Birmingham Bike Festival Celebrates Its Second Year

"You can't help but smile when you're riding a bike."

There were more racers, more fans and even more smiles (according to the event's announcer) during the second annual — the celebration of bicycles and bike racing that shut down downtown Birmingham for most of Sunday.

The festival was organized by local businessman and bike lover, Jeffrey Surnow, owner of the .

"(The Birmingham Bike Festival is about) bringing the community together for a variety of fun and healthy life style events," Surnow writes on the event's website. "Breathe some fresh air, enjoy the city, and spend less time in the car and more time outside."

This year's festival was special for a lot of reasons, the biggest being Miles4Miles, the parade-style ride that raised money for the Miles Levin Miracle Fund at Beaumont Children's Hospital. was a former Cranbrook student who passed away from cancer in 2007.

"Miles' birthday was yesterday," said John Levin, Miles' father, during the Miles4Miles race Sunday. "He would have been 24. This (race) is a huge gift from this community to us."

Also with a big presence at the festival Sunday was Beaumont's Children's Miracle Network, including the Michigan Miracle Child, Kayla Daniels, a 13-year-old who was diagnosed with Ewings sarcoma when she was 9.

"I'm very grateful for the Children's Miracle Network," said Kayla's mother Karen during the Miles4Miles race. "This is very important for all of us. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts."

Riding in Miles4Miles were several patients from Beaumont's Pediatric Rehab department, which fits children with special needs with specialty bikes. According to event organizers, the group raised enough money to fit 72 children with bikes this year.

Race results

Junior 10-14

• First: Luke Mullis
• Second: Nicholas McKey
• Third: Douglas Wells

Junior 15-18

• First: Rudyard Peterson
• Second: Luke Mullis
• Third: John Sternen

Master Men 40+

• First: John Gabriel
• Second: Jason Hess
• Third: Rick Snow

CAT 5 Men: 35 and under

• First: BJ Steketee
• Second: Matthew Ronan
• Third: Nicholas McKey

CAT 5 Men: 35-49

• First: Nigel Hyatt
• Second: Tim Martin
• Third: David Colletti

CAT 5 Men: 50+

• First: Scott Patterson
• Second: Mike Franskoviak
• Third: Gary Verrier

CAT 4 Men

• First: Jody Cagle
• Second: John Risk
• Third: Steven Hetfield

CAT 3 Men

• First: Bryce Nuiver
• Second: Collin Snyder
• Third: Lucas Oostindie

Pro Men

• First: Nathaniel Williams
• Second: Paul Martin
• Third: Martin Vecchio

CAT 4 Women

• First: Shannon Wright
• Second: Morgan McKey
• Third: Kari Sederburg

Cat 1/2/3 Women

• First: Dori Leib
• Second: Candice Vermeulen
• Third: Alicia Trevino

Hand Cycle

• First: Tom Davis
• Second: Michael Postell
• Third: Brad Baumann