Safe biking demonstration and 4-mile bike ride part of Earth Fest 2017

MT. IRON ? The 9th annual Iron Range Earth Fest is coming on Saturday, April 22, to be held at the Mountain Iron Community Center, Merritt Elementary School, and Messiah Lutheran Church. It is, again, again being hosted by the Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability (IRPS). There is no entry fee for attendees this year!

This week's Earth Fest article explores a new feature-a bike ride-for the 2017 Earth Fest that follows this year's theme, "Living Well on a Changing Planet."

Our society has experienced a gradual decline in physical activity over the past decades. This is related to convenience, technological items, and mechanical laborsaving devices (remote controls and snow blowers, etc.) at home and on the job. Additionally, the average American drives cars 50 percent more than they did in the '60s.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Physical activity can improve health. People who are physically active live longer and have lower risks for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, and some cancers." Regular exercise also helps keep your blood vessels flexible and working efficiently.

The National Institute on Aging reports, "Evidence now suggests these changes occur even when exercise training begins later in life, at age 60 or 70, for instance. In other words, you don't lose the ability to become better physically conditioned."

The health benefits of physical activity are well-known, but many of us have busy schedules and find it hard to make time to be physically active. Bicycling for running errands or commuting to work could be a good option. An online article by Business Insider, "13 Reasons You Should Start Biking To Work," points out that bicycles cost about 30 times less to run and maintain than cars; we could save hundreds of millions in health care expenses. The article also mentions that a bicycle is like a "free gym on wheels" and "on average, bicycle commuters lose 13 pounds in their first year of cycling alone."

These are all reasons why IRPS at Earth Fest is putting on a short presentation and demonstration about safe biking on our roads. The presentation will begin at 12:30 p.m.Minnesota law says that bicyclists have "all of the rights and duties" of every other driver on the roads. During the presentation, bike advocates will go over the laws and suggest some helpful hints, such as the "box-style" left turns at busy intersections. A local bike mechanic will also give some tips on keeping your bike in tune and safe for your ride, as well as gear suggestions to improve your safety and comfort.

After this presentation and demonstration, we will go on a four-mile bike ride-starting and ending at

Earth Fest-at about 2 p.m. The ride will be on lightly-trafficked roads and will give participants an opportunity to use the rules and skills shared in the presentation and demonstration. All ages are invited! There will be experienced ride hosts accompanying the ride who will be able to answer questions.

All bike ride participants will get a free (and BPA free) water bottle!

Of course Earth Fest will have many non-biking presentations, demonstrations and vendors, but you are encouraged to bring your bike to Earth Fest and join us for some bicycling information and a fun bicycle ride!

Look forward to next week's article in Hometown Focus exploring the speakers and demonstrations that will happen at the 2017 Earth Fest! You can also read more details at irpsmn.org.

See you Saturday, April 22.

Robin Raplinger is a local attorney and chair of the IRPS board. He lives in Virginia, MN.