(DP: A planning meeting for interested public is set for 6 PM
Tuesday, February 26, at Panera's, 357 Patteson Drive. Committee
would like to see appropriate coverage as events progress. Please
assign to a reporter and contact committee chair Marilyn Newcome,
598-5078, or me, John Lozier, 599 8233.)
AN UPHILL STRUGGLE (Max's Challenge)
Local 7-year-old Encourages Community to Bike
It is an uphill struggle to get people to think of bicycles as
transportation. However, cyclists young and old in Morgantown are
gearing up to change the way people think about bikes.
An Uphill Struggle, "Max's Challenge", will be celebrated in mid-
August with an all-ages group ride up Monongahela Boulevard, past the
Creative Arts Center, and down to the Star City Park. The point of
the ride is not speed but success in arriving at the top. The biggest
reward will be coasting down the other side.
Starting in spring, the Uphill Struggle committee is scheduling a
series of regular bicycle training events for riders of all ages and
skill levels. Tentatively set for 2 PM every Sunday, riders will meet
in Sabraton and ride up the Decker's Creek trail. Veteran cyclists
will offer guidance about bicycle safety, comfort and fitness.
The idea springs from conversations between Laura Kemp-Rye and her 7-
year-old son Max. Like so many of us, Max learned to ride on a gently
descending slope. Faced with the greater challenge of riding uphill,
Max came up with an idea to make it fun.
"Riding a bike is good exercise and it is a great way to reduce
pollution," says Max. "We're going to have a lot of fun on this ride,
and afterward we'll have a party!"
Since then, the idea has grown to encompass a challenge not just to
cyclists, but to drivers, who need to understand that bicycles help
reduce traffic congestion, have a right to be on the road, and take
up a lot less room than cars.
After Max's mother mentioned the idea to several local cyclists, the
Uphill Struggle Committee was formed. Headed by North Elementary
teacher Marilyn Newcome, members and other interested parties include
Kemp-Rye, John Lozier, Nick Hein, Bill Reger-Nash, Alice Vernon, Lynn
Ryan, and Tim Nelms.
The concept has been positively received by Morgantown mayor Ron
Justice, and Star City mayor Allen Sharp, and also by the Morgantown
Bicycle Board. The committee is currently seeking the widest possible
endorsement from civic and government units concerned with topics
such as transportation, education, and fitness.
In decades past, becoming a competent bicyclist as a child meant
freedom to travel independently, to school, playground, and the homes
of friends. Today, more than ever, getting from place to place can be
an uphill struggle. Especially here in Morgantown, where no matter
what your destination, it seems to be uphill both ways!
If you would like to be involved in the planning and implementation
of this project, or to be a sponsor or mentor, please contact Marilyn
Newcome at 598 5078, or mjcycling(a)msn.com.