New Year's Day bicycle excursion returns to Elizabethtown

Adam Lobert hopes residents will start the New Year off right by jumping on a bike and thinking about fitness goals once they shake off the effects of the New Year’s Eve parties.

The Central Kentucky Wheelmen is hosting its annual New Year’s Day bike ride at 1 p.m. in Elizabethtown, which is free and open to the public, said Lobert, owner of Bullmoose Brothers Bicycles on Helm Street and spokesman for the ride.

Riders will convene at and launch from Bullmoose Brothers and “dog leg” onto Pennsylvania Avenue before crossing Dixie by way of North Mantle Street. Lobert said the ride will then head toward Freeman Lake Park and come out on Pear Orchard Road before circling back by way of Main Street.

Lobert said the ride will constitute 10 miles and will be tackled at a leisurely family pace of no more than 10 miles per hour.

“Nobody will be left behind,” he said.

Veteran riders who want to go off-road and explore a longer or more difficult route can parlay at Bullmoose Brothers after the city ride wraps up and sketch out a route, Lobert said.

CKW has been doing a New Year’s Day ride for more than 20 years, Lobert said, but shifted its approach to an inclusive, family-friendly excursion for the past five or six years.

“All people need is a serviceable bike and helmet,” he said.

Should inclement weather strike on New Year’s Day, the ride will be canceled but Bullmoose Brothers will host riders inside the shop and serve them snacks and hot chocolate, Lobert said.

He encouraged prospective riders to inspect their bikes before the day of the ride and swing by the shop for repairs if needed. The shop plans to open at 11 a.m. to hold safety inspections and perform repairs on any malfunctioning bikes. The shop also will be open the day before to deal with more detailed repairs, he said.

If a rider does not have a suitable bike, Lobert said the shop will loan them one for a test ride during the day. Lobert said those who need to borrow a bike should contact him at (502) 551-5396 by Friday.

Dan McIntosh, a member of CKW, said safety should be adhered to by advanced and novice cyclists and said the ride’s family focused approach is a great way to start children off with a bicycle early.

“If they’re older than 6, we’ll have a bike for them,” Lobert added.

CKW plans to bolster its focus on safety in 2013 and will designate club members to attend the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C., Lobert said. The club also wants to analyze where bicycling stands in Elizabethtown and its functionality as an alternative mode of travel.

“Heaven knows we need an alternative to traffic-clogged streets,” he said.

Marty Finley can be reached at (270) 505-1762 or mfinley@thenewsenterprise.com.