THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 10, 1994 TAG: 9406080197
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY XIAOHONG ZHANG SWAIN, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: 940610 LENGTH: Long
A group of nine cyclists were anxious to get on their bikes as they gathered at the front of their leader Warren Puckett's home on Greenway Drive. They knew what was out there waiting for them: the sweet smells of spring and leisurely chats.
{REST} Dressed in a pair of black bike tights, a purple bike jacket and a matching purple head band, Puckett briefed the group about the 30-mile ride ahead of them. As the leader, the trim 50-something retiree always stresses safety and sets the pace.
Then, in his bass voice, Puckett said, ``OK, let's go!''
In three hours, the group would loop around Johnstown Road, traveling down Benefit Road and Battlefield Boulevard before heading back to Johnstown Road.
In the past seven years, Puckett has led many rides like this one. The past president and current treasurer of the Tidewater Bicycle Association has developed about 20 bicycle routes in Chesapeake.
``I first looked on the map, finding those roads,'' he said. ``Then, I checked out the roads on my own.''
A good bicycle route needs to include good stops, Puckett said. For example, on one recent Saturday morning the group stopped at Triple R Ranch on Bunch Walnuts Road and Little Earle's Market on Hickory Road.
Puckett's rides attract beginners and veterans, and people from across the region.
On this trip, the cyclists were Nancyann Norman and Jim Dyer of Norfolk; Frank Penello, Linda Trestman and Carol Taylor of Virginia Beach; Sally Goessel of Suffolk, Diane Adler of Great Bridge, Jonathan Iselin of Deep Creek and Janet Rohan of Greenbrier.
Puckett shuffled back and forth within the pack to keep the speed at no more than 13 mph and to make sure that no one fell behind.
``As a leader, you need to be consistent in doing what you have advertised,'' he said. ``The ride was advertised as a slow-paced ride. I have to follow that. I also have the obligation to take care of the newest, slowest rider in the group.''
Puckett said he also has strict safety rules.
``I need to ensure that everybody who comes is capable of doing the ride,'' he said. ``Their equipment should be in good condition. I insist everybody wear a helmet. And I always give a briefing before a ride about the ethics of riding in a group.''
Through a local bicycle shop, Janet Rohan of Greenbrier got in touch with Puckett in October 1993. Since then, she has been a regular in Puckett's Saturday morning cycling trip.
``I love the open country,'' Rohan said. ``Chesapeake is not as crowded as Virginia Beach or Norfolk.''
Even though Chesapeake has no officially designated bike trails, it has become a popular bicycling site because of the scenic and less traveled country roads.
Carol Taylor, touring director of Tidewater Bicycle Association, said that about half of the weekend rides organized by the association are held in Chesapeake. Since May, there also has been a regular Monday evening ride in the Great Bridge area, she said.
The association organizes rides in Virginia Beach and one- to three-day rides in or outside the state. Rides are classified according to their difficulty, Tom Adler, the association's president, said.
The four levels are:
A-paced ride, 19-21 mph, few or no stops
B-paced ride, 16-18 mph, some stops
C-paced ride, 13-15 mph, stops 10-15 miles apart
D-paced ride, sightseeing pace or slowest rider
In addition to recreational rides, the association has a nationally known racing team that has won several championships in the past.
The number of members from Chesapeake has been increasing in recent years as the city's population grows, Adler said. Currently, about 100 of the association's 575 members are from Chesapeake.
Warren Puckett has also observed the increasing popularity of bicycling in Chesapeake.
``There's not a single day that I don't see somebody ride a bike,'' Puckett said.
At the same time, however, cyclists face the challenge of the increasing traffic on Chesapeake's roads, even along rural routes.
Two out of every three bicycle-related accidents in the past several years appear to be the fault of the cyclists, said Sgt. Richard Johnson of the police department's traffic enforcement division. The number of accidents hasn't drastically changed over the years, with 56 in 1990, 57 in 1991, 52 in 1992 and 57 last year.
These figures include accidents involving children riding bikes in residential neighborhoods, he said.
Puckett himself was involved in a cycling accident at a busy intersection in Chesapeake and takes precautions so it never happens again.
On his Saturday ride, he was watching out for the group. Before the cyclists approached a hazardous intersection, Puckett called everyone to a stop and explained how to stay clear of traffic.
The group's members helped by giving warnings of passing traffic, stop signs and bumps on the road.
The tension of coping with traffic didn't seem to affect the riders' pleasure of being outdoors on their bikes. Once in a while, some hummed or whistled out a pleasant tune. The favorite song of the group was ``A Bicycle Built for Two.'' It was most appropriate for Jim Dyer of Norfolk to sing it, since he and his wife enjoy riding a tandem bike.
Dyer couldn't resist an occasional sprint to the front of the group - until Puckett caught up with him and told him to slow down the pace.
Diane Adler, Tom Adler's wife, said the exercise has helped her recover quickly from two heart surgeries. She also says the cycling trips are good for socializing with others.
``We have something in common. It's bicycling,'' she said. ``That's an automatic ice breaker. I have met a lot of interesting people.''
Puckett hopes to see more people learn to enjoy the pleasures of cycling.
``It makes it easier for me to ride if a lot of people ride bicycles,'' he said. ``I won't be treated as some alien on the road.''
by CNB