Being a race mechanic was something Erik Maresjo dreamed of doing when he was a little boy. Now with the kick-off of the 16th annual Tour de Nez bike race today, he has his chance.

Maresjo, manager of Mother Lode Bicycles located on East Prater Way in Sparks, will be in the pit areas along race courses, fixing tires and helping with any needed repair work, all for the love of riding, he said.

"It's a good experience to further myself," Maresjo said. "It's definitely a fun environment to be in."

Maresjo, along with the other expected 150 volunteers, will be out helping on the course for the five days of racing, starting at the Grand Sierra Resort for the first day before moving to the Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort for the remaining race days.

At the Grand Sierra, all levels of riders are welcome to participate at such events as a clunker race, which involves all art bikes, choppers and tall bikes, kids races and messenger races.

It is this appeal to all skill levels that race founder Tim Healion said he feels is fitting for the growing bike community.

"Bikes really are on fire right now," Healion said. "More and more people are riding their bikes for transportation and finding it to be a fun way to get around."

Healion, who expects anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 spectators at each race, said he is also excited to see the new venue for the event, Northstar-at-Tahoe, draw many outdoor enthusiasts, which the area is known for.

"With the tour largely moving to Lake Tahoe, everyone from the top domestic professional teams to cycling enthusiasts and families looking for a fun day outdoors will find Northstar's location and the tour's activities to be the best ever," Healion said.

Races at Northstar include a criterium, or short city street course, through downtown Truckee on Thursday, a 110-mile road course along Lake Tahoe on Friday, a mountain circuit race and professional women's race on Saturday and a breakfast ride with the pros on Sunday.

Prizes will be awarded with some totaling more than $40,000.

The race, which was originally created to celebrate Reno's first coffee house, Deux Gros Nez, encourages all riders to come, Healion said, explaining that people don't need fuel prices to justify riding their bikes.

"This has been steam rolling for a long time," Healion said. "It kicked in before energy issues and before a majority of people were environmentally aware. People just want to be healthier and we have a great area for it."

Considering the area, Healion said he is trying to incorporate races in Sparks.

"We would love to showcase the Victorian area but there's just too many speed bumps," Healion said with a laugh. "But Sparks is still growing and we keep trying every year to figure something out."

For event times and registration information, visit The Tour de Nez Web site at www.tourdenez.com.