Bicycle Tour Returns As Wellness Weekend Sunday Event
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WHEELING - The 16th annual Wheeling Heritage Trail Bicycle Tour has returned as a Sunday morning event of the Ogden Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine. Tour director Jim Adams said more cyclists were taking up the challenge.
"There are three events that take place," Adams said. "We do a 100K ride, a 50K ride, and a 15K ride that take place on Sunday morning before the Tough as Nails event," he said. "We have about 240 riders that are here this morning riding, and about 100 of them do the 100K. That's the largest event."
Adams said the 100K ride begins at Wheeling's WesBanco Arena to Elm Grove and back to the arena, then north to Bethany College, then back to the arena again.
"The 50K, they just ride specifically on the Heritage Trail all the way up to the Beach Bottom area," Adams said. "The 15K is just a short ride down to South Wheeling and back again.
"It's a tour, it's not a race," he continued, "just an opportunity for people to ride their bikes, and certainly a fun part of the Ogden Wellness Weekend. If they're not a runner, or they're not someone who feels they can do the Tough as Nails obstacles, a lot of people enjoy just cycling."
Adams said being "sandwiched" in between the Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic Saturday and Tough as Nails Urban Challenge presented by the Health Plan Sunday is proving a draw to cyclists and a benefit in growing the event's numbers following the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This has been very good numbers. Not the highest numbers," he said. "It's growing again, we're post-COVID," he said. "We expect this event will grow each year. ... Sunday morning is the perfect time for a bicycle tour, and people really seem to enjoy it."
Adams said they welcomed old and new faces.
"We had a lot of folks who came from out of town," he said. "This is multigenerational. We see kids that are participating in the 15K, and we have folks in their 80s who are riding their bikes as well. Any age can come and participate.
Among the cyclists are Art and Jackie Burnside of North Wheeling. They were among the 50K cyclists.
"A lot of the folks who participate in the whole weekend events, they're typical multi-sport people, so this gives them an opportunity," said Art Burnside who operates a bicycle repair shop, adding he has bicycled since the 1990s. "It's the stress relief."
Another cyclist is Mike Smith, St. Clairsville councilman and CPA. He had been a participant in the half marathons, but moved to cycling when his knees began troubling him. He completed the 50K event, but has challenged himself with the 100K before.
Smith said the tour's return to the Wellness Weekend is a way to fuel growth.
"It's getting a lot of people to come out and exercise," he said.
"You couldn't ask for a better weekend. The weather's beautiful. There's no wind for the bike ride, because you don't want to ride into a headwind," he said. "As far as the bike ride goes, very well-organized. ... I do it every year, it's very well-run, first class."
Tom Plappert of Pittsburgh completed the 100K tour. He said he bicycles about 12,000 miles yearly and has been cycling in the tour for about 10 years
"It does look like it rebounded. There were a lot of riders this year. It seemed like a good turnout," he said.
"I think it's a good idea," he added. "Wellness is important. ... I only found out today that there were other activities besides the ride. It's great, there are a lot of people. ... I'm not in any hurry to leave."
Plappert also praised the venue.
"It's great here, I like to come to Wheeling. I always enjoy the waterfront. ... I've always been a rider, and I like coming to West Virginia to ride," he said. "Nice and hilly, it's fun."