Conscious party: Bike Love

IN THE WHEELHOUSE: The 11th annual Bike Love features local live music, small plates, drinks, a raffle and lots of bike-related silent auction items. Asheville on Bikes director Mike Sule calls the event "a great opportunity to let the love roll forward." Photo of AOB co-founder Yuri Koslen by Carrie Turner

WHAT: An annual fundraiser by Asheville On Bikes

WHERE: Salvage Station

WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. (7 p.m. early reception)

WHY: “Bike Love sort of kicks off the season of cycling,” says Asheville on Bikes director Mike Sule. “It’s our first big event of 2017, spring is right around the corner, and we want to share with the community and our supporters some of our successes in 2016 — and where the organization is moving in 2017.”

Among other recent accomplishments, the nonprofit co-hosted the N.C. Bike Summit and Open Streets Asheville and partnered with the City of Asheville and the N.C. Department of Transportation to implement two on-street bicycle parking facilities on Haywood Road and Banks Avenue. “In a space that you can generally park one car … you can now park 15 bicycles,” he says. Two additional corrals are planned for 2017 with locations depending on business owner interest.

AOB also purchased a trailer and a “proper fleet” of bikes in 2016, enabling the expansion of its after-school program at Asheville Middle School. “We’re going to be able to move to two days of bicycle instruction as opposed to just one,” Sule adds, “so we’re doubling the students we’ll be able to serve.”

These activities plus AOB’s advocacy priorities will be supported in part by funds raised at the 11th annual Bike Love, which, after selling out at various venues for its first decade, is moving to Salvage Station’s larger space. Attendees with a ticket to the early reception ($60) will get a complimentary drink and small plates as well as an early look at silent auction items, which amount to “close to $7,000 in merchandise,” Sule says.

Perhaps best of all, the early reception offers a more intimate set by local musician Stephanie Morgan, whose band includes drummer Patrick Armitage, guitarist Drew Heller, bassist Ryan Reardon and keys player Rich Brownstein. They’ll play into the general admission hours ($20), followed by DJ Marley Carroll and DJ Dr. Filth.

“We will also be raffling off a $500 bicycle voucher from the WNC Bike Dealers Association, so the winner of that voucher can go into any of the participating local shops and put that toward the purchase of a new bicycle.”

Visit salvagestation.com for more information or tickets, which include an AOB membership discount. Tickets are also available from select local retailers.

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About Kat McReynolds
Kat studied entrepreneurship and music business at the University of Miami and earned her MBA at Appalachian State University. Follow me @katmAVL

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