Penticton mayor pays up for city losing Bike to Work Challenge

PENTICTON – City of Penticton officials got off easy in this year’s victory ride following the Bike to Work Week Challenge between the city and Regional District Okanagan Similkameen.

In previous years, mayor and city staff have ridden tricycles and penny farthing bicycles and dressed up as barnyard animals as a consequence of losing the annual bet, so this year’s punishment for losing, pedalling two RDOS officials around the 100 block of Main and Martin on a four person bicycle, seemed rather light in comparison.

Mayor Andrew Jakubeit and outgoing interim city manager Chuck Loewen provided the pedal power to take Chief Adminstrative Officer Bill Newell and Board Chair Mark Pendergraft of the regional district around the block in a four person bicycle, decorated with the regional district flag.

The regional district board challenged city to the goal of highest per centage of participation during Bike to Work Week. The regional district had a 34 per cent average participation rate, while the city averaged 10 per cent.

The city has been on the losing end of the bet more times than they would care to admit, having lost every event in the past five years except last year’s.

The Bike to Work Week challenge continues to grow every year, with more and more riders taking up the week long challenge both within the city and the regional district, Mayor Jakubeit said.

Bike to Work Week in Penticton saw 113 new riders biking this year. A total of 10,554 kilometres were travelled by 656 riders.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.