By VANESSA McCRAY
vmccray@record-eagle.com
TRAVERSE CITY -- Hundreds of riders will wheel along picturesque roads to celebrate the silver anniversary of the Leelanau Harvest Tour.
The noncompetitive bicycle ride hosted by the Cherry Capital Cycling Club takes place Sept. 21 in Leelanau County. Cyclists will pedal 15, 25, 45, 67 or 100 miles, pausing at food stops.
There are plenty of residents who like to bike, and the 25th ride is chance for challenge and camaraderie.
"It's a great activity to do as a family. It gets the kids outside, and you are communicating. You are looking at stuff, you are having fun, and it's better than sitting inside watching television," said Pat McCool of Suttons Bay.
McCool's young son joined the family last year on the 25 mile route after summer training to increase his miles. The family plans to ride again this year.
Ken Rosiek of Glen Arbor plans to cycle the 67 mile distance with his wife on a tandem bike. A cycling club member, he leads regular breakfast-time bike rides of 30 to 50 miles and also participates in other tours. He's ridden in the Harvest Tour for about a dozen or more years.
"The ride is so beautiful; the roads are so great," Rosiek said.
In recent years, the number of tour riders spiked. About a thousand participated last year. Ride registration is $35, or $65 for families, from Sept. 12-21, and proceeds go to TART Trails. Last year, the tour raised $17,000, said Missy Luyk, trail program specialist.
"Leelanau County is just beautiful, with lots of beautiful vineyards and orchards and lakes. It's a great place to ride," she said.
It's also hilly. Inspiration Point, nicknamed "Perspiration Point," towers above Big Glen Lake. This year at Inspiration Point, National Honor Society students from Glen Lake will offer water and a local drummer will beat out an encouraging rhythm, said Pam Darling, tour chair. Organizers said there's no shame in walking up a hill if a rider can't quite manage the incline.
The tour has always been a fundraising event. Kathy Heil helped start the ride, which has benefited other causes in the past. About 65 people participated in the first one, she said.
This year, Heil is in charge of the food stops. The stations are located at lakefront parks, feature local foods and are spaced about 20 to 30 miles apart. Riders who have preregistered eat a pasta meal following the ride and dig into a special vanilla ice cream blend with dried cherries and chocolate made for the 25th anniversary by Moomers.
Cell phone service in parts of the county can be sketchy, so ham radio operators will be at all the food stops in case of emergency, Darling said. The ride begins and concludes at Glen Lake Community Schools, and a bluegrass band will play at the finish. Out-of-town riders also can camp for free at the school the night before the tour.
Popular distances are 67 and 100 miles; some have been training all summer for the 100-miler, or the "century ride," Heil said.
Chris Klein grew up in Michigan and lives in northern Virginia. He wanted to ride 100 miles but tore his Achilles tendon and now will tackle the 67 mile route. He checked with the cycling club to get information on elevation changes so that he could prepare for the tour.
"I've done a lot of hills, a lot of interval training," he said.
When the tour first started, there weren't many of these events, Heil said. Now, there's a lot of competition, but the Leelanau tour remains popular.
"We had no idea it was going to go for 25 years," she said.
For more on the tour, visit the Web site www.leelanauharvesttour.org.