Not too late to participate in Tahoe Bike Challenge; Celebration June 18

For two weeks every year, Lake Tahoe area commuters, students and recreational riders get on their bikes instead of in the cars to get to where they need to go. This year's event started on June 1 and goes until June 14 so there are just a few days to make your bike rides count.

In addition to all the other reasons to participate (including that it is fun & free), the data collected goes to help show the need for bicycle paths and other infrastructure when we apply for grants and other funding.

Even if just riding bikes this weekend, the logged miles will count. Sign up here: www.tahoebike.org/tahoe-bike-challenge/.

So far, in the first nine days of the challenge, the 183 participants have logged 6,610.62 miles. Included in those figures are 29 riders from the North Shore with 1232.62 miles, and 154 South Shore riders with 5378 miles.

Another fun part of the challenge are teams from local businesses, schools and agencies who are vying for the top mileage and participant count awards. So far, the leaders are the teams from Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Lake Tahoe Community College and the League to Save Lake Tahoe with a combined 1493.51 miles logged for work and play.

Following close behind the leaders are the teams from Blue Angel Cafe, the City of South Lake Tahoe, Environmental Incentives and Borges Chiropractic, Heavenly Mountain Resort, Tahoe Mountain Lab and Liberty Utilities.

Individual leaders are Linda Allen with 170 miles (Team TRPA), Will Stetler with 158.51 miles (North Tahoe Public Utility District), Sally Loomis with 152 miles (LTUSD), Valerie Lomeli with 144.8 miles (Team Tahoe Mountain Lab), and Randy Carlson (City of SLT) and Don Abicht (Team Heavenly) with 120 miles each.

Not only have organizers been tracking miles, they've also had several events for locals and visitors to participate in from bike trail clean up, yoga classes, community bike rides and a kick-off celebration.

The Bike Challenge will celebrate the two weeks of biking in Lake Tahoe with a Cycle Celebration on June 18 from noon to 4:00 p.m. at the Bijou Bike Park in South Lake Tahoe. This free event will feature a beer garden sponsored by Cold Water Brewery, bike valet, raffle drawings, announcement of the bike challenge winners, bike challenge achievement awards, community booths, demo with South Shore BMX, bike park skills development with Pete Fink, tire changing contest, turtle race kid zone, art contest winner announcement, and food provided by Kiwanis BBQ.