New Year's Day might be a good day to sleep off the hangover or vegetate on the couch and watch some football. For many of us, it's also a good day to get on the bicycle and start to achieve our 2008 mileage goals.
Many clubs feature rides on New Year's Day. The Western Pennsylvania Wheelmen, for instance, has offered the aptly named Icycle Bicycle Ride around downtown Pittsburgh for the past 30 some years regardless of the weather:
“It has gone no matter what the weather. In previous years, when we had deep snow on January 1st, it was not unusual to have to push bikes to McDonald's in the Strip for coffee and hot chocolate and then return to the start point.”
Some Jan. 1 rides
Here are some other popular New Year's Day bicycle rides. Check your local bike club for something in your area. (Although these are group rides, I don't think any supply sag support, food or water, etc. In other words, you're on your own):
Pleasant Hill, California — Grizzly Peak Cyclists' New Year's Day on Mount Diablo meets at Pleasant Hill BART at 9:30 a.m. Dress for a “possibly frigid descent.”
Beverly, Illinois — Jan. 1 bicycle ride around Chicago's Beverly neighborhood. Sponsored by the Beverly Bike Club. Starts at 8 a.m. at Ridge Park.
Midland County, Michigan — 8th annual New Year's Day bike ride on the Pere Marquette Rail Trail; starts at Midland's farmer's market; about 14 miles.
Medina, Ohio — “A Bi-Cycling Dandy Excuse For Getting Hibernated In January! (ABCDEFGHIJ)”: This ride started in 1977 and has hosted anywhere from 2 to 150 bicycle riders in temperatures ranging from 10 degrees to 40 degrees. 24, 12, or 3 miles. Medina is west of Akron. Starts at noon.
Bend, Oregon — Polar Bear Ride sponsored by Hutch's Bicycles; a 35-mile ride to Alfalfa and back.
Souix Falls, South Dakota — The Spoke-N-Sport bike shop's New Year's Day bike ride has been happening for 21 years. 15-20 miles on the Souix Falls Bike Trail.
Bellingham, Washington — Bob's New Year's Day Ride is a 40-mile ride that leaves at 9 a.m. from the Bob Lindquist plaque at Boulevard Park to Longhorn Tavern in Edison and back.
Seattle, Washington — New Year's Day Lake Sammamish Loop is a 25-mile ride that starts at noon. A Cascade Bicycle Club ride.
Madison, Wisconsin — The Yellow Jersey bike shop's New Year's Day Ride starts at Gino's on State at High Noon. “Dr Jerry Klotz and Fred Gooding, for reasons lost to history, went out for a bicycle ride on New Year's Day in 1969. Little did they suspect that this would be the impetus for such a durable and colorful tradition!”
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