Bike Races & Family Fun at the 15th Annual Brownwood Bike Rally

By Jill Sieder

Get your bikes primed and ready for the 15th annual Brownwood Bike Rally, to be held at Brownwood Park in East Atlanta on Saturday, September 21. Kids and adults will enjoy a great day of cycling activities and festival fun. The bike rally includes street bike races and a bike rodeo, featuring bike safety and agility skills for kids and Crit-CX races for adults on both street and dirt trails. For the non-cyclists, there will be a health fair, food court, and a festival area featuring bike decorating, a bouncy house, face painting, and other family-friendly activities.

The East Atlanta Kids Club (EAKC) launched the Brownwood Bike Rally in 2003 to promote fitness through a fun biking event that is free for all kids. Each year the event has grown, drawing more participants who compete in bike races and other fun fitness activities. The all-volunteer event remains free for all kids thanks to the support of several local cycling and fitness clubs, and other generous event sponsors. The event is the largest single fundraiser for the EAKC.

Sponsors and partners committed at press time included Software Anywhere, Metro Atlanta Cycling Club, Aquest, Argosy, Choate Construction, East Atlanta Pharmacy, East Atlanta Thai & Sushi, Edgewood Retail District, Eisenberg Firm, Fields Realty, Little 5 Flyers, Nelson Mullins Law, Owens Corning, Park Pet Supply, Midway Pub, Nia Massage, Set Supplies, Spaulding Law, and the Village Church of East Atlanta.

Kids ages 5 to 15 compete in the bike races on city streets and the bike rodeo. Streets closed to traffic are lined with cheering neighbors. Ages 16 and older have their choice of street races and two Crit-CX races, which are held on a hybrid race course that goes through and around the park on both street and dirt paths. Adults vie for cash prizes, while kids compete for ribbons, medals, and bragging rights. An on-site raffle offers chances for all to win prizes to local retailers and restaurants.

The EAKC has plenty of bikes and helmets for both kids and adults to borrow. You can pre-register at www.active.com or on-site the day of the event, Saturday, September 21 at 607 Brownwood Avenue. Sign up begins at 8:00am; the event runs from 9:00am to 1:30pm. Details on the races, race schedule, volunteering, and much more can be found at www.brownwoodbikerally.com.  Volunteers are needed; groups welcomed. You can also call 404-627-8050 for more information.The Brownwood Bike Rally and the EAKC’s year-round cycling and fitness programs encourage youth to stay fit and active. The rally also highlights cycling safety for kids and adults. All net proceeds will benefit the EAKC’s free after-school tutoring, mentoring, and enrichment programs for promising youth from under-resourced families in southeast Atlanta. Learn more at http://www.eastatlantakids.org.