Steve Mellon, Post-Gazette A young bicyclist pedals across the award winning bike and pedestrian bridge that crosses the Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle, Fayette County. Click photo for larger image.

Things to do with, on or about a bicycle.

That's the theme of BikeFest!, an ambitious 10-day celebration of bicycling and bicycle culture in Pittsburgh.

It begins next Friday and continues through June 26 at various locations throughout the city and nearby communities. It is a series of free, independently hosted events for bicyclists of all ages and abilities.

Highlights include:

Day and night tours of Pittsburgh, outdoor movies, a Pirates game, the Zany Umbrella Circus performing their 2005 bike-themed show "Tinker" in Point State Park, time trials and races at the bicycle oval along Washington Boulevard in Highland Park and basic bike maintenance and repair workshops at Construction Junction in Point Breeze.

A scavenger hunt in front of Point State Park, urban farm tours on the North Side and the East End, first aid and bike tour presentations at Enrico's Tazzo D'Oro Cafe in Highland Park, a bike-friendly bridge tour for women that begins in Point State Park, a mountain bike ride in Frick Park and a "Meet-N-Greet" bike mixer party at Construction Junction.

Bike PGH, the city's first bicycle advocacy group, and Free Ride, a non-profit community bike repair and recycling shop, planned and organized the event. Although they are serving as a clearinghouse for information about BikeFest!, they said the individual members of the biking community are the "true organizers" of the events.

"Each organizer is eager to lend his or her knowledge, experience and excitement to their events, and can be contacted directly using the information provided on the events calendar," said Eric Boerer, a co-founder of Free Ride.

He said Free Ride and Bike PGH are counting on the participation of local cyclists to make the event a success. Both groups also ask motorists to expect -- and watch out for -- an increased number of bicyclists on the road during the event.

Boerer said BikeFest! is designed to showcase "the unique culture and beautiful geography of Pittsburgh while simultaneously raising awareness about the benefits and joys of cycling."

Ah yes, the up-and-down geography of Pittsburgh.

Don't be afraid of it, Boerer said.

"[We] recognize that bicycling in Pittsburgh can seem like a daunting endeavor for people who may be intimidated by the hilly terrain, or generally inexperienced with urban cycling.

"With this in mind," Boerer said, the organizers "have catered the events to meet the demands of even the most inexperienced bikers in order to teach people how bicycling can be a fun, safe, healthy, efficient and environmentally sound way to navigate the city."

For more information, including a detailed events calendar, go to www.bike-pgh.org.

Trail update

The Youghiogheny River Trail South, a 28-mile section of the Great Allegheny Passage, connects three major trailhead towns -- Connellsville and Ohiopyle in Fayette County and Confluence in Somerset County. Each town has parking, bike rental and/or repair shops, restaurants and overnight accommodations.

John Hallas, a Munhall native who is the operations manager of Ohiopyle State Park, oversees the maintenance and repair of the YRT South. The section between Confluence and Ohiopyle, the first part of the passage to be completed, is also one of the most popular sections of the trail.

Hallas, a frequent visitor to the park as a youngster, has several projects in the works:

An expanded and paved parking lot adjacent to the renovated Western Maryland Railway station in Ohiopyle has just been completed, a new surface of crushed limestone between Confluence and Ohiopyle will be applied later this year and major repairs to the steel High Bridge that carries the trail over the Youghiogheny River to the Ferncliff Peninsula are expected to start this fall.

"The superstructure of the bridge is deteriorating," he said. "We no longer allow emergency vehicles to use it. The bridge will be open only on weekends during the repair work."

Earlier this year, Hallas had to deal with numerous slides that brought down trees, rocks and dirt onto the trail between Ohiopyle and Confluence.

Hallas enjoys the trail with his wife, Christy, and daughters, Miranda, 7, and Milena, "almost" 3. The family outings also are work-related "because you've got to see the resource to manage it."

For more information on the YRT South, go to www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/park/ohio.htm or call 724-329-8591, Ext. 7.

For more information on the Allegheny Trail Alliance, the organization of seven rail-trail groups building and/or maintaining the Great Allegheny Passage, go to www.atatrail.org or call 1-888-282-2453.

Tour de Sewickley

The 13th annual Tour de Sewickley, a bicycling/inline skating event to benefit The Early Learning Institute will be held June 26. It will begin at the YMCA, 625 Blackburn Road in Sewickley. Organizers emphasize that the bike ride "is a ride, not a race."

There will be a 5-mile family ride, a 30-mile ride and a "metric century ride" (62.5 miles). Participants are encouraged to register early online to ensure a T-shirt and "a goodie bag." For more information, go to www.earlylearninginstitute.org/events.html or e-mail natalie@earlylearninginstitute.org.