Norristown Bicentennial Bike Race Set for Saturday, May 19

Top area bike racers will test their skills on Saturday, May 19 for the first-ever Norristown Bicentennial Bike Race. The event is being sponsored by Conicelli Autoplex and produced by Main Line Cycling & Cycles BiKyle Bike Shop. 

Part of the Norristown Bicentennial celebration, the race will loop 1.15 miles north along Harding Boulevard, between James Street and Coolidge Boulevard, through the section of Norristown. The course includes a fast downhill with a long two percent uphill finish.

The Pennsylvania Cycling Association-sanctioned race will offer several categories for different skill levels for a total of eight races beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at approximately 4 p.m. The event will include an open category race for women beginning at 10:50 a.m. A special category for kids aged 4 to 10 will also be available and begins at 11:45 a.m.

Skill level is based on timed races from 35 minutes at the lowest level to 70 minutes for high-skill riders. Registration ranges from $22 to $30, also based on skill level. Kids can enter free. Cash prizes for BAR (Best All-around Rider) adults will range from $150 to $1,000. Kids will receive medals.

“We encourage people from all over to come out and have a good time and watch a few very fast pace professional bike races,” said race organizer Brian Saxon, Community Relations Officer for the .

Participants are encouraged to register online here before the May 17 deadline. Race day registration opens at 7 a.m. and will be located at , 1601 Markley Street, in Norristown. Parking for the event will be available at the school lot on Coolidge Blvd.

For specific information about the event and to register, go to www.bikereg.com/Net/15978.

Presenting sponsors for the Norristown 2012 Bicentennial events are Conicelli Autoplex, 6ABC, and . The Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau, Reflections, Telemundo and El Zol Philly 1340 AM, Keystone Mercy Health Plan, Albert Einstein Healthcare Network, Bimbo Bakeries, PECO, the Law Offices of Cullen and Conwell, LLC, and Premier Foods are additional sponsors.

Bicentennial events throughout the year include a June 23 Gospel and Blues Festival; a July 4 Parade and Fireworks; and a September 15 Festival del Grito de la Independencia de Mexico (Mexican Independence Day Festival). For a full calendar of events for Norristown’s Bicentennial Celebration, go to www.norristown200.com.