Page 62 - South Mississippi Living - July, 2015

LEISURE like riding a bike
BIKE SHOW
Bicycle Club hosts events for local cycling enthusiasts
story and photos by Jody O’Hara
Bicycling aficionados of all stripes showed up at Harper McCaughan Town Green in Long Beach
to participate in the Gulf Coast Bicycle Club’s inaugural Vintage Bike Show and Swap Meet. There were riders, racers, restorers, retailers and more in attendance. The event, one of many hosted by the
Gulf Coast Bicycle Club as a way to increase awareness of and promote bicycling on the Gulf Coast, was a first for the club but likely won’t be the last.
“I kind of thought if we had 40 bikes it would be a success,” said Eddie Holmes, a member of the GCBC’s board of directors. Much to Holmes’ and others’ surprise, more than 100 bikes registered for the show, along with numerous vendors.
“We realized it was another whole culture we hadn’t tapped into,” Holmes said. “It’s something we’ll definitely be looking into doing again because we want to provide something for the majority of people who want to cycle.”
The club already hosts several events on the coast, including the TatoNut Ride on the first Saturday of each month which begins at 9 a.m. at Children’s Park in Ocean Springs. Circle
the Bay, a 40-mile ride kicking off at 7:30 a.m. at Hiller Park in Biloxi is on the first Saturday of the month and covers 40 miles.
62 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • July 2015
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