Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 7, 1994 TAG: 9406070074
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By BETTY HAYDEN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
She welcomed the shower after returning from the Wilderness Road Bicycle Ride on Saturday. Lindsey and her 6-year-old sister, Stacy, of Hickory, N.C., completed a 20-mile course in four hours.
"I went too fast," Lindsey said, without an ounce of regret. Her favorite part was going down the course's many hills.
The girls' aunt, Sharon Albertson, who rides with a bike club in Hillsville, invited them to the largest of the events sponsored each year by the New River Valley Bicycle Club.
Two hundred and eighty-nine riders - from 3 months old to 72 - showed up at the Montgomery Museum in Christiansburg to set out on courses that passed through parts of Christiansburg, Riner, Snowville, Allisonia, Draper, Newbern and Radford.
Interest in biking has grown, said Christina Baum, one of the organizers. And turnout has more than doubled in the ride's three years.
She greeted cyclists from six states and Washington, D.C.
The combination of publicity in Bicycling magazine, the Tour DuPont and word of mouth attracted the diverse group, Baum said.
The ride included 20-mile, 50-mile and 70-mile courses.
"We really base [the courses] on the history of the area," Baum said. "A few people got lost, but with the help of the ham radio guys, we roped them back in." Volunteers from the Amateur Radio Emergency Services club kept track of riders' progress throughout the day.
The more-experienced riders compared the 70-mile course to a century or 100-mile ride. Those who tackled that course, with its hilly terrain, experienced a 4,150-foot net gain in elevation.
"I'm dying," said Joe Kochocki, a physicist at Virginia Tech who completed the 50-mile course. "The first two-thirds were fine, but the last 15 minutes were tough."
Kochocki had never biked a long distance before Saturday and he plans to get in some short trips before next year's ride.
Bob Muse, a triathlete from Blacksburg, completed the 70-mile course first. He said he enjoyed the variety of the course - flats, hills and scenic beauty.
"They try to make it a rider-friendly, motorist-friendly event so that everyone has a good time," Muse said.
JoAnn and Mike Grissom, members of Roanoke's Blue Ridge Bicycle Club, also had a good time at their first Wilderness Road ride.
Mike Grissom said it was refreshing to talk to other riders while on the 70-mile course. In races, riders can't take time to strike up conversations or gobble the cookies available at rest stops.
The club also rewarded the winded riders with free ice cream sundaes.
Organizers tried to provide an event that families and people who want to start biking would enjoy. But others used it for training.
Forrest Thye, an associate professor of human nutrition and foods at Virginia Tech, used the 50-mile course to condition himself for next month's Ride Across Iowa.
"Every year has gotten better," Thye said. "I love this whole ride because it's very scenic. Everybody around me seemed to be having fun."
Baum, too, is no stranger to long-distance bike trips or the New River Valley scenery. The Virginia Tech researcher commutes 40 miles each way from Floyd to Blacksburg.
She didn't have time to take part in the event (she was too busy tending to the needs of newer riders) so she got the 70-mile course out of her system early, starting at 1 a.m.
"This is a ride that's going to continue to grow," Baum said. "We need more community involvement." She said the club can handle 300 riders, but would need help if 500 or 1,000 people signed up for the ride.
The ride could pay off for local businesses.
Baum said some riders stayed in hotels and many participants visited restaurants. Some club members have thought about organizing a two-day ride, which would mean that more people would be looking for lodging.
Despite the success of this year's ride, Baum said there's always room for improvement.
She would like to see more mechanical and first-aid support. Although there wasn't a big need for these services Saturday, she said riders feel safer knowing help is available.
Profits from the event will be divided among the Montgomery Museum, rescue squads who provided medical support and the New River Valley Bicycle Club.
The 50-member club, started five years ago, sponsors 10- to 15-mile social rides at 6 p.m. each Wednesday, starting at Virginia Tech's War Memorial Chapel. Club members also ride 25 to 30 miles or 60 miles on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call club President Tim Meyers at 951-5285 or 382-6931.
by CNB