Annual Blessing of the Bikes

April 26, 2009, 10:00 Sunday morning

Asheville�s Pack Square

23 to 53 mile Bicycle Ride�or less

ASHEVILLE, N. C. --Sunday, April 26, 2009 bicyclists will depart from Pack Square in downtown Asheville on the sixth annual Beating the Bounds bicycle ride around the city.

The annual event begins at 10 am Sunday, April 26, at Pack Square. The ride coincides with Earth Day week activities and is a grand way to celebrate community.

This bicycle ride, open to all experienced bicyclists, begins and ends at Vance Monument in the heart of the city, and travels to the boundaries of Asheville. �At each boundary, riders will gather and raise a ruckus,� says Robbie Sweetser, the event�s organizer. �Beating the bounds is an ancient tradition to bless fields and crops, to emphasize village boundaries, and simply to bring the people of a community together.�

There will be a special observance in Biltmore Village as the parishioners bless the passing bicyclists in the front of the historic Cathedral of All Souls in celebration of the beating the bounds tradition and the opening of Earth Day events on the church grounds.

Public metered parking spaces near Pack Square are free on Sundays. There is no fee or registration required. All riders are encouraged to bring noisemakers and wear festive costumes for the festivities.

The ride this year will be shorter than in year�s past and will not include Sweeten Creek Road at the request of past riders. The full route measures 53 miles. However, since the route encircles the city, a rider may choose from several alternate cut-offs to adjust the total miles to their preference. There will be a mid-point cut-off for instance for anyone who desires to return to Pack Square from Biltmore Village for a total of 23 miles.

The pace will be moderate over rolling terrain. Each gathering stop will be near convenience markets, Sweetser says, and a mid-day break is possible as the ride passes by the cafes of West Asheville.

�Precise origins of this tradition aren�t really clear, although it has been part of ritual celebrations within many cultures across the world,� Sweetser explains, �The Celts of Britain had been celebrating this tradition for centuries before the Romans made note of it.�

Bicycle helmets are required for all this and all BRBC rides.

For more information, contact Robbie Sweetser, 828/274-5979 or robbie@griffinarchitectspa.com.