Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 6, 1990 TAG: 9003051976
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: CWNEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHRISTINA MOTLEY NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Long
Richard Burton and Dow Scott, two Blacksburg cyclists, are forming a community bicycling club to educate the community about the many purposes of biking. Safety education also will be part of the program.
The club is committed to increasing physical fitness and a cleaner environment through bicycling.
Other than Roanoke's Blue Ridge Bicycling Club, a support group for bicyclers does not exist in the Blacksburg community, said Scott, a Virginia Tech professor.
The Blacksburg cycling club came about as the result of a lot of people's ideas, Scott said.
". . . We were overwhelmed by the interest in the community from all walks of life - carpenters, restaurateurs, students and professors," he said.
Many people in the New River Valley are interested in biking for many reasons, said Burton, operations controller at the Blacksburg Marriott. More than 100 people, ages 10-60, attended the club's organizational meeting several weeks ago.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, bicycling was the largest sport in the U.S.. Today, it is the second-largest spectator sport in the world. Soccer is No. 1.
The club's goals are to organize racing and other biking events, sponsor rides for cyclists of all levels, provide safety education for bicyclists and motorists, create support for people who share an interest in bicycling, support cyclists' rights and support the development of more bike lanes and trails.
Although most cyclists ride alone, it's fun to ride with others and make biking a social event, Scott said.
There are many reasons to ride a bike, Scott said. "Cycling is an excellent form of transportation, it is a low-impact aerobic excercise . . . and it is environmentally sound," he said.
"This is an intimidating area to ride bikes in because of the hills and mountains," said Scott, who started serious recreational biking 10 years ago.
At the same time, the New River Valley area is great biking territory, he said. "We want to encourage all ages to participate. Most people get into [cycling] slowly and can spend a lot of money or relatively little. I started with a $100 bike."
"I know that I burn 50 calories per mile," Scott said. "I ride to keep in shape."
At the same time Burton and Scott want to encourage bicycling, they admit it is a dangerous activity. Bicycling often is more dangerous than driving a car, Burton said, and that's why education is so important.
"I won't understate its dangers," said Burton, whose bicycling interest was first sparked during last spring's Mountain Magic Bike Race.
Burton is chairman of the tourism committee for Blacksburg's Greater Chamber of Commerce, which sponsors the annual event.
Blacksburg Town Council is working to improve walk ways and bike lanes, he said.
"Its Rails to Trails program has provided the New River Valley with 22 miles of bike trails in Pulaski," Burton said. Rails to Trails converts unused railroad tracks into bike paths.
To teach people how to ride a straight line can be difficult, Scott said. Proper biking equipment and bicycle fit make biking easier, he added.
Barry Zalph, a serious biker since 1972, rides his bike to run all errands, including grocery shopping. When using a car, Zalph makes sure that he travels with at least two or more people, he said.
"I ride to get places, as much as possible," he said. "Bicycling is the most efficient means of transportation and I am a commuter more than anything else." Zalph even rides to visit out-of-state friends.
Zalph, who rides a bike so he doesn't contribute to air pollution, said,"By riding a bike, I take the responsibility myself."
"I feel that the automobile has had a great deal to do with undermining our social culture. We have lost our sense of community. The automobile makes it easy for people to live in a suburb and commute to work in the city," said Zalph, who works and lives in Blacksburg.
"I would like to see the public perception of bicycling improve," he said as to why he joined the club.
The manager of East Coasters bicycle shop, Mike Matzuk, said bicycling gives him more freedom than other sports.
"In the winter I can ride a trainer [a stationary bike] inside, I can ride a mountain bike off the roads in any conditions, and I can ride a road bike as transportation,"said Matzuk, whose shop is one of the club's sponsors.
Burton's bottom line is: "The more people know about bicycling, the more people will do it."
CYCLING EVENTS
April 21: Rowdy Dawg Mountain Bike Race, sponsored by the Virginia Tect Ski Club and Blacksburg bicycle shops. To register, call East Coasters at 951-2369.
May 26-27: Blacksburg Mountain Magic Bicycle Race Weekend, sponsored by the Greater Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Blacksburg. Duck Pond Criterium races and Mountain Lake races. To register, call East Coasters at 951-2369.
by CNB