Going on organized bike weekends is high on my sons’ list of fun things to do, especially when there are other kids out there as well. So few of their friends at school do any serious riding that they really enjoy getting together with the other kids on the bike rallies.
Here are a few of the Bike rallies coming up this year that we’ve found to be very family friendly. May 6th will be the PPTC’s Nokesville Picnic Ride. This is a multi-class ride with something for everyone. There will be rides from 10-51 miles, covering classes D to A. The roads in the Nokesville area are generally flat to rolling and generally quiet. If your family is just starting out, you can enjoy the 10 mile ride. If you are a bit more adventurous, you can ride farther. Afterwards you can enjoy lunch while the children play. Rides start between 8:30 and 10:15, depending upon the ride class. The picnic starts around noon. Check out the new PPTC web site for more information. Kudos to all the folks who have worked so hard to make this web site more informative and easier to use.
We will start our year at the “Tour de Chesapeake” in Matthews VA. The ride is organized by BikeWalk Virginia the weekend of 18-20 May. I started riding this with Jonathon when he was still in the trailer, and he enjoyed it back then. He is now 10 years old and still looking forward to a weekend with Dad. This year both boys will be with me, and poor Mom will be all alone with her quiet and her bubble baths. Activities start on Friday with pre-registration and a Pasta Dinner, where you can meet some of the other riders. Saturday morning starts off with ride options of 15, 20, 35, 50 and 62 miles in length. The courses are flat, but they can also be windy. The ride includes a lunch stop. Last year it was Subway sandwiches, chips and sodas. There are other rest stops along the way, some with snacks and others just at beautiful locations where you can take a break. When you get to the end, they serve strawberry shortcake to finish up your day. In the evening there is a Bluegrass concert at nearby Gwynn’s Island. On Sunday there are maps for local “No Frills” rides as well as opportunities for hiking, canoeing and kayaking on your own. If there is a downside to this ride, it is a lack of hotels and motels in the immediate area. However camping is available and some of the folks in Matthews open their homes to visitors for a fee. For more information go to: www.bikechesapeake.org.
Memorial Day Weekend is the “Kent County Spring” hosted by the Baltimore Bike Club at Washington College in Chestertown, MD. This is the 25th year that they have hosted this ride and it continues to be a highlight for many families. While it is not a cheap weekend, it is a good value. On Friday there are a number of casual rides, then on Friday night there is a welcoming desert bar for all to meet and greet. After the Saturday morning breakfast, there are a plethora of ride options. However, many of the families do the 20 mile Cliff City Crabbers ride so they can get back in time to participate in the festivities downtown. There is a wonderful street festival celebrating the second tea party. Yes the Chestertown Tea Party occurred when the British decided the ships were no longer safe in the Annapolis Harbor after the Boston Tea Party. They soon found out there were many patriots in Chestertown as well. Children of all ages enjoy the activities. That evening after dinner there is another desert bar and folk dancing. While the parents are dancing the children can play either in the immediate area or in the college Game Room. Sunday morning brings a number of rides, all meeting at Worton park for lunch. In the afternoon you can either extend your ride or head back to the riverside park in Chestertown to shop at some of the streetside vendors and watch the raft races. Some of the rafts are quite exquisite. Squids, Super Heroes, Dragons and anything you can imagine has probably been tried. On Monday morning, many of the folks go off on short rides before coming back for lunch and pack out. For more information go to: “http://www.baltobikeclub.org/” and select the “Rides and Events/Special Events” options.
The last event for this issue is the PPTC/WABITS Family Bike Weekend on the 22-24th of June. This has been a great event over the years. Ride on quiet back roads, take rest stops where the kids can play, have ice cream, and enjoy the swimming pool. There are lots of places for the kids to make noise and wear themselves out, so they’ll sleep well during the night. This weekend is hosted out of the Pocomoke State Park/Shad Landing. Where the Kent County Spring Fling has professional Chefs cooking the food, we have children flipping pancakes. Where the Kent County Spring Fling has exquisite chocolate delicacies, we have s’mores straight from the fire. Both weekends are great fun, just different styles. For more information see the PPTC-WABITS Family Bike Weekend article elsewhere in Pedal Patter, or contact Kevin and Kim Brugman.