The annual Great Big Pedal bicycle event will begin and end at Kin Coulee Park on Monday. Online registration is encouraged.--SUBMITTED FILE PHOTO
Bike Medicine Hat and Tourism Medicine Hat are cohosting the annual Great Big Pedal on Monday from 6-9 p.m. Kin Coulee will be both the start and end location.
Registration is free, and encouraged, for those who wish to participate. The first 150 registrants receive a $5 voucher for the food trucks. Thus far, about 90 people have registered.
“People can still come down on the day even if they don’t register, but they won’t be eligible for a food truck voucher,” said director and event coordinator Shelley Acheson.
A link to the registration page can be found at bikemedicinehat.ca/events. Anyone who wishes to join must also complete the waiver form.
Check-in starts at 6:15 p.m., with the first wave of riders leaving about 6:30 p.m. The 20 km riders will go first, followed by the 10 km riders, with 4 km riders going last. All being well, everyone will finish about the same time. There are no hills on any of the routes.
There will be a map down at the park so people can view the route beforehand. Bike mechanics will be on site to check over bikes, pump up tires and ensure they are ready to go.
Well before the rides begin, someone from Bike Medicine Hat will travel the route to let anyone on the trail know the Great Big Pedal is happening. Each group will have a leader and sweepers, so nobody gets left behind. There will also be people on the route with first-aid kits.
The Great Big Pedal kicks off Bike Week and this year Bike Medicine Hat is holding a virtual scavenger hunt. Hopefully, it will “encourage people to get out and explore Medicine Hat by bike, whether that is going for a coffee or finding a new trail,” stated Acheson. Go to @bikemedicinehat on either Twitter or Facebook to participate in the scavenger hunt.
With all the road construction going on, biking is a great alternative to navigating the city and can be a fun way to finding different routes of getting from point A to point B. Another benefit of biking, or walking, the trails is the opportunity to be more social and community minded, something that isn’t on offer when cocooned in our vehicles.
