DISTRICT READY TO ROLL OUT NEW BIKING SPREE JULY 1

Metro Parks, Serving Summit County is reinventing the wheel.

The park district is rolling out its inaugural two-month Summer Biking Spree on July 1 and offering rewards for participants who ride select sections of its multipurpose trails.

The event replaces the STOMP Bicycle Adventure, an annual one-day fundraiser that enjoyed a 20-year run and drew 1,000 or more riders in its biggest years.

“We’re really excited about the new spree,” spokesperson Nathan Eppink said. “It gives visitors another reason to explore our ‘linear parks,’ and it’s the perfect companion to Spree For All and the Fall Hiking Spree,” he added, referring to the May through June and September through November hiking events that annually see an estimated 10,000 and 50,000 participants, respectively.

Included in the inaugural biking spree are four sections of the Bike & Hike Trail, four sections of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail and the first completed section of the new Freedom Trail, which opened in Tallmadge this spring and will connect Akron and Kent within several years. Round-trip distances range from 6.2 to 11.4 miles.

To participate, complete at least five trail sections by bike, July 1 through August 31. Riders can earn a reflective commemorative sticker and bicycle license plate, or the sticker and a vehicle-window cling. Since the program is funded by Summit County tax dollars, out-of-county residents will pay $5 to receive their rewards.

Eppink said Metro Parks naturalists will offer several guided rides this summer that will count for spree credit.

Spree forms with the list of trail sections will be available starting June 15 at summitmetroparks.org, at F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm (1828 Smith Rd., Akron), the park district’s administrative offices (975 Treaty Line Rd., Akron), Century Cycles (1621 Main St., Peninsula), and all Acme Fresh Market stores in Summit County.

A FREE Summer Biking Spree kickoff is planned for Sunday, June 30, from noon to 3 p.m., at Lock 3 Park (200 S. Main St., Akron). It includes live music, vendor displays and mascot appearances. While supplies last, you can buy lunch and a Summer Biking Spree T-shirt for $10 during the kickoff. Attendees are encouraged to ride their bikes on the Towpath Trail into the park, though parking in the adjacent deck is free on weekends.

Biking spree participants will have until October 15, 2013 to redeem their forms. One lucky participant – drawn at random from submitted forms – will win a new bike from Century Cycles. The drawing will be held October 16.

For more information, call 330-865-8065.