By Marietta Homayonpour
THE NEWS-TIMES 2003-05-31
Get ready to pedal.
The Hat City Cyclists 11th annual Cyclefest is set for June 8.
The Cyclefest
will begin, rain or shine, at Rogers Park in Danbury. Participants will travel
through the region on the tour of their choice, ranging from as few as five
miles to as many as 103 miles.
"There
are a lot of different rides for a lot of different people,” said Hat City
Cyclists Club President Denis Morgan. "It’s good for everybody. You can bring
your kids.”
Money
collected from the Cyclefest helps local charities and pays Hat City Cyclists
expenses, such as storage and insurance. Among the activities the club supports
is the Earn-A-Bike program, in which members teach young people to ride safely.
The club
stresses that Cyclefest is not a race, but a tour. The more miles a rider
chooses to cycle, the more towns he or she will see, including Bethel, Redding,
Newtown, New Fairfield, Sherman, New Milford and Brookfield. For the ambitious,
the longest route includes the town of Kent and Dutchess County in New York.
On the
five-mile tour, through Danbury and Bethel, the route will be flat. On the
25-mile trip, bikers will pedal through rolling hills in Danbury, Bethel,
Newtown and Redding. For the 103-mile tour, throw in just about every town
and type of terrain.
Routes
are so well marked, say the organizers, that riders won’t need the cue sheets
given out. There will be plenty of food and water at rest stops, and the
tours are supported by vans that carry spare tires and other gear to help
with breakdowns.
The Hat
City Cyclists Club, founded in 1985, sponsors weekend rides during the year
and weekly rides every Wednesday that leave at 6 p.m. from the Bethel Municipal
Center. Mountain biking rides are planned. The club has about 100 members,
a monthly newsletter and gets discounts at local bike shops.
About 400 people took part in last year’s Cyclefest, according to Morgan, who is hoping for as many this year.
"You meet a lot of friendly people,” he said. "It’s a lot of fun.”
Registration for the June
8 Cyclefest will be at Rogers Park in Danbury from 7 to 11:30 a.m. All riders
must finish their tours by 5 p.m. Cost is $20 for adults and teenagers and
$8 for children 12 and under. For more information, check out the Hat City
Cyclists Web site at: www.hatcitycyclists.org
