Cyclists rev up downtown during Sunday bike rallies

By Elise Mckeown Skolnick

Organizers of Rally in the Valley have plans for expanding the weekly event.

YOUNGSTOWN — Music blared, people filled tables scattered on the sidewalk, and motorcycles lined the street.

West Federal Street, between Hazel and Phelps streets, was closed to traffic Sunday for Rosetta Stone’s bike event.

For the third week in a row, the event, dubbed Rally in the Valley, drew bikers from the Mahoning Valley as well as Pennsylvania. Organizers said about 600 bikers attended Sunday.

“It sounded like fun: the bikes, people, talk,” said Trent Sowers of New Wilmington, Pa.

He’s been riding for about a year, and this was his first time at the downtown rally. He enjoys going to bike events to see the various bikes.

Norma Senzarino of Austintown said she attends other bike nights. She also likes to look at different styles of bikes, as well as meet other people.

She attended this event for the first time Sunday.

“I like it,” she said. “It’s nice that they do something down here once in a while. It’s time to bring Youngstown back to life.”

“My husband brought me down,” said Debbie Sheldone of Edinburg, Pa. “He wanted to check it out for the first time. He wanted to see how it was.”

The two often check out new bike events.

“I like to be with my husband, go riding on the bike, and meet the people, have a good time,” Sheldone said.

Her husband, Carmen, said they’ve been enjoying bike events for about 13 years. He enjoys the escape from work.

“I work out of town a lot in Pittsburgh,” he said. “I come home on weekends, and I enjoy riding and getting out.”

The six-hour event featured live music, food, cornhole, and motorcycle skills games, such as slow drags and picking up items off cones. About 100 bikers attended the first Rosetta Stone rally.

The event has grown each week, Chuck Sop, co-owner of Rosetta Stone, said. He added that as the growth continues, the event may be expanded to include more blocks of West Federal Street.

“We want to bring people back to the city to see just what a great place the downtown has become,” Sop said.