This Sunday, people will be hopping on their bikes to take part in Sackville’s first alley cat race of the season. CHMA stopped by Barnyard Bicycles on Lorne Street to hear about the plans for the race from owner and cyclist Tobias Paul.

Hear that interview here:

An alley-cat race is not your typical speed-centred race, explains Paul. “It’ll be kind of a scavenger hunt style. All participants will receive a sealed envelope with a handful of destinations around town. And then they as riders will choose the most efficient route to get to all of these places. There are people who are going to be more concerned about speed. But it’s also just about having fun.”

Paul says this is the first of a series of races that will happen the third Sunday of each month for the biking season. All races will begin at Barnyard Bicycles and end at Bagtown Brewing. There’s a $5 entry fee and prizes in a variety of categories. The races will have different themes as the summer unfolds, he says, with the first being “rust to road”, in honour of all the people who haven’t ridden their bikes in months, he says. “It’s just about getting back out there, remembering how much fun it is to ride around town, and finding new routes to get around town so that you can be biking throughout the summer season,” says Paul.

Barnyard Bicycles is also celebrating its one year anniversary this Sunday, having opened for business last May off Main Street. “I initially started just because I was frustrated at needing to drive to Moncton anytime I needed a spare tube for my bicycle,” says Paul, “and I felt other people in town must feel the same way.”

So far this year, business is booming in the bike shop, now in a larger space on Lorne near Wellington. “I can’t be here for half an hour without people coming in,” says Paul, surrounded by bikes, some in for repairs, some refurbished rides that are for sale. “Luckily I’m still a small enough operation and a hard enough worker that I can keep things up,” says Paul.

Paul has high hopes for the future, and is fixing up the shop the include a place for people to just hang out. “The goal is to have Barnyard Bicycles be a community recreation centre,” says Paul. “So if you just are into active living in any way, or you just want to come by and hang out, this will be the place for that. It’s going to be a very welcoming community space.”