The Valley Preferred Cycling Center

Racing fans never know what to expect in a Golden Wheel Race. The handicapper’s event sets the favorites and underdogs, then inverts them to start the race. The strongest rider is left with the greatest distance to cover and the excitement rises as the faster racers pursue their opponents, who never stop trying to stave off the oncoming, faster cyclists. This year’s event, presented by Allentown Family Foot Care, provided all the excitement and suspense a Golden Wheel Race can possibly offer.

When the gun was fired for the men’s event, the crowd intently watched to see if favorite Bobby Lea, who started shotgun on the field, and the likes of Shane Archbald, Giddeon Massie, Matt Baranoski and Kamil Kuczynski, could come from the back to grab the win. By the time those speedsters got towards the front, New Zealand countrymates Aaron Gate and Sam Steele made a break from the pack. Gate held off Steele to give the Kiwis a 1-2 finish, with Poland’s Kuczynski settling for third. It was Gate’s first victory at Valley Preferred Cycling Center.

“The breakaway wasn’t planned at all, but we got to riding together and we knew the fast guys would be coming from behind,” said Gate. “I knew there was a train coming, but I wasn’t looking back. It was definitely a help to have a teammate beside me. It is just great to get my first win at T-town, especially with the crowd we had here tonight.”

On the women’s side, the race quickly turned into a chess match at the front. Several riders jockeyed for the front wheel lap after lap, but at the end it was Emmaus native Kimberly Geist that grabbed another T-town win.

“We had a strong field, and there were plenty of fast riders coming from behind,” said Geist, a crowd-favorite at T-town. “As a sprinter, this is a good event for me. I had some problems in the qualifying races earlier in the night. That may have ended up being to my advantage for the start of this race. I’m just glad I was able to win.”

PeeWee Pedalers: One of the highlights of the night was the HealthAmerica PeeWee Pedalers Promenade. Valley Preferred Cycling Center has always taken pride in its strong community programs. The Promenade nights are a great opportunity to showcase a program designed specifically for kids ages 5-8 . Nearly 60 kids that took some laps around the velodrome to the delight of the fans. It was a great testament to a strong community program at Valley Preferred Cycling Center.

“PeeWee Pedalers is such a wonderful program,” said Ben Miller, director of cycling operations at Valley Preferred Cycling Center. “The program really is fun. We prepare these kids to ride safely, and to be able to ride a bike with skill and enjoy it. One thing we do is put the kids through an obstacle course to hone their skills. It’s so great to watch these kids get better and better each week. And the kids just have so much fun with it.”

The program wraps up with the Promenade, which is a graduation of sorts for these kids and their parents.

“It’s an exciting night for the kids,” added Miller. “They get to come out here on a Friday night and ride their bike in front of their family, their friends and their community. And everywhere you look you see a proud parent with a camera. As an organization, we hope this night is a testament to how great our community programs are.”

In addition to the HealthAmerica PeeWee Pedalers, Valley Preferred Cycling Center also runs the competitive Red Robin Bicycle Racing League for kids 9-17, and the popular Air Products Developmental Cycling Program for all ages.

Bicycles, Tricycles and More: Popular bicycle collector Bob Swaim put about 25 unique bikes on display in the plaza. Swaim brought one of his 400-pound seven-passenger “Conference Bike” tricycles, as well as an enclosed velo mobile and a unique three-view PSU, which pits 2 recumbents facing opposite directions, with an upright captain’s seat in the middle. His collection, and engaging stories, were a hit with fans of all ages.

Swaim’s hobby started with a simple desire to exercise, but he quickly took an interest in the diversity that bicycles offer.

“I wanted to exercise, but I have a short attention span,” Swaim said. “If I just wanted to ride one bicycle or one trail, I’d get bored. So this way I never get bored. With exercise, you need two things going for you. You need diversity in what you’re using so you don’t get bored mentally. And you need diversity in what muscles you’re using; doing the same thing over and over again because is no longer exercise when your body gets used to it.”

Swaim, who has over 200 bikes in his collection, takes a great interest in passing his bicycle passion on to kids. He does about 40 speaking engagements a year.

“With my collection of bicycles, I can talk about health, history, engineering, the environment, diversity and team-building,” added Swaim. “I often ask kids, ‘Who was the first president to ride a bicycle?’ The bicycle wasn’t invented until about 1860, so George Washington isn’t the right answer. In fact, there is no right answer, but it gets the kids thinking. And when it comes to engineering and diversity, kids can really think outside the box and be creative. Then I always end with a lesson in volunteering. I hope the kids get involved in volunteering.”

Next Event: The World Series of Bicycling continues next Friday, July 23, with the 25th running of the popular Keirin Cup. Gates open at 5:30. Racing starts at 7:30. Tickets start at $5.00. Kids 12 and under FREE.

Photo by Anthony Skorochod of Cycling Captured