered as she arrived at work with tassels dangling from her handlebars and stuffed animals resting in her bicycle basket.

Kathleen Costello, who also rode an older Scott USA cruiser to the office, noted the unusual scene outside of the Warm Springs office building. Costello said that the office parking lot was completely empty, but that the bike rack was overflowing.

Organizers of the event hope that empty parking lots will be a common site as the annual Smart Moves Community Challenge continues through the summer. The program is designed to encourage commuters to find alternative means of transportation.


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City of Ketchum

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Edmark GM Superstore : Nampa, Idaho

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The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.





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