GETI Fest 2014, Sept. 20: bike decorating, bike rodeo and much more!

GETI Fest 2014 is fast approaching. Click on the link to find out more about all the exciting stuff that's happening this year.

Of course, we're back for the 4th year in a row with our bike decorating and bike rodeo station: 

We're hoping to see lots of kids this year. Bring the kids' bikes so they can make them look great and practice their skills while having loads of fun. We have two small bikes and a few helmets available, so even if you don't bring any bikes, please drop by and use ours.

I'm excited that eProdigy will be at the Station with some electric bikes for people to try out. Electric bikes are getting quite popular, especially in places that have traditionally seen more cycling. Besides regular bikes, electric bikes offer huge potential for communities that want to start transitioning away from our over-reliance on cars onto more sustainable and healthier modes of transportation. In more sprawling communities, like Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows, with e-bikes more people will be able to bike for transportation more often, since they can more easily cover longer distances and hills are much easier to tackle. They also enable people with physical limitations to continue to stay active.

The GETI Fest volunteer coordinator is still looking for lots of volunteers. We can use some too! If you volunteer through the volunteer coordinator, a free lunch is provided. It's good to state your preference if you want to volunteer with HUB, but it's kind of nice at the same time to be flexible and have something to do all the time. The numbers of kids at our station may vary throughout the day. I've arranged with the volunteer coordinator that she will send me volunteers as I need them, so hopefully that'll work out best for everyone. Please let Chelsa know if you would like to volunteer: cwebb@mapleridge.ca.

To see the photos I took at last year's GETI Fest, click here.

Bike to Farms ride, Sunday Sept. 7

Join Golden Ears Community Co-op and our HUB committee for our second Bike to Farms ride on Sunday, Sept. 7. We'll be leaving from Big Feast restaurant (11920 227 St., Maple Ridge) at about 1:00 pm, and we should return there by about 4:30 pm.  

The length of the ride is about 15 kms. Here is a map of the route:

This year's participating farms are:

• *NEW* Brookfield Farm, a historic farm owned and operated by Matthew and Deanna Laity. Lots of animals and lots of interesting stories!
• Lorea McCready, who lives on a lovely property overlooking the Golden Ears mountains, where she, with the help of her kids, lovingly and expertly grows, and preserves, an amazing variety of vegetables and fruits to feed her family. 
• Red Barn Plants and Produce. This is where much of the produce is grown that owners Elke and Ken Knechtel sell through their CSA program, as well as at the farm gate and at the Haney Farmers Market.

This year's ride is sponsored by the Maple Ridge Agricultural Advisory Committee.

Donations to the Golden Ears Community Co-op would be much appreciated.

For those of you who were wondering: out of safety concerns we decided not to visit Golden Ears Cheesecrafters this year, but we're hoping to once again include this yummy destination in future Bike to Farms rides once the planned multi-use path along 128th Ave. is completed.

Participants will be required to sign a waiver at the start of the ride. Of course we will all be expected to follow the rules of the road, such as wearing a helmet, riding single file when riding on the road, and pulling over when an emergency vehicle is approaching.

You can view a description and photos of last year's ride here.

My husband and I participated in the Slow Food Cycle Tour in Agassiz a few weeks ago. Same idea, only much bigger! Hundreds of people participate every year. I wrote about it in my last column in the Maple Ridge News.

It would be appreciated if you could register for the Bike to Farms ride in advance, so we have an idea how many people we can expect. Please send me an e-mail at jchow23708@yahoo.ca.

How a bike can change your life

The simple bicycle has changed so many lives in the past, and continues to be a life changer to many people in the present. Listen to this edition of CBC's On the Coast: Shifting Gears to hear some inspiring stories: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/how-a-bike-can-change-your-life-1.2725756.

Our meeting dates for the coming year

Good news! We're once again getting a free meeting room in the Maple Ridge Library from the District of Maple Ridge for the coming year! We're still getting the same room: the Alouette Room, which is upstairs.

We have one more meeting on the 3rd Thursday of the month in August, on the 21st. We'll be in Memorial Peace Park for this meeting for our annual "Pizza in the Park". So if anyone is thinking of joining us, please let me know ahead of time so I can make sure we have enough food and drink (my e-mail: jchow23708@yahoo.ca).

Starting in September we're back to the 2nd Thursday of the month, and our meeting schedule will be as follows:

Sept. 11
Oct. 9
Nov. 13
No regular meeting in December
No room available in January; meeting in open space area upstairs
Feb. 12
Mar 12
Apr. 9
May 14
June 11
July 9
Aug. 13

Time: 6:45 to 8:45 pm