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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spokane Valley Cycle Celebration sign-up still underway

Council member Bill Gothmann poses for a photo with his bike Tuesday at the Appleway Trailhead. (Tyler Tjomsland)

 When Bill Gothmann left the Spokane Valley City Council in 2011, he looked down and he didn’t like what he was seeing.

“I decided it was time for me to take better care of myself,” Gothmann said, patting his now trim front side. He began bicycling and lost 60 pounds.

Three years ago, Gothmann was talking to Spokane Valley communication director Carolbelle Branch about what kind of fitness event Spokane Valley could host – and the idea for Cycle Celebration was born.

Now Gothmann has returned to the City Council, appointed to temporarily fill Bill Bates’ seat, just before the third Cycle Celebration Sunday.

“You can sign up until Saturday just before the ride,” Gothmann said, after last week’s council meeting.

Last year, 305 bicyclists picked one of three routes, all of which start in Mirabeau Meadows Park. The shortest distance is 10 miles, there’s a 25-mile ride and the longest ride is 50 miles.

Gothmann jokes that he’s ridden the 50-mile route “in 25-mile increments” – he’s not riding in this year’s event because he will be busy helping organize it – but he rides his bike every day.

When Cycle Celebration needed to obtain nonprofit status, Gothmann used his connections to work out a relationship with ValleyFest, which now takes care of all the administrative tasks.

“They embraced it even though they’d never been involved in anything other than the September celebration,” Gothmann said. “It’s great.”

Gothmann joined the board of ValleyFest in 2014 but recently resigned to avoid a conflict of interest with his council appointment.

A core group of community volunteers, including Valley residents and cycle enthusiasts Mark Mims, Frank Ping and David Trimmer, help pull the logistics together.

Gothmann said they are hoping for 350 participants.

For now, he’s looking forward to the third Cycle Celebration. And those 60 pounds – are they still gone?

He laughs: “I’ve kept 50 of them off, so that’s good.”