31st December, 2010
The Central Kentucky Wheelmen plan to welcome the new year in typical fashion: On two wheels.
The cycling group will take to the streets beginning at 2 p.m. on New Year day and ride around the “core†of Elizabethtown, starting at Bullmoose Brothers Bicycle Shop on Helm Street and hitting the pavement from French Street and Pear Orchard Road to Veterans Way and Woodland Avenue during the 10-mile ride, said Carmen Coyle, president of the organization.
The ride is free and open to the public. It does not require pre-registration, Coyle said. Children younger than 17 must be accompanied by an adult or legal guardian, Coyle added, and refreshments will be served at the ride’s conclusion.
Coyle said the ride has been a Wheelman tradition for the last 30 years, but the group opened the event to the public three years ago.
In that initial outing, the ride attracted about 50 people and mimicked the effort last year despite a chin-trembling 22 degrees.
Organizers are expecting warmer temperatures this year. If so, increased interest may develop.
“We could have quite a crowd,†she said.
Coyle discourages novices from tackling the ride because cyclists will be peddling at a moderate 13 to 15 mph during the tour of the city.
“If you can only do five miles an hour, you’ll probably be miserable,†she said.
Coyle said the terrain is hilly and could provide problems for those who haven’t participated in cycling lately.
Coyle urged some foresight in riders’ preparation and encouraged dressing in layers in case the temperature drifts colder than expected.
In the past, riders have shown up underdressed and struggled to finish the ride against the cold. Last year, the ride was halted to provide warmth for an underdressed rider to stave off hypothermia.
“It can happen so easily,†Coyle said.
She also stressed safety and said riders need to check their bikes’ brakes and tires for road readiness. If a problem surfaces with a bike, Coyle said participants should bring it to the shop at least an hour before the ride’s start so a professional can address any issues.
Coyle also said riders need to adhere to all rules of the road during the ride, acknowledging all traffic signals and road signs. A bike, she added, is a vehicle and should be operated in the same manner as motorists drive cars.
Coyle said the ride is a way for residents to inject some fitness into their New Years festivities and will reintroduce cycling to Elizabethtown as a parade of peddling passes through the city and riders mingle with residents.
“This has become a real event for the community,†she said.
